Luciano Serious Times, VP Records 2004 ©

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Reviewed by Issa Kelly

The Bible verse Matthew 10:27 reads, “What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops.”  It seems Luciano, whose name means the bearer of light and the son of an evangelical preacher has taken this verse to heart.  Never failing as our teacher Luciano has crafted a message that speaks to our slumbering souls and urges us to go proclaim it on the housetops. The first song on this release, Give Praise, is the whisper and sets a mellow mood.  With its comfortable key and memorable bridge you end up singing it, along with many on this CD, all the time.

Luciano deftly experiments with a mixture of 70’s pop, today’s R&B, Jazz and Country.  The reggae purists and die-hard Luciano fans will not be disappointed, because his feet are firmly planted in reggae.  Reggae icons Sly & Robbie are on seven of the seventeen songs.  Come Down Father, which is classic Luciano that would easily fit on his 1995 Island Records release Where There Is Life, leads the faithful.  Faith and its companion hope is what will over come in The World is Troubled.

When I first heard this song I knew this rhythm and it sure wasn’t ridden as smooth as on Stay Away. Abijah, where I first heard this rhythm, rides it as an anthem on Rootsman Take Over (his self-titled release 2003 VP Records.)  I enjoy both versions immensely.

There is a second example of riding the same rhythm, but it’s more of a toe to toe battle.   Luciano with Only Love, and Bushman, off his 2001 Higher Ground release, Love of the Heart (reminds you of the 2002 Jet Star release toe2toe? – these songs aren’t on there).  Both ride steady and Lucie gives a verbal one two punch with “We’re living in a perilous time, mankind keep doing so much wrong.  So we got to unite in the Armageddon, using love to create the bond.”   Then Bushy counters with a lyrical right cross with “Hear one take pride in destroying each other, living like savage everyday.  Ignorance in the spirit is holding us down…only love of the heart can solve it.”   How about a rematch Jet Star?

When looking for some answers as you wade through the craziness in this world just Talk to G-d.  This song gives good advice and will have you reminiscing back to the days of Ashford & Simpson.  It starts out very simply with a guitar, keyboard and congo drums, then increases in its complexity first adding the bass, then flute and finally strings.

In keeping with the R&B feel Luciano teams up with Morgan Heritage on Love Will Make It.  Luciano starts this song out “Peace will linger in the distance, as justice sees its final dawn.  Not that surprising, look where we’re going.”  The emotion in his voice on the word ‘where’ is so palpable it makes mi bawl eye wata.

One of my favorite songs is Satisfy Yourself.  It speaks to the seed within us that is planted and cultivated by the Holy Spirit.   Only with reflection and self-knowledge can we encourage the seed to grow.

Echoes of My Mind is a nice remake of the song Everybody’s Talking by Jimmy Buffet.  How can you go wrong with a Buffet song?   You’ll bust out your dancing shoes to perfect your ska moves with Free Up the Weed.  It’s a treat when Luciano flexes his Sing-Jay style.

A deep meditation will be easy to achieve while listening to Alpha and Omega.  The harmonies are sweet and I was delighted to see that Nikki Burt was one of the singers.  Nikki has toured with Bushman, Buju Banton and Mikey Spice.  At this writing she’s working on her own full length release, so keep an eye out for it.

On one of the top songs on this release Luciano takes on a newscaster persona for the title track Serious Times.  He recounts the daily stories from around the world that seem to no longer horrify us.

No Where To Go To makes you feel like you are on a train bound for Zion.  The lyrics are the engine and the harmonies carry you down the tracks.  The backup singers are Nikki Burt, Rochelle Bradshaw, of the Far East Singers and Dalton Browne, of the Browne family, without whom reggae would be at a loss.  We Need a Miracle has grown on me each time I hear it.  Dean Frasier’s horns and Gibby Morrison’s guitar are the special touches that bring this song to life.

This Feeling  is tender, uplifting and acknowledges the blessings bestowed.   I’m grooving in the horn section on Jah Is My Keeper, which seems to be inspired by the jazz icon Chick Corea.  I really like the rich feel to this song, both lyrically and musically.

This song is for the women who love the men that carry Halie SelassieI in their heart.  He tells the story of his meeting with an empress in The Ras She Wants.  Remember it’s what’s in the heart not what’s on the head; don’t be fooled by a dread.

In 2002 Luciano stated, during international reggae day, “The spiritual element is foremost” when it comes to reggae music. On this release he has achieved the balance of spiritual and musical.

Luciano, The Far East Singers and Jah Messenjah Band will be on tour in the US this summer.   Luciano’s website is  www.lucianoreggae.com.

Issa Kelly has been writing concert and CD reviews on the web since 1998.  She is a contributor to ChicagoReggae.com where she is a photographer, writer and interviewer.  You can contact her at Issa_1999@hotmail.com.