Mad Professor

Rarely does a reggae producer make as much of an impact on the world of rock, pop and soul music as Neil Fraser, who records and mixes under the name Mad Professor. This handy and budget-priced two-disc set passes relatively lightly over his own instrumental work (which, to be honest, tends to sound a bit samey) in favor of singles and album tracks produced by him for other artists. The result is a completely delightful compilation of modern roots and dancehall reggae. Featured artists include such usual suspects as Pato Banton, Horace Andy and Max Romeo, as well as a few surprises. Did you know that Prof did a dub mix of Jamiroquai’s “Drifting Along,” or produced Perry Farrell’s “King Z”? This set shows why they sought him out.