The late Horace Swaby, aka Augustus Pablo, was one of the canonical figures of Jamaican reggae and dub music. From the time he emerged on the scene as a teenager with his hit single "Java" to the classics he cut with his influential Rockers band and label, Pablo made the melodica, a mouth organ of European origin, an indispensable part of the reggae sound. That instrument's piercing and poetic strains made East Of The River Nile, a memorable, out-of-print-classic, originally released in 1977 and re-released in honour of its 25th anniversary, a marvel of sound and soul. Recorded in Lee Perry's legendary Black Ark Studio and mixed by the scientist of sound, King Tubby, Pablo, who also plays keyboards, is backed by a first-rate band that includes Robbie Shakespeare on bass, drummer Aston "Family Man" Barrett and guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith. Pablo and company deliver a non-dub instrumental album that serves as the syncopated soundtrack of the Rasta nation. Who could forget the minor key, Afro-anthems "Chant to King Selassie I", "Natural Way" and "Jah-Light". Along with shout-outs from Perry, the Orb and others, the CD also includes six bonus tracks and a never-before-heard version of the title cut. All told, Augustus Pablo's "Far East Sound" is still with us. --Eugene Holley, Jr.