Calling Rastafari: Omnivore Collects Reggae Gems from the Nighthawk Catalogue on "Send I A Lion"

Calling Rastafari: Omnivore Collects Reggae Gems from the Nighthawk Catalogue on “Send I A Lion”

November 14, 2019 By Sam Stone — No Comments

The ever-eclectic Omnivore Recordings has announced a new reggae retrospective that puts the spotlight on the indie label Nighthawk Records. Send I A Lion: A Nighthawk Reggae Joint is due November 15 as a CD, 2-LP or digital collection.

The 20-track compilation was compiled and annotated by Nighthawk founder Leroy Jodie Pierson, who had initially envisioned it as a blues label. In 1979, five years after Nighthawk began, Leroy was instead in Kingston producing local talent. Nighthawk would go on to release albums by Culture, The Gladiators, Ethiopian, Junior Byles, Justin Hinds, Winston Jarrett, Itals, Ronnie Davis, and others. Those acts and more are represented on Send I A Lion which spotlight material from the label’s acclaimed albums alongside non-LP stray tracks and even an unreleased audition tape of The Mighty Diamonds’ “4,000 Years.” In addition to the music, the collection includes new notes by Leroy Jodie Pierson, who also provided rare photos from his personal archive for the booklet.

So mark your calendars, reggae aficionados, for this Friday, November 15 and place your pre-orders direct from Omnivore!

Various Artists, Send I A Lion (Omnivore Recordings, 2019) (Omnivore Online Store)

1. Culture – Calling Rastafari

2. Gladiators – Bongo Red

3. Justin Hinds And The Dominoes – Weeping Eyes

4. Ethiopian & Gladiators – I’m Ready

5. The Mighty Diamonds – 4000 Years

6. Junior Byles – Thanks And Praise

7. Gladiators – Bless Our Soul

8. Wailing Souls – Harbor Shark

9. Justin Hinds – Want More

10. Ethiopian & His All Stars – Train To Skaville

11. Morwells – Young Lover

12. Gladiators – Serious Thing

13. Winston Jarrett And The Righteous Flames – Babylon Broke Dung Me House

14. Ronnie Davis And Idren – Move On Oppressor

15. Culture – Dem A Payaka

16. Ethiopian & His All Stars – Straight On Rastafari

17. Gladiators – Streets Of Gold

18. Winston Jarrett And The Righteous Flames – Bad Boy

19. Justin Hinds And The Dominoes – Travel With Love

20. The Mighty Diamonds – 4000 Years (Audition)

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Everything Else

Tags:

Culture, Ethiopian, Itals, Junior Byles, Justin Hinds, Ronnie Davis, The Gladiators, Winston Jarrett

Sam Stone

Sam Stone has been obsessed with catalog music ever since his folks gave him a Contours best-of collection for his fourth birthday. He quickly began to learn all he could about rock and roll history and beyond, a passion that continues to this day.

Sam followed his love for music to the classroom, earning a B.A. from Towson University in Electronic Media and Film, concentrating on radio and audio production, as well as an M.A. in Audio Arts from Syracuse University. He has put his knowledge and skills to work at prominent reissue labels and is excited to bring his perspectives on catalog music to a broader audience. When he’s not writing for The Second Disc, Sam can be found researching about music, talking about Joni Mitchell’s career, and adding another box set to his Amazon wish list.