By Carter Van Pelt
Photos: Carter Van Pelt\Facebook
So it’s truly been a while since my last update. When I wrote, I had left VP Records after six years as Director Of Catalog Development. I have since returned as an A&R Consultant, a different role, focused on creating releases rather than marketing and promotion. In reflection, the work I did on the Down In Jamaica – 40 Years Of VP Records box set, Prince Fatty Meets The Gorgon In Dub, and a number of Record Store Day special editions and other releases was extremely satisfying and far closer to my passion as a DJ, selector, and music curator.
In that spirit, I’ve got some really great projects in the works for the year ahead that you’ll hear about soon, but in the mean time, you’ll see some previously unissued singles coming to light, such as Al Campbell’s version of “Declaration Of Rights,” which is out Sept. 12th, and a number of upcoming titles from the vast Bunny Lee, Jammy’s, George Phang, and Junjo Lawes catalogs.
I have plans for more expansive releases such as last winter’s deluxe edition of Barrington Levy’s Prison Oval Rock – 40th Anniversary Edition, culled and transferred from high-definition original reel-to-reel sources. These alternate sources, dubs, and additional mixes from Prison Oval Rock show the working process of Junjo Lawes and his engineers (Scientist, Jammy, Barnabas, Soljie), and how many subtle variations of mixes he delivered between Greensleeves, VP’s Jah Guidance label, and of course his own Volcano imprint in Jamaica. You can download or stream audio here.
In other news, my NYC Summer Soundsystem Series for 2025 recently concluded with Reggae Under The Bridge, featuring my friend and neighbor Johnny Osbourne and a number of notable selectors coming together to celebrate vintage reggae vinyl and soundsystem culture like you’ll find almost nowhere else.
Now in its 16th season, the series had three editions at K Bridge Park this summer, in partnership with North Brooklyn Parks Alliance and the Brooklyn Arts Council. We were back at Coney Island last month, where it all started, and I hope to continue to produce one event there per summer. Thanks to Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Forest Hills Stadium, we were back at Rockaway Beach Amphitheater for Labor Day Weekend, a great new tradition and alternative to the West Indian American Day Parade. Big up to Chanter, The Timeless Sound and his crew for a great summer.
Enjoy this playlist from Reggae On The Boardwalk – Rockaways, featuring vocals from Ras Shiloh, and DJ sets from Jah Wise, Chanter, Vaughn Allstar, DJ Anthony, Grace Of Spades, Yankee Ranks, and me as well. Thanks to DJ Ziddy for the capture and share.
Finally, coming on on September 20th, the incomparably influential poet and heavy intellectual Linton Kwesi Johnson returns to New York for a screening of the 1979 Franco Rosso documentary Dread Beat an Blood. Film curator, programmer, and cinephile Gabrielle Caroti is making this all happen – don’t miss it!
Also coming up this month, Sept. 27th, we have a big free show from Lila Ike and Kabaka Pyramid at Coney Island Amphitheater, orchestrated in part by my friend and crucial DJ, Max Glazer. It’s really important to see a great turnout for this event, so if you are able to share the information with your friends in NYC, that would be appreciated by everyone involved.
Remarkably, that very same night, Steel Pulse’s 50th anniversary tour comes to City Winery. What is a person to do? Make sure you support at least one of these important events for reggae in NYC. Steel Pulse will also be participating in a panel discussion at the Apollo Theater on the afternoon of the 27th. I saw them at the Ithaca Reggae Fest in June, and they crush it.
As always, please follow me @cartervanpelt and @coneyislandreggae for more info and regular content. I’ve had request to start posting archival articles and interviews on Substack, so stay tuned for more on that as the fall progresses.
For recordings from WKCR, always check in at archive.org for the latest updates.
More time!
Carter
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