When people hear the name Bob Marley, they instantly think of two things, reggae music and The Wailers. Bob Marley was known for bringing the Jamaican music to the masses in the ‘70s and since his passing on May 11 in 1981, The Wailers have, in one form or another, continued playing their music. For this performance, filmed at The Norva in Norfolk, Virginia in 2002, an enthusiastic crowd enjoy reliving the memory of Bob Marley and the reggae era. You can literally smell the pot in the air for this one.

Jah rasta!

There are four original musicians on show who recorded and performed with Bob Marley, there could be more however there was no mention of others. Alongside bassist Aston “Familyman� Barrett, who seems to have become the holder of the Wailers torch, are keyboardist Earl “Wya� Lindo, Glen DeCosta and guitarist Al Anderson. Former City Heat vocalist Gary “Nesta� Pine is said to be the best singer the band has had since the legendary Bob Marley and although he is not a Marley impersonator, he comes very close in vocals and style to the former legendary singer. Other band members are Keith Sterling, Darrell Rose, Earnest Williams, Melvin “Rasmel� Glover, Joanne Williams and Roxanne Prince, all producing a sound that pays wonderful tribute to this era in music history.

What have you got on your head?

There are some classic Bob Marley songs in the set list for this show, including the classics Buffalo Soldier, Roots Rock Reggae and Legalise It, however there are so many missing. Songs such as I Shot the Sheriff, Get Up Stand Up and No Woman No Cry are all noticeable absentees. Still, even with these classics missing it is a great show for diehard reggae fans.

Track listing...

So, if you are a fan of Bob Marley and The Wailers or even reggae in general, drag out the fake dreadlocks, the Jamaican fashion and the herbal remedy supply and sit back and enjoy. Does anyone feel a sudden urge to order pizza?

Presented in full frame, this transfer is generally sharp and clean. Being a concert performance it does suffer in some areas, such as occasional aliasing and poor shadow detail on crowd shots, though it is generally quite good. Colour tones are true with no problems of over saturation or bleeding. There are no issues with film artefacts or grain and there are no subtitles supplied.

Sound is what it is all about for music releases and this one offers a choice of three audio mixes. There is a Dolby Digital stereo mix along with a DD 5.1 surround and a welcome DTS surround mix. All mixes are of a high standard, however the DTS mix offers the nicest sound overall, although it is only minimally better than the DD 5.1 mix. All offer a clear sound with vocals and instruments never overpowering each other. Treble and bass are well mixed, with some good use of separation to give the feel of actually being in the audience. Bass is a major aspect of reggae so the subwoofer gets a little action, however this is never too much and synch is never a problem.

There is only one extra supplied with this release, a rather brief behind the scenes featurette. It is basically a collection of footage from rehearsals and backstage and also comes in the same choice of audio as the main feature with a running time of less than three minutes.

Overall this is a great release for fans of reggae. It offers a very good video transfer and a nice enveloping audio mix. The sole extra is nothing special, however this release is about the concert and generally it is enjoyable, as long as you enjoy reggae that is.