The Mighty Diamonds Inna De Yard

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When guitarist Earl Chinna Smith put out his Inna De Yard Allstars “Best Of”, he unveiled some previously unheard performances. One of the most striking was The Mighty Diamonds’ simple guitar and harmonies rendition of The Sylistics’ ‘Country Living’, which proved this well loved trio are still a captivating live act.

Just two months after this taster, Chinna has served up the main course - a full set of Diamonds performances in the traditional ad hoc Yard style. And each recording lives up to the promise of their famous ode to the bucolic life, chosen wisely as the opening track.

The Diamonds are best known for their soulful major key efforts, but here their rootsier minor key hits appear in greater numbers. These include ‘Bodyguard’ (recorded in 1978 for Joseph Hookim and again ten years later for Gussie Clarke), the moving lament ‘4000 Years’, ‘Leaders Of Black Country’, ‘Go Seek Your Rights’ and the brooding, meandering ‘One Brother Short’.

Of course the sweet mellow favourites are here too. ‘Poor Marcus’ elicits an expressive lead vocal performance from Tabby Shaw; both ‘I Need A Roof’ and ‘When The Right Time Come’ (whose original versions are still played relentlessly in dances all over the world) are revitalised by their acoustic setting, as is the gospelly ‘Have Mercy’. Fittingly for a group forever associated with the Channel One double drum sound, drumming features heavily, with nyabinghi percussion by Jah Youth, Kiddus I and others on all tracks except the first.

Any Inna De Yard release should carry the usual caveat for the uninitiated; the “one take” warts-and-all acoustic recordings may be too rough sounding for some listeners ears. But accept the Yard concept on its own terms as a journey to reggae’s very root and this instalment is yet another fascinating and refreshing reappraisal of one of Jamaica’s most enduring groups.