Shortly before the advent of Ska, Jamaica rocked to a sound variously known as Jamaican Blues, Shuffle Blues or Blues Beat.

Influenced by the recordings of U.S. musicians such as Rosco Gordon and Fats Domino, the style emphasized the off-beat and laid foundations for the Ska sound of the early sixities.

This collection brings together a dozen of the most influential tracks from this hugely influtential, yet largely overlooked period, when the modern Jamaican recording industry was still in its infancy.