Jah Earl's revival

Singer Earl 'Jah Earl' Mowatt came of age during the 1970s, considered by many musicologists as the golden era of roots-reggae. No wonder he longs for a return to soothing melodies and musicianship.

Mowatt, who is also a competent guitarist, is keen on reviving the singer-songwriter concept made famous in Jamaica by Marley, Bob Andy and Peter Tosh through his Diamond Cluster label.

"Well, I try an' get my message across in a refined way, not in a coarse fashion like a lotta man do nowadays," Mowatt explained. "An' I try an' use the guitar to really express myself as well."

Have Some Faith and She Doesn't Love Me Anymore are two of Mowatt's latest productions on the fledgling Diamond Cluster. They are the dreadlocked performer's first releases in some time, following the impressive Bev One Daughter and One More Time, which were produced by guitarist Earl 'Chinna' Smith.

Early in his career, Mowatt recorded songs for another veteran producer, Dennis 'Jah D' Fearon. But during breaks from the studio, he has concentrated on the guitar, listening to a list of maestros including Ernie Ranglin, George Benson and Jimi Hendrix to develop his style.

He said Benson, who made his mark as a singer-songwriter-musician on songs like Breezin' and Give Me The Night, is a major influence. He pointed out that Benson would not reach as far as he has without help in a key area.

"A good artiste really wants a good manager to reach somewhere, an' dat's what I'm looking at right now. Dat would really do a lot for me," he said.