The Mighty Sparrow

Before Harry Belafonte brought calypso to North America, there was the Mighty Sparrow. The 76-year-old Trinidadian-raised legend (dubbed the "calypso king of the world") once again gets the anthology treatment on Doctor Bird. Released by Greensleeves distributor VP Music, Doctor Bird covers the Mighty Sparrow's career with a 30-track three-CD/DVD set. From early calypso on 1956's "Jean and Dinah" (still his biggest hit) through his soca (Sparrow's take on calypso) work with Van Dyke Parks on "Maria" to his flirtations with dancehall on 1996's "Drunk & Disorderly Medley," Doctor Bird does a good job at demonstrating just how much Sparrow was willing to soak up modern music and vice-versa. The DVD portion features exclusive interviews spliced in with excellent vintage concert footage, further showing just how less cultural music has become over the decades. Doctor Bird is a fun, modern update to his Smithsonian Folkways anthologies, bringing the world the works of a true passion-filled artist.