James Chambers, later to become the renowned Jimmy Cliff, grew up in a poor Jamaican village without running water or electricity, but had the good fortune of being born to supportive parents. When it was time for him to move to Kingston, he was given a choice: school or a radio. He chose the radio. In this meticulously annotated but otherwise arid biography, reggae historian David Katz (Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae) charts the implications of that choice and Cliff's rise as a performer. Katz dutifully recounts Cliff's career, from his early performances, first recordings and a star-making part in The Harder They Come to African tours and high-profile appearances in movies like Club Paradise and Marked for Death. However, Katz leaves out much of Cliff's personal life. He is quick to note Cliff's chart positions and cultural importance, but offers little insight regarding how fame affected him. Those familiar with Cliff's body of work will likely find the recording and touring minutiae to be of value, but those looking for insight into Jimmy Cliff the person will be woefully underserved. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

In his heyday in the 1960s and early 1970s, Jimmy Cliff (b. 1948) was huge in Jamaica in the early days of reggae and performed on the soundtrack and starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped introduce reggae music to world audiences in 1972. He went on to become a Muslim rather than a Rastafarian and pursued a path of sometimes socially conscious light pop and reggae. Katz (People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry) presents a well-written and well-researched biography, based on his interviews with Cliff and his associates as well as press archives. Because Cliff has always seemed slightly removed from the reggae wave of popularity and never became as big a star as Bob Marley and others, this book is unlikely to attract a large audience. Verdict For collections of reggae or popular music books that strive for completeness.-Bill Walker, Cesar Chavez Central Lib., Stockton, CA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.