Jackie Mittoo

Though he never achieved the same fame as his peers — a group that includes Augustus Pablo and Tommy McCook — the late Jackie Mittoo (1948-90) was a major player in the history of reggae, rocksteady and ska. Mittoo was an ace on the keyboards, a charter member of the seminal Skatalites, a performer on recordings helmed by luminaries Bob Marley and Mikey Dread, and an occasional singer and bandleader. His fabulously rare Wishbone album from 1971, recorded in Toronto, makes its CD debut, thanks to the Light in the Attic label. Purists, beware — Wishbone is a half-instrumental mix of reggae (more rocksteady and pop than roots), melodious Gamble and Huff-style Philly soul, and deep-groove instrumentals. Mittoo pours his sumptuous organ work on soul-thick, singing in a clearly enunciated, mellow baritone. Highlights include "Grand Funk," which sounds like MFSB meets Funkadelic, and the wistful Soul Train-circa-'71-to-Jamaica "La-La Girls and Cha-Cha Boys." No doubt, Wishbone'll dispel your seasonal gloom, at least for a little bit.