Jah Cure

For a real prison-to-pop-charts success story, though, you have to go to Jamaica, where Jah Cure's roots-reggae song "Longing For," based on an out-of-tune guitar line, was one of the most popular songs of 2004. True to the perverseness of the reggae industry, that song isn't on Jah Cure's new album. To find it, you'll need to search out a compilation CD called "Drop Leaf" (In the Streetz).

The season's most eagerly anticipated reggae albums is "Freedom Blues" (V P Records) by Jah Cure, wildly successful in 2004 even though he's been in prison since 1999, convicted of robbery, gun possession and two counts of rape.

Jah Cure has a pinched, slightly anguished voice that hints at endless suffering - and the tantalizing possibility of redemption. His uneven "Freedom Blues" rounds up some other recent hits, including "Jah Bless Me" and "King in the Jungle."

Jah Cure seems to have recorded much of this music using equipment brought into prison. But still, the reggae world is constantly and swiftly evolving, and you might wonder how a long-time inmate could possibly keep up. The answer is that Jah Cure didn't: having missed the rise of stars like Elephant Man, who took dancehall reggae to frenetic new heights, Jah Cure found himself back in style last year, when roots-reggae made an unexpected resurgence, and became suddenly au courant.

Jah Cure, who maintains his innocence, was denied parole in 2003, but "Longing For" greatly increased his popularity - and his sympathy. The album begins with a phoney "Free Jah Cure" rally, and while not all of his supporters have backed Jah Cure's claim of innocence, many have lobbied for his release anyway.