Title
Artist
Label
Format
Date

 A Blessing Of Love Vol. 1
Various
Rising Star Records
CD
June 27, 2011

Glenn Middleton (A Blessing of Love) - Various Artists Track list
  1. Denfield Jones - Living In Uncertain Times
  2. Tony Chin - Cool Down Jah Children
  3. Denfield Jones - Saving Jah World
  4. Carl Smith - You're A Gift From Jah
  5. Carl Smith - Don't Fight The Feeling
  6. Lloyd 'Bread' McDonald - It's All About You
  7. Lloyd 'Bread' McDonald - A Blessing Of Love
  8. Carl Smith - Sweet Belize
  9. Carl Smith - From Jah With Love
  10. Carl Smith - So Nice
  11. Tony Chin - Without Jah Love
  12. Santa Davis & Talita Long - Telling My Story
  13. Carl Smith - Thank You Jah
Rating : from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor)
Vocals : 4 Backing : 4 Production : 4 Sound quality : 5 Sleeve : 3
The independent record label Rising Star Records out of Minnesota is founded by Belize born Glenn Middleton, an environmentally conscious person, but also a producer, artist and songwriter. He's devoted to create music that is motivating and inspirational, much like music by the great Bob Marley. The label has released its debut album entitled "A Blessing Of Love Vol. 1", a thirteen track set, concentrating on the cultural side of reggae, trying to provide the people with hope and strong belief in change. Musically speaking its an old-skool 'one-drop' reggae album, with instrumental arrangements that are well engineered and catchy, with live instruments including the horns of the Inity Hornz.

The album brings us various veteran reggae artists, including Lloyd "Bread" MacDonald of the Wailing Souls who sings the title track, a message song of peace and love. He's also responsible for the tune It's All About You. Carl Smith is responsible for six songs, not all of them being highlights. We especially like From Jah With Love, an uptempo and funky praising tune. And then there's You're Gift From Jah, also a tune we're definitely going to spin more than once.

Reggae veteran Tony Chin gives us Cool Down Jah Children. His latest album 'Universal Love' got rave reviews all over the world. Santa Davis, one of reggae's top drummers teams up with Talita Long for the conscious tune Telling My Story. This tune was written to help raise the awareness of the HIV virus. The two songs from Denfield Jones are fantastic roots tunes. Living In Uncertain Times is a chopping roots reggae song, while Saving Jah World deals with social injustice in this time.

With 'A Blessing Of Love Vol. 1' Rising Star Records has delivered a fine debut set.