Production has started on far north Queensland music legend Seaman Dan's latest album, an as yet untitled Caribbean songbook featuring covers of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh classics and many more.   

Born Henry Gibson, Dan's great grandfather migrated from the Carribean to Australia in the late 1800s and his step-father's family came from St. Kitts and Nevis.

The former Torres Strait pearl diver gained international acclaim following the release of his debut album, Follow the Sun which he released at age 70.

Dan has since released eight albums, performing at music festivals around the world.  

Pre-production on the new album started last year during promotion for Dan's autobiography 'Steady Steady: The Life and Music of Seaman Dan'. 

But health issues had delayed the recording process for several months. 

Co-producer, Dr Karl Neuenfeldt said combining the ARIA award winning artist's rich baritone with calypso and reggae and rhythms had been an exciting experiment.

"We were at the Brisbane Writers Festival last year and we had a couple of days off," Dr Neuenfeldt said. 

"So we started the demos and getting the right keys for songs and things like that.

"This is the first time Uncle Seaman's been in the studio for a long time and he nailed it on the first day. The voice is still there which is fantastic."

Dan, who turns 85 in August, said he couldn't pick a favourite track from the latest recordings but that the sessions had been a 'wonderful experience'. 

"When Dr Karl asked me if I'd like to make another album I said, 'Yes please. Let's give it a go!'," he said. 

"I still enjoy singing. I love music. It's the only way to go."

The singer added celebrating his ancestry brought him great joy - except when watching the cricket.

"I've got Jamaican blood through the old man," he said.

"So whenever the West Indies play the Australian team, I sit on the fence."

At least 12 tracks will be featured on the new album, including The Melodians' 'The Rivers of Babylon', The Paragons' 'The Tide is High' and Jamaican folk song 'Day-o (The Banana Boat Song)' made famous by Harry Belafonte.

Dr Neuenfeldt said while many artists had released American songbooks in the past, he was surprised that nothing similar he knew of had been done to celebrate Caribbean music.

"All these super annuated rock stars like Rod Stewart had done American song books and I thought there's no reason Uncle Seaman can't do these [Caribbean] songs," he said. 

"They're timeless but he puts his own spin on it and they're just great fun."

Seaman Dan's album will also feature guest artists The Mills Sisters, Cindy Drummond and Will Kepa.