One of the most revered elder statesmen of Jamaican music, Ranglin's career has seen him master a number of styles--from swing through ska, from Cuban music to jazz and bluebeat. A musician's musician, he's an unfailingly tasteful player, and passionately engaged with music of all kinds: now in his sixties, he seems as much at home with the latest drum and bass white label, as with a rocksteady rhythm. And it's this willingness to experiment, this creative restlessness, that has endeared him to subsequent generations of producers and players. Here, he teamed with American-based pianist Monty Alexander, on a collection of both original numbers, and classic Jamaican songs ("Ball Of Fire", Augustus Pablo's "King Tubby Meets The Rockers") which the duo filter through their respective reggae and jazz leanings. The rhythms are deep and cavernous, though serious jazz fans could argue that the sheer relentlessness of the groove--and the comparative simplicity of the tunes--renders them unsuitable for real improvisation. Nevertheless, a fine, distinctive set. --Andrew McGuire