Real Power

Personnel: Sheldon Bernard (flute, keyboards); Devon Richardson (drums); Kadian Dixon (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Mark Ray.
Recording information: Celestial Sounds Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Digital B Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Grove Recording Studio, St. Ann, Jamaica; Respect & Manners Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Tuff Gong Studio, Kingston, Jamaica.
You may remember him as Lieutenant Stitchie, who emerged from King Jammy's superpower sound system as one of the great dancehall DJs of the late '80s and '90s. Since being born again he has shortened his stage moniker to Stitchie and devoted himself to an emphatically evangelical form of gospel reggae. Because he's gifted as both a singer and a chatter, he manages to get a relatively samey message across in a variety of styles, swinging easily from gruff-voiced ragga chanting on "Solid Rock" and "Call 'Pon Him" to a crooning, mainstream gospel sound on "Problems Never Get Me Down" and the piano-driven, barely reggae "U Give Me Love." "Do Them No More" is a fun and vaguely ska-inflected celebration of repentance, and the album ends with a sweet and gentle arrangement of the gospel standard "Softly and Tenderly." Very nice. ~ Rick Anderson