It might well have been 96 degrees in Jamaica this week, a point that the jovial MC at Gregory Isaacs's performance Wednesday at the Paradise took great pleasure in noting, with Boston stuck in a deep winter chill. Such trivial matters didn't bother reggae veteran Isaacs though. He soon turned up the heat in the sold-out club.
Dressed in a white cotton suit more appropriate for his Jamaican home, the so-called ''Cool Ruler" brought his smooth, romantic ''lovers rock" to a thrilled audience.
Backed by the five-piece Live Wyya Band, which with another singer had played an upbeat opening set, the slightly built Isaacs, 54, looked frail. His dreadlocks are long gone and his voice was often muted in the band's bold, easy grooves. However, the warmth in his smile and his magnanimous attitude was compelling.
Isaacs's thoughtful delivery lent weight to his romantic songs, raising them from slushy, slow jams to powerful, heartfelt declarations.
It was no surprise that his career breakthrough, 1982's ''Night Nurse," was a focal point, and the excitement it generated was amazing. The song's laid-back melody and rhythm, topped by Isaacs's aching voice, inspired wildly animated dancing.
There were plenty of sublime moments throughout the night. ''Oh What a Feeling," for instance, was anchored by a blissful waltzing bass line and a steady snap from the snare drum, as a keyboard player picked out icy notes that contrasted with Isaacs's gentle murmur.
Toward the end of ''Front Door," he urged the band to take the tempo down. But Isaacs didn't toy with the song, or overextend it. Instead, he let it hang and then gently end. So that's how he earned his nickname.
Boston reggae outfit Pressure Cooker opened, playing songs from its latest CD, ''Future's Histories."