February 13, 2022 by A.S. Van Dorston

The Bullwackie magic in full effect produced two of the all-time greatest vocal reggae albums in showcase stylee in a two week period.

Initially I thought of Jarrett as a kind of Horace Andy acolyte. With a similar range and a style definitely influenced by Andy, Jarrett didn’t have as long and accomplished career. He did, however, have experience recording with Glen Brown and Junjo Lawes in Jamaica. He came to the Bronx from his home base in Connecticut to record Bubble Up during the same time Andy was recording Dance Hall Style.

As he sang in “Magic In The Air,” they were definitely sharing something special in the air, with the material nearly the equal (reference the performance, the bridge, and the dead cool fuzztone guitar on “Every Tongue Shall Tell”). Some fans even rate this album higher than Horace Andy’s classic. After a month of listening, I have definitely warmed up to it, along with Mini Showcase (Horace Andy Meets Naggo Morris & Wayne Jarrett). The Showcase format means each track includes an extended mix or dub version in the second half, and this is one of the best examples, with Clive Hunt lending Bullwackie a hand in production, as well as flute and keyboards. I wish more vocal reggae albums were done this way, because when the groove is so good, you don’t want it to end, and here, time stretches like taffy. It includes four Studio One versions – Azul on “Rockfort Rock,” Sleepy’s “Every Tongue Shall Tell,”, Leroy Sibbles from The Heptones, and a killer Drum Song.

With at least six classic albums in 1982 alone by Jarrett, Andy, Junior Delahaye, Love Joys and The Meditations, Lloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes studio and his Wackie’s label was on a winning streak, totally fulfilling the studio/label’s destiny as the American Black Ark, with a series of spot-on dubby showcase psych classics.