Pop Music Reviews : Toasting in the Round With Daddy U-Roy

U-Roy was one of the early ‘70s Jamaican deejays who pioneered “toasting”--a style of talk-singing over records or rhythm tracks that was a precursor of rap--but his career faded soon after reggae’s late-’70s surge to international attention. The veteran artist recently resurfaced as Daddy U-Roy, and his hourlong set Sunday before an enthusiastic crowd at the plush Strand club in Redondo Beach was an impressive comeback.

With tables ringing the half-moon-shaped stage area and a crowd packing the dance floor in front, Daddy U-Roy’s performance took on the nature of an intimate theater-in-the-round experience. He hasn’t dressed up his reggae in contemporary clothing--the rhythm guitar and keyboard chop of classic reggae was the central element in the arrangements of his six-piece backing band. Daddy U-Roy often sang in counterpoint to the song’s main melody. His phrasing resembled an R&B; horn player’s solos more than jazz scat singing.

He injected variety and some subtle twists into the hypnotic grooves via some “dance hall”-style breaks, and the backing band adjusted impressively to those on-the-spot rhythmic shifts. “Reggae Party” and “Soul Rebel” were stand-out songs, but Daddy U-Roy’s entire performance boded well for a resurgent career.