Spear’s had his own label (Burning Music) for a few years and calls his own shots. So even though his songs are liberally decorated with bright horns, stabbing guitar and keyboard riffs, dense percussion and lively backing vocals, the heartbeat reggae vibe never takes a back seat. His authoritative voice has deepened and perhaps mellowed some over the years, but he still hits hard. Jah Is Real  (which includes guest shots by Parliament/Funkadelic vets Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrel and one contemporary-sounding remix that’s uncharacteristic but still good) is Burning Spear at his shamanic, wise-elder best.

Even if the old guard like Burning Spear does eventually step aside, fret not, for there’s no shortage of up-and-comers who’ll carry on. Taj Weekes is one, Joshua Alo is another. Alo was born in Hawaii, but his status as a Mail Transportation Manager in the U.S. military has taken him far and wide. A longstanding interest in reggae and an upbringing that included his becoming proficient on guitar and ukulele led to his hooking up with a band called Zion Love in northern Italy, and it was with them that Alo recorded his debut disc Answer Your Calling. It’s an unassuming gem of an album, blending the acoustic sway of Alo’s balladeer persona with the insistent tug of reggae.

Alo’s songs are mellow and meditative, his vocals direct and committed, and the whole album glows with an unpretentious, spiritual aura that’s entirely infectious. He may wear a military uniform, but Joshua Alo’s true calling is that of a peaceful reggae messenger. And he answered it well.

-by Tom Orr