In a Dis Ya Time

iTunes Review

VP Records’ In a Dis Ya Time collects the seminal early output of Jamaican roots harmony trio the Itals. The Itals’ formed in producer Lloyd Campbell’s Kingston studio in 1975 when singers Keith Porter, Ronnie Davis, and David Isaacs, inspired by their love of classic roots trios like Culture, the Ethiopians, and the Meditations revoiced a number of rhythms that Campbell had lying about the studio, including the slow rolling “Won’t You Come Home.” That tune was rewritten in the following year to become “In a Dis Ya Time,” a stunning showcase of the Itals’ rich harmonies that took Jamaican dancehalls by storm. In a Dis Ya Time contains both versions of the Itals’ phenomenal hit, along with a host of other tracks the trio cut with Lloyd Campbell in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The stolid roots of tracks like “Rougher Yet,” “Brutal Out Deh,” and “False Preachers” feature some of Jamaica’s most talented musicians, including Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, and the peerless saxophonist Tommy McCook. Fans of outfits like the Congos, the Melodians and the Clarendonians will surely want to add In a Dis Ya Time to their collections.