Skatalites Skatalite

The Skatalites have been Jamaica's premier ska band since 1964 and have backed such music legends as Bob Marley, Toots and The Maytals, Alton Ellis and Ken Boothe to name a few. Their infectious brand of bluesy, jazzy ska spread like wildfire around the island and spawned the entire genres of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, two-tone, and 3rd wave ska. The 12-track Skatalite album consists of the best sides the group cut for producer Duke Reid during the last days of Jamaican R&B and the early ska period. While by no means a definitive collection, Skatalite collates some choice cuts like "Eastern Standard Time," "Don-De-Lion" and "Yard Broom" featuring the classic line-up on fine form, with Don Drummond on trombone, Jackie Mittoo's piano and trumpeter Jonny "Dizzy" Moore laying down some foundational rhythms.