Light Your Light

by Toots & the Maytals

Overview

There are, of course, no Maytals in Toots & the Maytals (the actual group broke up in 1981), and it's all just Toots Hibbert these days, which is fine, really, since his gospel and Memphis soul-inflected vocals have made Toots one of the most explosive and exciting performers ever to come out of Jamaica. Light Your Light was produced by Toots in conjunction with with Zadig, but unlike 2004's duets album True Love (produced by Richard Feldman, who mixed this one), which diffused Toots' powerful presence with a succession of rock star partners, this time out Toots is completely center stage (which is always a good thing). True, slide guitarist Derek Trucks is featured on the lead track, a reworking of Toots' 1970s-era "Johnny Coolman," but he wisely works the tune instead of trying to steal it. Bonnie Raitt turns up on the second track, again a re-record, this time of the poignant "Premature," Toots' cautionary tale about early pregnancy, and again Raitt lets the song lead things. Everything else is all Toots Hibbert, including a fine cover of Otis Redding's "Pain in My Heart," a bouncing "Celia" (featuring Toots' son Hopeton on bass and legendary island drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace), a version of Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" (as "I Gotta Woman"), and the track that will probably get the most attention here, a tribute to the immortal Skatalites and to Studio One producer Coxsone Dodd called "Tribute to Coxson/Guns of Navarone" that features sax from Dean Fraser. In all, Light Your Light is a much better affair than the ill-advised True Love, with a clean, clear, and bright sound -- and then, of course, the vocal work of the remarkable Toots Hibbert, who just might be the most powerful singer Jamaica has ever produced. Light Your Light doesn't take things back to the glory days, but it doesn't embarrass, either, and shows that this remarkable performer still has plenty of gas in his tank and hopefully many more miles (and albums) to go. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	08/28/2007
Label:	Fantasy
UPC:	0888072303362

Tracks

1. Johnny Coolman
2. Premature
3. Pain in My Heart
4. Love So Strong
5. Don't Bother Me
6. Celia
7. Image Get a Lick
8. I Gotta Woman
9. See the Light
10. Medley: Tribute to Coxson/Guns of Navarone
11. Do You Remember
12. Light U Light

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Toots & the Maytals   Primary Artist
Derek Trucks   Primary Artist,Slide Guitar,Featured Artist
Bonnie Raitt   Primary Artist,Vocals,Slide Guitar,Featured Artist
Hopton Hibbert   Guitar (Bass)
Toma King   Vocals (Background),Vocals (Background)
Andy Brassford   Guitar
Jason Sinsay   Guitar
Marie Twiggi Gittens   Vocals (Background)
Carroll "Bowie" McLaughlin   Piano
Carl Harvey   Guitar (Bass),Bass,Guitar
Toots   Guitar (Acoustic)
Jackie Jackson   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Ian Lewis   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Chamber Chorus   Guitar
Tom Weir   Percussion
Uziah "Sticky" Thompson   Percussion
Jason Sinay   Guitar
Ray Huttchins   Guitar
Richard Feldman   Guitar (Acoustic)
Norris Webb   Keyboards
Chantal Ernandez   Vocals (Background)
Danny Thompson   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Blair Shots   Drums
Charles Farquharson   Keyboards,Organ (Hammond)
Carol "Bowie" McLauglin   Piano,Keyboards
Greg Karagianis   Guitar (Acoustic)
Radcliffe Bryan   Guitar
Andy Geib   Soloist,Trombone
Leba Hibbert Thomas   Vocals (Background)
Alpha Boys School Horns   Brass
Stephen Stewart   Organ (Hammond),Piano
Paul Douglas   Drums
Kirk Bennett   Drums
Toots Hibbert   Vocals,Clapping,Harmonica,Keyboards,Percussion,Tambourine,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Dean Frazer   Saxophone
Jason Robinson   Saxophone
Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace   Drums
Roman Johnson   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Toots Hibbert   Audio Production,Composer,Producer
Zadig Hibbert   Audio Production
Tom Weir   Engineer,Mixing
Nigel Burrell   Engineer
Dimitri Tiomkin   Composer
Richard Feldman   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Programming
Dave Collins   Mastering
Bennett B. Garner   Engineer
Zadig   Producer
Donald Dixon   Engineer
Mike Gassel   Art Direction,Package Design
John "Nunu" Zumont   Photography
Steve Kovacs   Engineer
Abbey Anna   Art Direction
Rob Saslow   A&R
Mike Cacia   Tray Photo,Executive Producer
Jason Wisner   Engineer
Luke Tozour   Engineer
Tom Corwin   Overdub Engineer
Ray Charles   Composer
Paul Q. Kolderie   Engineer
Stephen Stewart   Engineer
Frederick Hibbert   Composer
Roger Steffens   Liner Notes
Naomi Neville   Composer
Renald Richard   Composer