Soundway Records

Blending reggae, disco, soul, funk and roots - comes the reissue of the highly sought-after 7" from 1979 by Gypsy Fari, the first known reggae outfit from Chicago. The digital EP also includes bonus track 'Steel Mill Blues'.

Gypsy Fari was a project born in the south side of Chicago after a chance meeting between St Kitts expat Leroy Webster and local music graduate Kevin Coleman. The pair set out to blur the boundaries of genre with their unique brand of music, spearheaded by Webster's Caribbean roots and fused with the soul and blues of the midwest.

A striking stand-out of the band's repertoire comes via this debut 7" recording, which was laid down at Curtis Mayfield’s legendary Curtom Studios.

On the A-side, 'Chi-Town Reggae' springs out the gate with fast-paced disco-reggae, powered by a relentless rhythm section and Webster's infectious vocal melody. On the flip, 'Hail Jah' is a swaggering, deep roots reggae cut that pays homage to Webster's heritage - which he wrote on the hilltops of the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica,

Once dubbed by a local news outlet “Gypsy Fari are to Chicago reggae what Muddy Water is to Chicago blues” - now proudly remastered and made available again for the first time since its initial release.

Restoration, Mastering, Lacquers by The Carvery Studio, London