At the turn of the 21st century, Memphis pianist, producer, and all-out cool music man Jim Dickinson proclaimed, “World Boogie is coming.” Well, if it has not arrived with this release by Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, it is close. Boudreaux recorded most of this record in Kingston while soaking up the reggae culture of Jamaica. It’s no surprise that Boudreaux felt sympatico toward this as the music and Black Masking Indian culture of New Orleans shares much in common with Jamaica. Boudreaux’s recent music had been pointing toward this, and he takes to it like the seasoned professional he is. Like much of Boudreaux’s music, the music here reflects his takes on social issues and his past but with a reggae beat and chanking rhythms. His voice changes tone from steady and reassuring on the recollections of family on “Should Have Been A Preacher Man” and soulful opposite the hornlike guitar and call and response toasting of “Mr. Okra Man.” The album also contains more South Louisiana blues-type tracks with chugging guitar, stinging, choked leads, and distorted harmonica, but they work when juxtaposed against the Jamaican tracks. The music is similar, but the accents are different. Boudreaux sings the blues with his characteristic rhythmic lyrics and slight moans. The Jamaican and South Louisiana music come together best on “Kingston Blues” with its relentless lead guitar, defiant vocals, and slight reggae beats. Combining Indian music, blues, and reggae in Jamaica has been a goal of Boudreaux’s for years, and he pulls it off with excellent results on this collection.