or many Americans, the history of reggae begins and ends with Bob Marley and the Wailers. While there’s wide agreement that Marley’s catalogue represents the genre’s apex, there are a number of other reggae records that deserve the attention of anyone who loves great sound and soul-inspiring song craft. This fact is underscored by Omnivore Recordings’ recent reissue of two 1980s classics from ska pioneers Justin Hinds and the Dominoes and roots-reggae purveyors Gladiators. Originally released on the well-respected (but now defunct) St. Louis-based Blackhawk label, these discs showcase some of Jamaica’s best session players working with the island’s most seasoned engineers. The result of their collaboration is richly varied music that moves the feet and quickens the pulse.

Of the two releases, Travel With Love presents a wider variety of rhythms and creative arrangements, which set it apart from many more commercial '80s reggae records. I give credit for this refreshing approach to Hinds’s mastery of fast-paced ska delivery, the rollicking syncopation of his rock-steady inflections and his dedication to a more organic, less synthetic roots-reggae production. Drummer Carlton Barrett and Aston “Family Man” Barrett, members of the legendary Wailer’s rhythm section, anchor these sessions’ bass and drums, so it’s no surprise that the ghost of Marley can be heard throughout the disc. While Hinds’s voice does not command the same attention as Marley’s authoritative delivery, on songs like “Get Ready to Rock Steady,” his delicate, somewhat tenuous voice conveys a charming, playful style that’s decidedly upbeat when compared to Marley’s more serious political catalog.

Fans of the 1960s Jamaican singles that launched Hinds’s early career (“Carry Go Bring Come” and “King Samuel”) should appreciate the carefree attitude of the album’s joyous title track and the jubilant “Sweet Lorraine.” The impressive lineup of veteran trumpeter Bobby Ellis and saxophonists Felix “Deaadly” Headly Bennartt and Tommy McCook adds layers of tastefully arranged burnished brass textures to nearly every number. The album also showcases plenty of above-par Jamaican-style fretwork on “Book of History” and “In the Jungle,” when lead session ace Earl “Chinna” Smith trades intricate single-string staccato flourishes with the tasty fills of dub-riff master Eric “Bingy Bunny” Lamont on rhythm guitar. The luxurious warmth of this disc matches the benchmark quality of Marley’s original UK Island pressing of Exodus, thanks to the stellar studio skills of Sonia Pottinger, one of Jamaica’s most critically successful producers. This is an album that yields more sonic treasures the louder and longer you play it. Even though there are layers of instrumentation, each player occupies his own space and the bass frequencies reach furniture-rumbling depths.

While it doesn’t quite attain the audiophile heights of Travel With Love, Gladiators’ 1984 Symbol of Reality is a well-balanced collection of roots-reggae originals and covers that exemplify what’s best about the genre: melodic bass lines, intricate syncopation and passionate vocals. Steeped in Rastafarianism, Gladiators’ founder and lead singer Albert Griffiths applies his religious fervor to updating a number of hits the band made with iconic Jamaican producer Coxsone Dodd back in the 1970s (“Watch Out” and “Righteous Man”) as well as providing heartfelt interpretations of Bob Marley titles like “Small Axe” and “Stand Alone.” One of this disc’s strongest attributes is how it highlights the mesmerizing pulse of Gladiators bassist Clinton Fearon. Having worked with Griffiths since the 1960s, Fearon weaves his fluid bass lines with a strategic precision throughout each cut and supplies vocal harmonies that are as satisfying as anything this side of Toots and the Maytals. Robert Shoenfeld and Leroy Jodie Pierson’s original production and engineering work are smooth and inviting but not so slick as to shave any of the edges off of the band’s fighting stance. Tight horn arrangements on cuts like “Streets of Gold” and “Small Axe” create an addictive groove that left me wanting more. Even though Symbol of Reality does not quite match the energy and urgency of their Trenchtown Mix up and Proverbial Reggae releases on Virgin in the 1970s, it’s a solid homage to reggae’s many influential roots and serves as a strong reminder that Gladiators were one of the genre’s most dependable outfits.