September 15 is the release date for I Am The Lion in The Concrete Jungle, singer Eric Smith’s second album. It contains revamped versions of some of the singer’s best known songs.

Wolf, Tour The World and Jah Jah are the songs the Connecticut-based artiste gave some nips and tucks. He credits several famous friends for making them sound even better.

“Sly and Robbie and the other musicians put it on another level. Instrumentally and vocally, they (the songs) are on another level,” Smith told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Saxophonist Dean Fraser, drummers Carlton “Santa” Davis and Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, guitarists Andy Bassford and Earl “Chinna” Smith and keyboardist Robbie Lyn, also played on I Am The Lion in The Concrete Jungle.

Smith is originally from the Papine area of St Andrew. That is where he discovered the roots-reggae sounds of Bob Marley, Jacob Miller and Black Uhuru, his biggest influences.

For the past 35 years, Smith has lived in Connecticut where he has immersed himself in the reggae scene. His lone album, 2007’s Rocky Road, is driven by songs like the original version of Wolf.

During the break between albums, Smith has released a handful of social commentary songs including Alien and Police Brutality.

Howard Campbell