Before ska, rocksteady and reggae there was mento; simply put, Jamaica's answer to the calypso from Trinidad (where for calypso music the steel drum, a modified oil barrel, is used, mento bands used the rumba box, a big version of the African thumb piano, and the banjo). The history of The Jolly Boys spans some six decades with the combo enjoying a first glory period in the 1950s. Although the band's line-up changed several times over the years, the central figure is still singer/guitarist Albert Minott, who, with his soulful voice, makes up much of The Jolly Boys' charm. For 'Great Expectation' The Jolly Boys worked with producer Jon Baker (producer and owner of Geejam studios in Jamaica, where, among others, Amy Winehouse, Gorillaz, Wyclef Jean and No Doubt already did their respective thing in the past) who gave them a series of songs by bands and artists like Lou Reed ('Perfect Day'), Iggy Pop ('The Passenger') or Blondie ('Hanging On The Telephone') so they could give them a mento work over. Some of those songs (the Amy Winehouse cover 'Rehab' is without a doubt the best song on the album and the version of the Stranglers hit 'Golden Brown' also deserves a mention) work better than others (yours truly preferred Grace Jones' version of 'Nightclubbing'). The Jolly Boys is yet another attempt at a Jamaican version of Buena Vista Social Club (see also Jamaica All Stars or Inna De Yard All Stars) and even though 'Great Expectation' sounds far from bad, yours truly prefers more authentic sounding mento.