Solid Foundation: An oral history of reggae

With a foreword by Jacqueline Crooks, Solid Foundation stands as the definitive history of Jamaica's sacred music: reggae in all its forms. It spans from the pioneering sounds of early ska and rocksteady to the dancehall and reggae revival stars of the twenty-first century. This extensive history is woven into an engrossing narrative, charting the progression and development of the music, encompassing all its glorious highlights, controversies, and feuds.

First published in 2003, and featuring interviews with over 200 of the genre's key artists, Solid Foundation has been revised and updated with abundant new material. Reissued as part of White Rabbit's Deep Cuts series, it now includes an introduction by award-nominated novelist, Jacqueline Crooks.

The Sunday Herald hails it as "The definitive history of reggae told through exclusive interviews with the genre's greatest innovators." The Wire notes that "Solid Foundation goes the extra yard to become a defining text, with Katz interviewing virtually every survivor from the island's 60s and 70s music scenes...it is a necessary work." Meanwhile, Record Collector considers it "a welcome addition to the narrow shelf of books that move beyond simplistic views of reggae."