Arranger extraordinaire Leston Paul is offering a special musical gift for the Yuletide season—The Best of JW Collections (Leston Paul and the New York connection)—featuring a slew of classic retro soca hits.

Having arranged, produced and directed the work, Paul said last weekend: “It is a perfect gift for soca connoisseurs. Some of the beloved soca classics are in this CD compilation. It’s a gift that will bring a bit of Christmas cheer and promote the beauty and artistry of our indigenous musical art forms. It is a soca potpourri to treasure for posterity.”

Chief among the beloved classics are calypsonian Shadow’s Feeling the Feeling; Crazy’s Nani Wine; Colin Lucas’ Dollar Wine; and, SuperBlue’s Get Something and Wave.

Songs like Fire in the Area, Shakin’ It, Congaline, Soca Salsa, Iwer Dance, Flag Party and Janice will rekindle a feeling of nostalgia.

The Best of JW Collections was recorded at Paul’s Sunset Studio in Mount Lambert and at Platinum and Unique Studios, New York, USA.

Lead vocalists, including Lennox Picou, calypsonian Preacher, Colleen Grant, Nisha Crawford and Tony Prescott, are featured. Back-up vocalists and instrumentalists included Errol Ince, Clyde Mitchell and Clifton Anderson and Nicole Greaves.

Paul said he wanted to thank all those who were involved in the team work which produced the CD.

He added: “I want to wish the cultural fraternity and all my comrades in the field all the best for 2008. It’s all about the red, white and black.”

n The Best of JW Collections is available at Cleaves and Crosby’s music shop, St James. Interested people can contact Leston Paul at 738-1628 (c) or email him at lestonmusic@yahoo.com.uk