Family Time

ボブ・マーリィと正妻リタの長男で、4兄弟によるメロディー・メーカーズを経て、レゲエ・シーンは勿論、ワールド・ワイドに活躍するジギー・マーリィ。第49回グラミー賞"Best Reggae Album"を受賞した「ラヴ・イズ・マイ・レリジョン」より約3年ぶりとなるソロ作は、旧友ドン・ウォズを共同プロデューサーに迎え制作、自身の新レーベル"Tuff Gong Worldwide"からリリースとなる子供向けレゲエ・アルバム。子供の成長と音楽の影響は大切だと考えるコンセプトの下、母リタ、妹セデルラ、娘のユダらファミリーをはじめ、ポール・サイモン、ウィリー・ネルソン、ジャック・ジョンソン、ポーラ・フンガ、トゥーツ・ヒバート、エリザベス・ミッチェル、ローリー・バークナーなど、ジャンルを超えた豪華ゲストが多数参加。尚、このアルバムの売り上げの一部は、ジャマイカのポート・アントニオの学校に寄付されるとのこと。

Ziggy Marley has switched directions for his third solo album, Family Time, but then again, not really. First off, it's a children's album, and a delightful one, and while he has always been an advocate for children's rights (he is the founder of U.R.G.E., a nonprofit organization that supports charitable children's causes in Jamaica, Ethiopia, and other parts of the world) and has contributed both his voice and songs to various children's programming, this is the first time Marley has done a full children's album. That said, the bright Jamaican rhythms and joyous vocals on display here aren't any different than what he has been doing all along, and children's songs or not, this is a wonderful roots release and is far from age-specific. Co-produced by Marley and Don Was, Family Time has a host of guest stars, including Rita Marley (Ziggy's mother), Cedella Marley (his sister), Judah Marley (his daughter), Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Toots Hibbert (of Toots & the Maytals), Elizabeth Mitchell, Laurie Berkner, and Paula Fuga, and the album closes with two stories narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, but even so, this is Marley's show, and his warm vocals make everything else possible. Highlights include the impressive "Cry, Cry, Cry," a fun re-imaging of "This Train," and an it-just-makes-you-smile version of the island traditional "Hold Him Joe," but all of the songs have a like sort of sunny charm. The two stories narrated by Curtis that close things kind of break the musical mood a bit, but that's a minor complaint for an album that is so much fun, so positive, and just so darn delightful. ~ Steve Leggett