Details: Jackie Edwards - The Original "Mr Cool Ruler". Originally released in 1983, this is a classic lovers rock album from one of Jamaica's most influential musical figures, Jackie Edwards. This set was recorded by the legendary Scientist and produced by Bunny Lee, both titans of reggae production. The album features a dream lineup of Jamaica's finest musicians, including the renowned drum and bass duo 'Sly & Robbie', and also Jackie Mittoo, Winston Wright, Earl Chinna Smith and others. As far as Rhythm sections go, this one is undefeated and undisputed. With tracks like "Do It Sweet," "Love I Can Feel," and "Sharon," the album glides through themes of romance and heartache with Edwards' velvety vocals and smooth arrangements. Songs such as "Girl You Lied" and "Let Me Go Girl" showcase his lyrical honesty, while "Forward Home" and "All Night Session" demonstrate the influence of rocksteady and lovers rock on his style. Jackie Edwards began his career in Kingston, Jamaica, where his Nat King Cole-inspired voice quickly won attention. By the early 1960s, he had already achieved four number-one hits in Jamaica and soon became a pivotal part of Island Records after emigrating to the UK with Chris Blackwell. Known widely for penning the UK chart-toppers "Keep On Running" and "Somebody Help Me" for The Spencer Davis Group, Edwards was as influential behind the scenes as he was on stage. Throughout the 1970s and into the '80s, Edwards helped shape the smoother edge of reggae, with The Original Mr Cool Ruler standing as a quintessential example. The album title itself nods to Gregory Isaacs's "Cool Ruler" persona, but Edwards delivers a more romantic, crooning counterpoint rooted in his early balladeer days.

Jackie Edwards - The Original Mr. Cool Ruler (CD)