“Some people may say we are poor.  But the progress you make, my friend, is not always in how rich you are.” Eric Donaldson, “This is the Land of My Birth”

Imagine if you will, sitting on the seat of a seaplane as you are taking off from one Caribbean island to another.  As you sit there, you look out the window and see the setting sun turn the sky into a deep orange reflecting off the water as you start your ascent.  The carefree feeling of anticipation which the Caribbean exudes consumes you as you anxiously and joyously await the next experience.  Rich in reward, the land and the people of the Caribbean provide a laid back experience in living in paradise.

The music of Eric Donaldson emanates from just such an experience, and one can hardly contain themselves from the very thoughts the Caribbean permeates when listening to the latest release from Trojan Records, Cherry Oh Baby, The Best of Eric Donaldson.

It should be no surprise that Mr. Donaldson’s music so clearly reflects the warm feelings of the Caribbean.  Known as “Mr. Festival,” Mr. Donaldson earned such a distinction by winning the “Carnival,” a national salute to local talent and ingenuity, an unprecedented 8 times throughout the course of his musical career.

Positive and nationalistic, Mr. Donaldson permeates an uplifting musical experience through a bubbly and bouncy rhythm which resounds from the yesteryear of the soft innocent age of reggae music.  Mr. Donaldson may have never received the large amount of international fame his colleagues may enjoy, but his music is as much a representation of the early foundations of reggae music as any other.  Filled with encouragement, love, and positivity, Mr. Donaldson's music

Cherry Oh Baby is not only the title track, but also one of the more beautiful songs to have come out of Jamaican music.  Sampled and resamples of the version of the song that put Eric Donaldson on the map can be found throughout the world, and indeed, a beautiful, softer rendition produced by Lee Scratch Perry can be found on this disk as well.   

With many of the tracks having their foundation on “Cherry Oh Baby’s” riddim, some of it might seem repetitive.  Indeed, Mr. Donaldson’s second festival winning song is basically a copy of his Cherry Oh Baby with different lyrics.  However, after getting through the repetitive versions of the Cherry Oh Baby riddims, which includes appearances by Dennis Alcapone, U-Roy and I-Roy, the rest of the album flows as subtle as the Caribbean surf.

Covers of The Temptations “Ain’t too proud to beg” and Dr. Hook’s “Sylvia’s Mother” lends themselves to Eric Donaldson’s soft deliberate delivery, and Sweet Jamaica and Land of My Birth gives a reminder of the beauty of the land from which Mr. Donaldson hails.

Overall, Mr. Donaldson’s album “Cherry Oh Baby, The Best of Eric Donaldson” helps to expose his music as something greater than simply “Cherry Oh Baby.”  Rather, ‘Mr. Festival’ offers a grand selection of Caribbean music which will make you strut your step, bounce to the beat, and smile with pleasure at the sound of Jamaica’s foundation music.  A pleasurable listen indeed.