Honest Jon's Vinyl & CDs

Review: London Is The Place For Me 8 invites jazz fans on a vibrant journey through the sounds of 1950s London, where calypso rhythms meet the bustling streets of the city. Released as part of the ongoing compilation series, the album showcases the rich cultural tapestry of post-war Britain through the music of Lord Kitchener, a Trinidadian calypso legend famed for the song that gives the compilation its title. His infectious melodies and witty lyrics paint vivid pictures of immigrant life, celebrating resilience and the pursuit of joy amid adversity. With its irresistible grooves and historical significance, this new double gatefold record via Honest Jons is a testament to the enduring legacy of Caribbean music in the UK.

Review: The spread of Caribbean musical culture in the UK owes much to Lord Kitchener, an internationally celebrated Calypso artist who traveled to Britain in 1948 on the Empire Windrush and made the country his home (in fact, he performed the specially written "London Is The Place For Me" for Pathe News after disembarking at Tilbury Dock). This fine collection from Honest Jon's focuses on the music he made during his time in Britain between 1948 and '62 (he then returned to Trinidad where he lived out the rest of his life), offering up a swathe of distinctive, much-loved calypso cuts that provided a much-needed musical lifeline for Caribbean people in the UK during the first decades of the post-war period.