VA • Mentoː Jamaican Calypsoes, 1950s

 

non commercial compilation

  

Ernest Ranglin • Memories of Barber Mack

 

Review by Leo Stanley
Memories of Barber Mack is Ernest Ranglin's energetic and moving tribute to the spirit of the late Jamaican saxophonist Barber Mack. Ranglin relies on original compositions, adding two Jamaican standards, "Fade Away" and "Stop That Train," for good measure. The result is an infectious, eclectic album, containing first-rate performances from Ranglin, drummer Sly Dunbar, pianist Jon Williams, bassist David Williams and percussionist Larry McDonald. 
https://www.allmusic.com/album/memories-of-barber-mack-mw0000031825

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Reseña de Leo Stanley
Memories of Barber Mack es el enérgico y conmovedor homenaje de Ernest Ranglin al espíritu del fallecido saxofonista jamaicano Barber Mack. Ranglin se apoya en composiciones originales, añadiendo dos clásicos jamaicanos, "Fade Away" y "Stop That Train", por si fuera poco. El resultado es un álbum contagioso y ecléctico, con interpretaciones de primera clase de Ranglin, el baterista Sly Dunbar, el pianista Jon Williams, el bajista David Williams y el percusionista Larry McDonald.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/memories-of-barber-mack-mw0000031825

VA • Lee 'Scratch' Perry – Presents Better Times - 1971 Chapter II

 

VA • Jamaica-Mento 1951-1958

 

Ska: An Oral History

 

Before Bob Marley brought reggae to the world, before Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh, before thousands of musicians played a Jamaican rhythm, there were the men and women who created ska music, a blend of jazz, American rhythm and blues, and the indigenous music of the Caribbean. This book tells the story of ska music and its development from Jamaica to England, where the music took on a distinctively different tone, and finally to the rest of the world. Through the words of over 30 of legendary artists, gleaned from over a decade of interviews, the story of ska music is finally told by those who were there.

 

Don Drummond • Don Cosmic

 

Don Drummond (Kingston, Jamaica 12 de marzo 1932 - 6 de mayo 1969) famoso trombonista de música Ska y compositor, fue uno de los miembros originales del grupo The Skatalites componiendo muchas de sus canciones.

Su carrera musical comenzó a mediados de los 50's con Eric Deans All-Stars. Continuó hacia 1960s con otros, entre ellos Kenny Williams.

Con el nacimiento del Ska, Don se unió a The Skatalites. Su nombre llegó a ser conocido en Jamaica, antes de comenzar con sus problemas mentales. El pianista George Shearing lo consideró como uno de los 5 mejores trombonistas del mundo.

El 1 de Enero de 1965 fue encarcelado por el asesinato de la bailarina exótica y cantante Anita "Margarita" Mahfood. Fue internado en el Asilo de Belle Vue en Kingston, donde permaneció hasta su muerte.

La causa oficial de su muerte fue suicidio, pero otras teorías establecen, que sus colegas creen que fue parte de un complot por parte del gobierno contra la escena musical en Kingston, otros creen que fue asesinado por gángsters como venganza por el asesinato de Mahfood.

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Automatic translation:

Don Drummond (Kingston, Jamaica March 12, 1932 - May 6, 1969) famous Ska trombonist and composer, was one of the original members of the group The Skatalites composing many of his songs.

His musical career began in the mid-50's with Eric Deans All-Stars. He continued to 1960s with others, including Kenny Williams.

With the birth of Ska, Don joined The Skatalites. His name came to be known in Jamaica, before he started with his mental problems. The pianist George Shearing considered him one of the 5 best trombonists in the world.

On January 1, 1965, he was imprisoned for the murder of the exotic dancer and singer Anita "Margarita" Mahfood. He was interned at Belle Vue's Asylum in Kingston, where he remained until his death.

The official cause of his death was suicide, but other theories establish, that his colleagues believe that he was part of a government plot against the music scene in Kingston, others believe he was killed by gangsters as revenge for the murder of Mahfood.

The Skatalites • Ska Authentic

In spring 1964, The Skatalites recorded their first LP Ska Authentic at
Studio One in Kingston and toured Jamaica as the creators of ska. Their
producers were Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, Prince Buster, Vincent "King" Edwards,
Justin "Phillip" Yap, Leslie Kong, Lindon Pottinger, Sonia Pottinger
and Vincent "Randy" Chin. The Skatalites led sessions with top artists
and worked with young talents such as Delroy Wilson,
Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, Lee Perry, etc.

Former members
Tommy McCook - tenor saxophone, flute (founding member; died 1998)
Roland Alphonso - tenor saxophone (founding member; died 1998)
Don Drummond - trombone (founding member; died 1969)
Johnny "Dizzy" Moore - trumpet (founding member; died 2008)
Lloyd Brevett - upright bass (founding member; died 2012)
Lloyd Knibb - drums (founding member; died 2011)
Jerome "Jah Jerry" Haynes - guitar (founding member; died 2007)
Jackie Mittoo - piano (founding member; died 1990)
Mark Berney - trumpet
Nathan Breedlove - trumpet (1991–98)
Cedric "Im" Brooks - tenor saxophone (2000–02,2007-10; died 2013)
Karl "Cannonball" Bryan - saxophone (2003–09)
Calvin "Bubbles" Cameron - trombone (1983–84)
Welford "Will" Clark - trombone (1994–2003)
Vin "Don D. Junior" Gordon - trombone (2003–08)
Devon James - guitar (1987–2009)
Bill Smith - keyboards (1993–99)
Ken Stewart - keyboards (1988-90,1998-2009;
also serves as the band's manager)
Clark Gayton- Trombone (1989–94)
Cary Brown - keyboards (1990-95)
Louis Bonilla - trombone

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The Skatalites (o The Ska-Talites)​ es un grupo de origen jamaicano de ska creado en 1964. El nombre está formado a partir de la mezcla de «The Satellites» con la palabra «Ska».
The Skatalites están considerados los creadores del ska y, por tanto, influenciadores del rocksteady, del reggae —ya sea early (skinhead) o roots (rastafarismo)—, del dub, del dancehall, y del de sus descendientes musicales que derivan de los sonidos tradicionales de Jamaica. Sus primeras grabaciones de ska datan de junio de 1964, aunque estos músicos habían trabajado bastante tiempo antes como banda de estudio para el sello Studio One, grabando principalmente rhythm and blues. Los miembros originales de la banda obtuvieron su formación musical a partir de los músicos de jazz de la isla. Por eso, aunque se inspiraron en lo que sonaba en Estados Unidos (principalmente boogie woogie) y los sonidos africanos, la música de The Skatalites y por lo tanto el ska, contiene muchos elementos propios del jazz. Otra influencia decisiva para la creación de la música ska fue la música afro-cubana, también llamada "música latina". De hecho Lloyd Knibb (baterista) explicó abiertamente que el ritmo tan singular que creó fue inspirado por tocar ese estilo de música en las grandes orquestas de la época previas al ska. Entonces, de la fusión de música afro-cubana, jazz, rhythm and blues, mento y calypso nació el ska.
Los miembros originales de The Skatalites fueron Don Drummond (trombonista), Tommy McCook (saxo tenor y flauta), Roland Alfonso (saxo tenor), Lester Sterling (saxo alto), "Dizzy Johny" Moore (trompeta), Lloyd Brevet (bajo), Lloyd Knnibb (batería), Jackie Mittoo (piano y órgano), Jah Jerry Haines (guitarra).
The Skatalites grabaron para los soundsystems a través de Studio One, del que eran banda de estudio. Llegaron a ser muy populares en Jamaica y fueron la influencia de toda la música posterior en la isla. La mayoría de grandes artistas de música jamaicana, como Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Toots and the Maytals, Laurel Aitken o Prince Buster grabaron o dieron conciertos con ellos, e incluso hoy en día, muchos grupos tienen colaboraciones con el grupo por lo que significa para esta música, por ejemplo, los norteamericanos New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble. La banda original se disolvió en 1965, año en que el líder del grupo (Don Drummond) mató a su esposa y lo internaron en el centro psiquiátrico De Bellevue, centro en el que murió al cabo de dos años.

La banda reapareció reformada como grupo en el año 1983 y en la actualidad siguen tocando, aunque la mayoría de componentes han sido reemplazados. Recibieron dos Grammy en 1996 y 1997. Los últimos álbumes de Skatalites contaban mayormente con nuevas grabaciones modernas de temas de la banda original, pero en los últimos años podemos encontrarnos ante álbumes de estudio totalmente inéditos como Bashaka o On the Right Track, por ejemplo.

Han estado activos desde el año 2014, donde han tocado en una serie de festivales internacionales de Reggae.

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The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period. They reformed in 1983 and have played together ever since.
History
Before the Skatalites: 1954–64
The founders of the Skatalites were Tommy McCook (died 1998), Rolando Alphonso (died 1998), Lester Sterling, Lloyd Brevett (died 2012), Lloyd Knibb (died 2011), Don Drummond (died 1969), Jah Jerry Haynes (died 2007), Jackie Mittoo (died 1990), Johnny Moore (died 2008) and Jackie Opel (died 1970). These ten musicians started to play together from 1955, when Kingston's recording studios started to develop. Tommy McCook was the first member of the band to record, though not for commercial release: he played with Don Hitchman's Group in 1953. Archie Lindo asked Hitchman to play a few tunes for his pioneer radio station, "ZQI", on their new equipment. Soon after that, sound system pioneer Stanley Motta began to operate his studio, where he recorded calypso and mento that were released on 78's. Rolando Alphonso was one of the first to record with him, probably in 1954.
Though McCook was the first in the band to record, he did not participate in the recording sessions with the other nine musicians. He left Jamaica in 1954 for a jazz gig at the Zanzibar Club in Nassau, Bahamas. He returned to Jamaica in June 1962, and began playing regular jazz sessions around Kingston.
Record producer Coxsone Dodd searched for jazz players around Kingston and was impressed by McCook's playing. Tommy McCook heard some ska, but initially resisted Dodd's offers to record and to lead a studio group, because he was a committed jazzman. In 1962 Dodd released I Cover The Waterfront (Port-O-Jam) with Roland Alphonso and Don Drummond, who did the solo and brass sections. In 1963 he released Jazz Jamaica From the Workshop (Port-O-Jam/Studio One), on which McCook played for the first time since returning to Jamaica. Don Drummond has two tunes on Jazz Jamaica and McCook has one, "The Answer".
Early years: 1964–65
In spring 1964, The Skatalites recorded their first LP Ska Authentic at Studio One in Kingston and toured Jamaica as the creators of ska. Their producers were Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, Prince Buster, Vincent "King" Edwards, Justin "Phillip" Yap, Leslie Kong, Lindon Pottinger, Sonia Pottinger and Vincent "Randy" Chin. The Skatalites led sessions with top artists and worked with young talents such as Delroy Wilson, Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, Lee Perry, etc.
They played their first show on 27 June at the Hi-Hat club, on Water Lane in Rae Town, which was owned and operated by Orville "Billy" Farnum. Coxsone Dodd helped initially: "At the formation of the band, I supplied the PA system, microphones and what ever it is. Also the guitar amplifier and other amplifier. I helped with transportation and I supplied storage for equipment and instruments. I was a part of promoting the first gigs and other gigs to get it off the ground, because I figured more or less, if I am recording the Skatalites, its good to get them popular out in the streets, yunno?"
Trombonist Don Drummond had at least 200 tunes to his name by 1965. On 1 January 1965, Drummond was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Anita "Marguerita" Mahfood. He was later convicted and remanded to the Bellevue Asylum.
In August 1965, The Skatalites played their last show. They broke up into two supergroups, Rolando Alphonso and the Soul Vendors and Tommy McCook and the Supersonics. In April 1967, The Skatalites' ska adaptation of the theme to the film The Guns of Navarone entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Don Drummond died on 6 May 1969, in the Bellevue Asylum.
Early reunions: 1974–88
The Skatalites first reunion happened in the studio, during 1974 sessions for bass player Lloyd Brevett's solo album. After laying down hand percussion tracks at Lee Perry's studio, Brevett was joined by McCook, Alphonso, Sterling, Knibb and Mittoo. Ernest Ranglin played guitar, with Oswald Brooks on trumpet. The album was eventually released as African Roots, a collection of mostly Brevett compositions, and has been variously released both as a Lloyd Brevett and as a Skatalies album, with most editions crediting "Lloyd Brevett and The Skatalites".
In 1979, The Skatalites again joined in the studio, this time to record an album for Chris Blackwell. The album, tentatively entitled The Big Guns, was not released at the time, due to a disagreement between McCook and Blackwell, and remains unreleased.
In June 1983, The Skatalites reformed and played the Reggae Sunsplash festival in Montego Bay in July after festival director Ronnie Burke persuaded them to appear at the fifth anniversary of the festival, despite Moore and McCook having not spoken since the band split. Their show was very successful and the band played more concerts in Jamaica, while taking offers to tour abroad. The line-up at this time reflected the original line-up of the band, with the exception of Drummond, joined by guests Cedric Brooks, Arnold Breckenridge, and Bubbles Cameron. Recordings from 27 June and 17 July 1983 were released on the live album Stretching Out, although the band later claimed on their website that they received no payment for this recording and discouraged fans from buying it.
Their rehearsal sessions resulted in a clutch of new songs, led this time by Jackie Mittoo, which were recorded in Music Mountain Studio but only released in 2007 on Motion Records (as Rolling Steady: The 1983 Music Mountain Sessions). The album included their tribute to Don Drummond, "Big Trombone", with Lord Tanamo on vocals. In April 1984, The Skatalites recorded The Return of The Big Guns, released on Mango Records in the UK, based on charts written by Drummond and arranged by McCook. On 7 July 1984, The Skatalites played to thousands at Selhurst Park during the London Sunsplash. The Skatalites played seven tunes and also backed Prince Buster on three before closing with a reprise of their theme song, "Freedom Sounds". This concert resulted in the live recording Live At Sunsplash.
Between 1985 and 1988, the core members of the Skatalites emigrated and united in the northeast of the United States. They played their first US concert at The Village Gate and began to play spotted dates in Northeast US.
1989–present
The Skatalites were featured on the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals, which won the Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Gwen Stefani / No Doubt, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, Manu Chao, The Roots, Ryan Adams, Keith Richards, Toots Hibbert, Paul Douglas, Jackie Jackson, and Ken Boothe.
In 2004, original member Lloyd Brevett left the band. It was reported that he was removed from the band after conflicts with newer members. He toured briefly leading his own band, and then retired to Jamaica. In April that year, the Skatalites started a new world tour with their new bass player Val Douglas, whose A-Team band was the primary backing band for Reggae Sunsplash Tours through the 1980s and 1990s. In October 2005, The Skatalites released The Skatalites in Orbit, Vol.1 recorded live in Buenos Aires, recorded during concerts on 23 and 24 September 2005. In March 2006, The Skatalites played at La Bal De La Rose for Caroline, Princess of Hanover, along with Jimmy Cliff, The Wailers and Alpha Blondy. This show started the 2006 Global Orbit Tour reaching Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. In April 2006, Skatalites recorded 11 new tunes and one cover in Byron Bay, Australia, at the 301 Studios, released the following year as the album On The Right Track by AIM International, Australia. In September 2007, The Skatalites contributed the track "Be My Guest", with Ben Harper on vocals, to the Fats Domino tribute CD Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino featuring numerous artists. This CD raised funds for all the musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina.
On 12 May 2011, founding member and drummer Lloyd Knibb died of liver cancer at the age of 80. Bass player and fellow founding member Lloyd Brevett died after suffering a stroke on 3 May 2012, aged 80.
On 8 February 2012, the band announced a new single and album due out in 2012 as well as a new US tour starting in Texas and heading to New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, California, Washington, and then Canada. These dates follow four dates they announced in January for the North East. The new album will be titled All Roads and will feature the last recordings of founding member Lloyd Knibb.
On 26 August 2016 the band released the album Platinum Ska and toured through the USA, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, France Italy and the UK.

Ernest Ranglin • A Mod A Mod Ranglin

 

Artist Biography

Ernest Ranglin was born June 19, 1932 and grew up in the small town of Robin's Hall in the Parish of Manchester, a rural community In the middle of Jamaica. Music has always claimed a special place In the Island's culture, and Ranglin's destiny was set from an early age when two of his uncles showed him the rudiments of playing the guitar. When they discovered just how good the young boy was, they bought him a ukulele. Ranglin learned how to play by imitating his uncles, but he was soon to be influenced by the recordings of the great American jazz guitarist Charlie Christian. Living in rural Jamaica, however, inhibited the boy's ambitions, which, even at the age of fourteen, were focused on music. He then moved to Kingston - the country's capital - ostensibly to finish his studies at Bodmin College. Very high on Ranglin's agenda was to seriously study the guitar; something not on the school's priorities.

His lessons came from guitar books and late-night sessions watching the Jamaican dance bands of the time: he was particularly influenced by Cecil Houdini, an unrecorded local musician. By the time he was sixteen years old, Ranglin was acknowledged as the rising young talent in the city. In 1948 he joined his first group, the Val Bennett Orchestra, playing in the local hotels. Such was Ranglin's burgeoning reputation that he soon came to the attention of rival dance bands and, by the early-Fifties, he was a member of Jamaica's best-known group, the Eric Deans Orchestra, touring around the Caribbean and as far north as the Bahamas.

The big bands gave Ranglin the hugely beneficial experience of learning how to orchestrate and arrange. The typical repertoire of the day Included tunes by Les Brown, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton and Duke Ellington, together with Cuban music and the hot Broadway show songs. The constant tours also gave Ranglin a wider vision, meeting musicians from other traditions. Once, for instance, when he was working In Nassau his performance was heard by Les Paul, who gave Ranglin a guitar In admiration of his talents.

It was, however, back In Jamaica that his career was to be transformed by a chance meeting. In 1958 Ranglin was leading his own quintet, playing the leading hotels In Kingston and the resorts on the north of the Island. One engagement was at the Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay, a show caught by a young would-be record producer called Chris Blackwell.

Immediately Impressed by Ranglin's extraordinary talents, Blackwell offered him the chance to make a record. The album featured a pianist called Lance Heywood on one side with Ernest Ranglin on the other: It was the very first release by Island Records and the start of a long association between Ranglin and Blackwell.

By the following year, 1959, Ranglin had joined the bassist Cluett Johnson in a studio group called Clue J and His Blues Blasters. This was a very different kind of style to the big bands. Jamaican music was in a state of flux, the traditional mento superseded by a tough urban stance influenced by the pervading sounds of American R&B. Johnson and Ranglin recorded several instrumentals for producer Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd at Federal - the only real studio facility on the island. The first of these tunes, Shuffling Bug, is widely regarded as the first example of ska, the shuffle rhythm which exaggerated the 'jump beat' heard on New Orleans' R&B records of the Fifties. Ska became the bedrock of Jamaican popular music, leading to rock steady, reggae, ragga and all the innovations the island has brought into the global mainstream.

Ranglin's fluent and versatile guitar style, coupled with his arrangement skills, meant he was in constant demand right through the ska era. In addition to his work with Prince Buster and Baba Brooks, Ranglin was also remembered by Chris Blackwell who, in 1962, had launched Island Records in Britain. Blackwell had a song he thought could be a pop smash. He also had a young Jamaican singer called Millie, who'd previously recorded some sides for Coxsone Dodd. In 1964 Blackwell brought both Millie and Ranglin to London; they recorded My Boy Lollipop which, in the spring of that year, reached number two in the UK chart. It went on to become a worldwide hit, the first time ska had infiltrated into the vocabulary of pop music.

In recent years, Ernest Ranglin has gone back to his roots and has made various cross cultural collaborations and concept albums. On Below the Bassline he covers some of the greatest songs of the rock and roll era. Memories of Barber Mack is Ernest Ranglin's tribute to the late Jamaican saxophonist Barber Mack. The Search of the Lost Riddim album took Ernest Ranglin to Senegal for his first visit since the mid 1970's when he toured as part of the Jimmy Cliff band. These recording sessions represent the accomplishment of a dream he had cherished for over 20 years: returning to Africa to record with African musicians. Modern Answers to Old Problems is an adventuresome mix of jazz sophistication and Afro-pop syncopation, and finaly his last album Gotcha! shows what a perfect instrumentalist Ernest realy is.

https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/ernestranglin

Editorial Review:

Recorded in 1964 at the Federal studio in Jamaica, this elegant yet unique previously unreleased album is said to be the origin of the Jamaican Mento meets 4 Beat Jazz sound.

This brilliant album is one of the most important Jamaican Jazz recordings that Ernest Ranglin has ever made. Everything in this album starts with the traditional Caribbean Jazz classics and then develops into 4 Beat Jazz. Produced by the Godfather of Jamaican music, Ken Khouri, this album really deserves its title.

https://dubstore.kudosrecords.co.uk/release/dsrlp513/ernest-ranglin-jazz-jamaica

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Biografía del artista

Ernest Ranglin nació el 19 de junio de 1932 y creció en el pequeño pueblo de Robin's Hall en la Parroquia de Manchester, una comunidad rural en el centro de Jamaica. La música siempre ha ocupado un lugar especial en la cultura de la isla, y el destino de Ranglin se fijó desde muy joven cuando dos de sus tíos le enseñaron los rudimentos de tocar la guitarra. Cuando descubrieron lo bueno que era el joven, le compraron un ukelele. Ranglin aprendió a tocar imitando a sus tíos, pero pronto se vio influenciado por las grabaciones del gran guitarrista de jazz estadounidense Charlie Christian. Sin embargo, vivir en la Jamaica rural inhibió las ambiciones del niño, que, incluso a la edad de catorce años, se centraban en la música. Luego se trasladó a Kingston, la capital del país, aparentemente para terminar sus estudios en el Bodmin College. Lo más importante en la agenda de Ranglin era estudiar seriamente la guitarra, algo que no estaba entre las prioridades de la escuela.

Sus lecciones provenían de libros de guitarra y sesiones nocturnas para ver las bandas de baile jamaicanas de la época: estaba particularmente influenciado por Cecil Houdini, un músico local no registrado. Para cuando tenía dieciséis años, Ranglin era reconocido como el joven talento en ascenso en la ciudad. En 1948 se unió a su primer grupo, la Val Bennett Orchestra, tocando en los hoteles locales. Tal era la creciente reputación de Ranglin que pronto llamó la atención de las bandas de baile rivales y, a principios de los años cincuenta, era miembro del grupo más conocido de Jamaica, la Eric Deans Orchestra, que viajaba por el Caribe y por el norte hasta las Bahamas.

Las grandes bandas le dieron a Ranglin la experiencia enormemente beneficiosa de aprender a orquestar y arreglar. El repertorio típico del día incluía temas de Les Brown, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton y Duke Ellington, junto con música cubana y las canciones calientes del show de Broadway. Las constantes giras también le dieron a Ranglin una visión más amplia, conociendo a músicos de otras tradiciones. Una vez, por ejemplo, cuando trabajaba en Nassau, su actuación fue escuchada por Les Paul, que le regaló a Ranglin una guitarra en admiración por su talento.

Sin embargo, fue en Jamaica donde su carrera fue transformada por un encuentro casual. En 1958 Ranglin lideraba su propio quinteto, tocando en los principales hoteles de Kingston y en los resorts del norte de la isla. Un compromiso fue en el Half Moon Hotel en Montego Bay, un espectáculo capturado por un joven aspirante a productor de discos llamado Chris Blackwell.

Inmediatamente impresionado por el extraordinario talento de Ranglin, Blackwell le ofreció la oportunidad de hacer un récord. El álbum presentaba a un pianista llamado Lance Heywood de un lado y Ernest Ranglin del otro: Fue el primer lanzamiento de Island Records y el comienzo de una larga asociación entre Ranglin y Blackwell.

Al año siguiente, 1959, Ranglin se había unido al bajista Cluett Johnson en un grupo de estudio llamado Clue J y His Blues Blasters. Este era un estilo muy diferente al de las grandes bandas. La música jamaicana estaba en un estado de cambio, el mento tradicional reemplazado por una dura postura urbana influenciada por los sonidos omnipresentes del R&B americano. Johnson y Ranglin grabaron varios instrumentos para el productor Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd en Federal - el único estudio real en la isla. La primera de estas canciones, Shuffling Bug, es ampliamente considerada como el primer ejemplo de ska, el ritmo de shuffle que exageraba el'jump beat' que se escuchaba en los discos de R&B de Nueva Orleans de los años cincuenta. Ska se convirtió en la base de la música popular jamaicana, llevando al rock steady, reggae, ragga y todas las innovaciones que la isla ha traído a la corriente dominante global.

El estilo fluido y versátil de la guitarra de Ranglin, junto con sus habilidades de arreglo, significaba que estaba en constante demanda a lo largo de la era del ska. Además de su trabajo con Prince Buster y Baba Brooks, Ranglin también fue recordado por Chris Blackwell quien, en 1962, había lanzado Island Records en Gran Bretaña. Blackwell tenía una canción que pensó que podría ser un éxito. También tenía una joven cantante jamaicana llamada Millie, que previamente había grabado algunos lados para Coxsone Dodd. En 1964 Blackwell trajo a Millie y Ranglin a Londres; grabaron My Boy Lollipop que, en la primavera de ese año, alcanzó el número dos en la lista de éxitos del Reino Unido. Se convirtió en un éxito mundial, la primera vez que el ska se había infiltrado en el vocabulario de la música pop.

En los últimos años, Ernest Ranglin ha vuelto a sus raíces y ha realizado varias colaboraciones interculturales y álbumes conceptuales. En Below the Bassline interpreta algunas de las mejores canciones de la era del rock and roll. Memories of Barber Mack es el tributo de Ernest Ranglin al difunto saxofonista jamaiquino Barber Mack. El álbum The Search of the Lost Riddim llevó a Ernest Ranglin a Senegal para su primera visita desde mediados de la década de 1970, cuando realizó una gira como parte de la banda de Jimmy Cliff. Estas sesiones de grabación representan la realización de un sueño que había albergado durante más de 20 años: volver a África para grabar con músicos africanos. Modern Answers to Old Problems es una mezcla aventurera de sofisticación de jazz y sincopa afro-pop, y finalmente su último álbum Gotcha! muestra lo que es un perfecto instrumentista Ernest realmente.

https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/ernestranglin

Traducción realizada con el traductor www.DeepL.com/Translator

Revisión editorial:

Grabado en 1964 en el estudio Federal en Jamaica, este elegante pero único álbum inédito se dice que es el origen del sonido de Mento meets 4 Beat Jazz de Jamaica.

Este brillante álbum es una de las grabaciones de jazz jamaicano más importantes que ha hecho Ernest Ranglin. Todo en este álbum comienza con los clásicos del jazz caribeño tradicional y luego se convierte en 4 Beat Jazz. Producido por el Padrino de la música jamaicana, Ken Khouri, este álbum realmente merece su título.

https://dubstore.kudosrecords.co.uk/release/dsrlp513/ernest-ranglin-jazz-jamaica

 

www.ernest-ranglin.com ...

VA • Jamaica Latin Jazz Party Time 1950s

 

VA • Studio One Classics

 

Rico Rodríguez • That Man Is Forward

 

 

Legendary ska trombonist Emmanuel "Rico" Rodriguez became a regular contributor to the Two Tone label - recognition of his role in the rise of the Jamaican sound before he relocated to London in the mid 1960s. Rodriguez recorded two albums for the Coventry imprint in 1981, both of which have now been reissued in remastered "40th anniversary editions". That Man's Forward, the first of these, naturally puts Rodriguez at the heart of the action, with his distinctive trombone parts - plus some rather good sax solos - rising above an easy-going blend of reggae, dub, ska and rocksteady instrumentals.
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/sjr/product/rico-rodriguez-that-man-is-forward

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El legendario trombonista de ska Emmanuel "Rico" Rodríguez se convirtió en un colaborador habitual del sello Two Tone, en reconocimiento a su papel en el auge del sonido jamaicano antes de trasladarse a Londres a mediados de la década de 1960. Rodríguez grabó dos álbumes para el sello Coventry en 1981, ambos reeditados ahora en "ediciones de 40 aniversario" remasterizadas. That Man's Forward, el primero de ellos, sitúa naturalmente a Rodríguez en el centro de la acción, con sus distintivas partes de trombón -además de algunos buenos solos de saxo- elevándose por encima de una desenfadada mezcla de instrumentales de reggae, dub, ska y rocksteady.
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/sjr/product/rico-rodriguez-that-man-is-forward

VA • The Legendary Studio One Records

 

 

Don Drummond│Rico Rodriguez • Reggae Jazz Attack

 

 

Colaborador / Contributor:  Mich58

Byron Lee & The Dragonaires • Come Fly With Lee

Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee is one of the most legendary as well as controversial figures in Jamaican music history. Though, whatever side of the fence you may fall on, it's hard to argue with his resume. He was a pro by the age of 20, in 1956, he is credited with introducing the electric bass to Jamaican popular music, he formed the Dynamic Sounds studio and label, produced classic early Maytals ska singles, and represented Jamaica at the 1964 World's Fair. Released in 1962, Come Fly With Lee is Byron Lee & the Dragonaires first long player.

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Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee es una de las figuras más legendarias y controvertidas de la historia de la música jamaicana. Sin embargo, sea cual sea el lado en el que uno se sitúe, es difícil discutir su currículo. A los 20 años ya era un profesional, en 1956, se le atribuye la introducción del bajo eléctrico en la música popular jamaicana, formó el estudio y el sello Dynamic Sounds, produjo los primeros singles clásicos de ska de los Maytals y representó a Jamaica en la Feria Mundial de 1964. Come Fly With Lee, publicado en 1962, es el primer disco largo de Byron Lee & the Dragonaires.

Byron Lee • Jump Up

 

Artist Biography by Bruce Eder
In the years before reggae or even ska was known outside of the Caribbean, Byron Lee was the first bandleader to achieve an international following playing Jamaican music, and he played a vital role in popularizing it around the world. And when Bob Marley was a struggling young musician of the little-known Wailers, Byron Lee was probably the most well-known Jamaican bandleader in the world.

Lee was 20 years old when he formed his band the Dragonaires in 1956. They began making a name for themselves almost immediately, as a kind of big-band equivalent to the solo Calypso singing that Harry Belafonte (and Sir Lancelot before him) brought to enormous popularity in the late '50s. Touring behind Belafonte, they became internationally famous, and justifiably so -- they played Calypso and ska, but their musicianship was impeccable in any idiom, with a trumpet and sax section that could've passed muster with any big band, and Lee's bass playing itself was extraordinarily distinctive. With Lee leading and manager Ronnie Nasralla co-producing and handling the business arrangements, the Dragonaires made all of the right moves.

They were also lucky enough to be signed to Edward Seaga's WIRL (West Indies Recording Limited) label, which was not only a new and powerful label, but notably honest in paying its artists.
Lee had a hit in 1959 with his WIRL debut, "Dumplings," which also became the first release of the British-based Bluebeat label.

One of their other shrewd moves was getting featured in the debut James Bond movie, Dr. No (1962). Largely shot in and around Kingston, the film was filled with local Jamaican color, right down to the Calypso number that closed the credits and opened the action, but Lee and the Dragonaires had the choicest spot of all as a musical showcase, playing the song "Jump Up" in the scene at Pussfeller's club where Bond and his allies discuss the mystery before them, and confront an agent of the opposition wielding a lively camera. Millions of people saw the movie, either in its initial release or on its re-release to theaters in 1964, after the success of Goldfinger, and they saw and heard Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, who were also all over the Dr. No soundtrack from United Artists, which sold in the hundreds of thousands. (The scene in which Lee and his band appear is doubly interesting from the standpoint of cultural happenstance; among the extras dancing to the band's music is a white Jamaican named Chris Blackwell, who formed Island Records about a year later -- in that one scene are two of the biggest and most important entrepreneurs in Jamaican music crossing paths).

One of the first ska bands, the Dragonaires -- a 14-piece outfit whose lineup was always changing (and sometimes worked under the name the Ska Kings) -- toured throughout the Caribbean and into North America, spreading the ska sound. Lee opened a concert booking and promotion agency in the early '60s, Lee Enterprises Limited, as well as his own label, Dragon's Breath. He brought American acts like the Drifters, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, and Fats Domino into Jamaica, booking them into the Carib and Regal Theaters, with local Jamaican acts opening for them.

Lee's big year was 1964, when he and the Dragonaires played the New York World's Fair, in their own set and backing Prince Buster, Eric Morris, and Peter Tosh. They were all a sensation at the fair, and even managed to work in some major gigs at some of Manhattan's best nightclubs. It spread their names into the gossip columns (there weren't any music columns as we know them today) and newspaper entertainment sections, and did wonders to boost Jamaica's tourism to even higher levels.

That same year, Lee made his biggest business move, buying WIRL from Edward Seaga (by then a government minister; in fact, the very one who had booked Lee into the World's Fair) and renaming it Dynamic Sounds Recording, Inc. He also began establishing a relationship with Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic Records, which resulted in his first release on an American label, the multi-artist compilation Jamaican Ska, and a follow-up, Jump Up, that was all Lee and his band, and gave him the distribution rights to Atlantic's R&B releases in the Carribean.

Amid all of those business activities, Lee maintained a full performing and recording schedule, cutting singles regularly and albums at least once a year after the mid-'60s.
In addition to his own singles, these frequently contained covers of other artists' ska hits of the period.

Lee was eminently successful, although in later years, he would incur the editorial wrath of writers who regarded his dance band as a pale, watered down version of ska, compared to outfits like the Skatalites, the Maytals, or the Wailers. Lee and his band, however, did more to popularize ska and Jamaican music than any performer of the '60s. Coupled with the success in 1964 of Millie Small's Island Records single "My Boy Lollipop," which sold upwards of six million copies worldwide, it was the opening of a booming musical era for Jamaican music.

By 1969, Lee was owner of the best recording studio in Kingston, and Dynamic Sounds became the most popular recording venue in the entire Carribean. By the early '70s, the biggest American and English rock stars had discovered its appeal, including the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, and Eric Clapton. Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion," in particular, became a showcase for Lee's studio. Meanwhile, he continued making his own music, having evolved from ska to reggae and, by the late '70s, to the soca style. For all of their supposed watered-down nature, Lee and the Dragonaires have maintained a following right into the end of the twentieth century, their Jamaican dancehall-influenced sound delighting crowds at the annual Carnival celebration. Lee and his band also cut annual collections of covers of the year's most popular Carnival hits, an extension of his early- and mid-'60s covers of ska hits.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/byron-lee-mn0000628541/biography

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Biografía del artista por Bruce Eder
En los años antes de que el reggae o incluso el ska fuera conocido fuera del Caribe, Byron Lee fue el primer director de orquesta en lograr un seguimiento internacional tocando música jamaicana, y jugó un papel vital en su popularización en todo el mundo. Y cuando Bob Marley era un joven músico luchador de los poco conocidos Wailers, Byron Lee era probablemente el director de orquesta jamaiquino más conocido del mundo.

Lee tenía 20 años cuando formó su banda The Dragonaires en 1956. Comenzaron a hacerse un nombre casi inmediatamente, como una especie de big-band equivalente al canto en solitario de Calypso que Harry Belafonte (y Sir Lancelot antes que él) trajo a una enorme popularidad a finales de los años 50. De gira detrás de Belafonte, se hicieron famosos internacionalmente, y con razón - tocaban Calypso y ska, pero su musicalidad era impecable en cualquier idioma, con una sección de trompeta y saxofón que podría haber pasado la prueba con cualquier big band, y el bajo de Lee en sí mismo era extraordinariamente distintivo. Con Lee dirigiendo y el gerente Ronnie Nasralla coproduciendo y manejando los arreglos del negocio, los Dragonaires hicieron todos los movimientos correctos.

También tuvieron la suerte de formar parte del sello WIRL (West Indies Recording Limited) de Edward Seaga, que no sólo era un sello nuevo y potente, sino también muy honesto a la hora de pagar a sus artistas. Lee tuvo un éxito en 1959 con su debut en WIRL, "Dumplings", que también se convirtió en el primer lanzamiento del sello británico Bluebeat.

Uno de sus otros movimientos astutos fue aparecer en la primera película de James Bond, Dr. No (1962). Filmada en su mayor parte en Kingston y sus alrededores, la película estaba llena de color jamaicano, hasta el número de Calypso que cerró los créditos y abrió la acción, pero Lee y los Dragonaires tenían el lugar más selecto de todos como escaparate musical, tocando la canción "Jump Up" en la escena del club de Pussfeller, donde Bond y sus aliados discuten el misterio que tienen ante sí, y se enfrentan a un agente de la oposición con una cámara animada. Millones de personas vieron la película, ya sea en su estreno inicial o en su reestreno en las salas en 1964, después del éxito de Goldfinger, y vieron y escucharon a Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, que también estaban en la banda sonora de Dr. No de United Artists, que se vendió por cientos de miles. (La escena en la que Lee y su banda aparecen es doblemente interesante desde el punto de vista de la casualidad cultural; entre los extras que bailan al son de la música de la banda se encuentra un jamaiquino blanco llamado Chris Blackwell, quien formó Island Records un año después -- en esa escena se encuentran dos de los mayores y más importantes emprendedores de la música jamaicana que se cruzan en los caminos).

Una de las primeras bandas de ska, los Dragonaires -- un grupo de 14 músicos cuya alineación siempre estaba cambiando (y a veces trabajaba bajo el nombre de los Ska Kings) -- viajó por todo el Caribe y Norteamérica, difundiendo el sonido del ska. Lee abrió una agencia de conciertos y promoción a principios de los años 60, Lee Enterprises Limited, así como su propio sello, Dragon's Breath. Trajo a Jamaica a artistas estadounidenses como los Drifters, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke y Fats Domino, y los contrató en los teatros Carib y Regal, con actos locales jamaicanos como teloneros.

El gran año de Lee fue 1964, cuando él y los Dragonaires jugaron en la Feria Mundial de Nueva York, en su propio set y con el apoyo del Príncipe Buster, Eric Morris y Peter Tosh. Todos ellos fueron una sensación en la feria, e incluso lograron trabajar en algunos de los mejores clubes nocturnos de Manhattan. Difundió sus nombres en las columnas de chismes (no había ninguna columna de música como la conocemos hoy en día) y en las secciones de entretenimiento de los periódicos, e hizo maravillas para impulsar el turismo de Jamaica a niveles aún más altos.

Ese mismo año, Lee hizo su mayor negocio, comprándole WIRL a Edward Seaga (para entonces ministro del gobierno; de hecho, el mismo que había inscrito a Lee en la Feria Mundial) y le cambió el nombre a Dynamic Sounds Recording, Inc. También comenzó a establecer una relación con Ahmet Ertegun en Atlantic Records, lo que resultó en su primer lanzamiento en un sello americano, la compilación multi-artista Jamaican Ska, y un seguimiento, Jump Up, que fue todo de Lee y su banda, y le dio los derechos de distribución de los lanzamientos de R&B de Atlantic en el Caribe.

En medio de todas esas actividades de negocios, Lee mantuvo un programa completo de presentaciones y grabaciones, cortando singles regularmente y álbumes por lo menos una vez al año después de mediados de los años 60. Además de sus propios singles, estos contenían frecuentemente versiones de los éxitos de ska de otros artistas de la época.

Lee fue eminentemente exitoso, aunque en años posteriores, incurrió en la ira editorial de escritores que consideraban su banda de baile como una versión pálida y aguada del ska, en comparación con trajes como los Skatalites, los Maytals o los Wailers. Lee y su banda, sin embargo, hicieron más por popularizar el ska y la música jamaicana que cualquier otro intérprete de los años 60. Junto con el éxito en 1964 del sencillo "My Boy Lollipop" de Millie Small's Island Records, que vendió más de seis millones de copias en todo el mundo, fue el comienzo de una era musical en auge para la música jamaicana.

En 1969, Lee era el propietario del mejor estudio de grabación de Kingston, y Dynamic Sounds se convirtió en el lugar de grabación más popular de todo el Caribe. A principios de los años 70, las mayores estrellas del rock americano e inglés habían descubierto su atractivo, incluyendo a los Rolling Stones, Paul Simon y Eric Clapton. La reunión "Mother and Child Reunion" de Paul Simon, en particular, se convirtió en un escaparate para el estudio de Lee.
Mientras tanto, continuó haciendo su propia música, habiendo evolucionado del ska al reggae y, a finales de los'70, al estilo soca. A pesar de toda su supuesta naturaleza aguada, Lee y los Dragoneros han mantenido un seguimiento hasta finales del siglo XX, su sonido influenciado por la danza jamaicana que deleita a las multitudes en la celebración anual del Carnaval. Lee y su banda también cortan colecciones anuales de portadas de los éxitos más populares del Carnaval, una extensión de sus portadas de principios y mediados de los años 60 de éxitos de ska.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/byron-lee-mn0000628541/biography

Solid foundation an oral history of Reggae

 

Solid Foundation is the definitive history of reggae, from the earliest Jamaican innovators of the 1940s to the new stars of the 21st century. Drawing on more than 300 firsthand interviews, this landmark book tells the fascinating story of some of the most compelling characters in popular music. It features a diverse range of pioneers, such as The Skatalites, The Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, and Lee 'Scratch' Perry, dub legends such as Augustus Pablo, Prince Jammy, and Scientist, as well as dancehall giants like Elephant Man, Beenie Man, and Buju Banton. It details the entire evolution of Jamaican popular music, including ska, rock steady, roots reggae, dub, dancehall, ragga, and more. First published in 2003, Solid Foundation was widely praised as "a cracking read" and "a necessary work". This fully revised and updated edition brings the story into the 21st century with new chapters on the key performers of recent times and extensive additions throughout.

 

VA • Studio One Story

 

 

The Skatalites • Celebration Time

 

 

The Skatalites (o The Ska-Talites)​ es un grupo de origen jamaicano de ska creado en 1964. El nombre está formado a partir de la mezcla de «The Satellites» con la palabra «Ska».
The Skatalites están considerados los creadores del ska y, por tanto, influenciadores del rocksteady, del reggae —ya sea early (skinhead) o roots (rastafarismo)—, del dub, del dancehall, y del de sus descendientes musicales que derivan de los sonidos tradicionales de Jamaica. Sus primeras grabaciones de ska datan de junio de 1964, aunque estos músicos habían trabajado bastante tiempo antes como banda de estudio para el sello Studio One, grabando principalmente rhythm and blues. Los miembros originales de la banda obtuvieron su formación musical a partir de los músicos de jazz de la isla. Por eso, aunque se inspiraron en lo que sonaba en Estados Unidos (principalmente boogie woogie) y los sonidos africanos, la música de The Skatalites y por lo tanto el ska, contiene muchos elementos propios del jazz. Otra influencia decisiva para la creación de la música ska fue la música afro-cubana, también llamada "música latina". De hecho Lloyd Knibb (baterista) explicó abiertamente que el ritmo tan singular que creó fue inspirado por tocar ese estilo de música en las grandes orquestas de la época previas al ska. Entonces, de la fusión de música afro-cubana, jazz, rhythm and blues, mento y calypso nació el ska.
Los miembros originales de The Skatalites fueron Don Drummond (trombonista), Tommy McCook (saxo tenor y flauta), Roland Alfonso (saxo tenor), Lester Sterling (saxo alto), "Dizzy Johny" Moore (trompeta), Lloyd Brevet (bajo), Lloyd Knnibb (batería), Jackie Mittoo (piano y órgano), Jah Jerry Haines (guitarra).
The Skatalites grabaron para los soundsystems a través de Studio One, del que eran banda de estudio. Llegaron a ser muy populares en Jamaica y fueron la influencia de toda la música posterior en la isla. La mayoría de grandes artistas de música jamaicana, como Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Toots and the Maytals, Laurel Aitken o Prince Buster grabaron o dieron conciertos con ellos, e incluso hoy en día, muchos grupos tienen colaboraciones con el grupo por lo que significa para esta música, por ejemplo, los norteamericanos New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble. La banda original se disolvió en 1965, año en que el líder del grupo (Don Drummond) mató a su esposa y lo internaron en el centro psiquiátrico De Bellevue, centro en el que murió al cabo de dos años.

La banda reapareció reformada como grupo en el año 1983 y en la actualidad siguen tocando, aunque la mayoría de componentes han sido reemplazados. Recibieron dos Grammy en 1996 y 1997. Los últimos álbumes de Skatalites contaban mayormente con nuevas grabaciones modernas de temas de la banda original, pero en los últimos años podemos encontrarnos ante álbumes de estudio totalmente inéditos como Bashaka o On the Right Track, por ejemplo.

Han estado activos desde el año 2014, donde han tocado en una serie de festivales internacionales de Reggae.

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The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period. They reformed in 1983 and have played together ever since.
History
Before the Skatalites: 1954–64
The founders of the Skatalites were Tommy McCook (died 1998), Rolando Alphonso (died 1998), Lester Sterling, Lloyd Brevett (died 2012), Lloyd Knibb (died 2011), Don Drummond (died 1969), Jah Jerry Haynes (died 2007), Jackie Mittoo (died 1990), Johnny Moore (died 2008) and Jackie Opel (died 1970). These ten musicians started to play together from 1955, when Kingston's recording studios started to develop. Tommy McCook was the first member of the band to record, though not for commercial release: he played with Don Hitchman's Group in 1953. Archie Lindo asked Hitchman to play a few tunes for his pioneer radio station, "ZQI", on their new equipment. Soon after that, sound system pioneer Stanley Motta began to operate his studio, where he recorded calypso and mento that were released on 78's. Rolando Alphonso was one of the first to record with him, probably in 1954.
Though McCook was the first in the band to record, he did not participate in the recording sessions with the other nine musicians. He left Jamaica in 1954 for a jazz gig at the Zanzibar Club in Nassau, Bahamas. He returned to Jamaica in June 1962, and began playing regular jazz sessions around Kingston.
Record producer Coxsone Dodd searched for jazz players around Kingston and was impressed by McCook's playing. Tommy McCook heard some ska, but initially resisted Dodd's offers to record and to lead a studio group, because he was a committed jazzman. In 1962 Dodd released I Cover The Waterfront (Port-O-Jam) with Roland Alphonso and Don Drummond, who did the solo and brass sections. In 1963 he released Jazz Jamaica From the Workshop (Port-O-Jam/Studio One), on which McCook played for the first time since returning to Jamaica. Don Drummond has two tunes on Jazz Jamaica and McCook has one, "The Answer".
Early years: 1964–65
In spring 1964, The Skatalites recorded their first LP Ska Authentic at Studio One in Kingston and toured Jamaica as the creators of ska. Their producers were Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, Prince Buster, Vincent "King" Edwards, Justin "Phillip" Yap, Leslie Kong, Lindon Pottinger, Sonia Pottinger and Vincent "Randy" Chin. The Skatalites led sessions with top artists and worked with young talents such as Delroy Wilson, Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, Lee Perry, etc.
They played their first show on 27 June at the Hi-Hat club, on Water Lane in Rae Town, which was owned and operated by Orville "Billy" Farnum. Coxsone Dodd helped initially: "At the formation of the band, I supplied the PA system, microphones and what ever it is. Also the guitar amplifier and other amplifier. I helped with transportation and I supplied storage for equipment and instruments. I was a part of promoting the first gigs and other gigs to get it off the ground, because I figured more or less, if I am recording the Skatalites, its good to get them popular out in the streets, yunno?"
Trombonist Don Drummond had at least 200 tunes to his name by 1965. On 1 January 1965, Drummond was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Anita "Marguerita" Mahfood. He was later convicted and remanded to the Bellevue Asylum.
In August 1965, The Skatalites played their last show. They broke up into two supergroups, Rolando Alphonso and the Soul Vendors and Tommy McCook and the Supersonics. In April 1967, The Skatalites' ska adaptation of the theme to the film The Guns of Navarone entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Don Drummond died on 6 May 1969, in the Bellevue Asylum.
Early reunions: 1974–88
The Skatalites first reunion happened in the studio, during 1974 sessions for bass player Lloyd Brevett's solo album. After laying down hand percussion tracks at Lee Perry's studio, Brevett was joined by McCook, Alphonso, Sterling, Knibb and Mittoo. Ernest Ranglin played guitar, with Oswald Brooks on trumpet. The album was eventually released as African Roots, a collection of mostly Brevett compositions, and has been variously released both as a Lloyd Brevett and as a Skatalies album, with most editions crediting "Lloyd Brevett and The Skatalites".
In 1979, The Skatalites again joined in the studio, this time to record an album for Chris Blackwell. The album, tentatively entitled The Big Guns, was not released at the time, due to a disagreement between McCook and Blackwell, and remains unreleased.
In June 1983, The Skatalites reformed and played the Reggae Sunsplash festival in Montego Bay in July after festival director Ronnie Burke persuaded them to appear at the fifth anniversary of the festival, despite Moore and McCook having not spoken since the band split. Their show was very successful and the band played more concerts in Jamaica, while taking offers to tour abroad. The line-up at this time reflected the original line-up of the band, with the exception of Drummond, joined by guests Cedric Brooks, Arnold Breckenridge, and Bubbles Cameron. Recordings from 27 June and 17 July 1983 were released on the live album Stretching Out, although the band later claimed on their website that they received no payment for this recording and discouraged fans from buying it.
Their rehearsal sessions resulted in a clutch of new songs, led this time by Jackie Mittoo, which were recorded in Music Mountain Studio but only released in 2007 on Motion Records (as Rolling Steady: The 1983 Music Mountain Sessions). The album included their tribute to Don Drummond, "Big Trombone", with Lord Tanamo on vocals. In April 1984, The Skatalites recorded The Return of The Big Guns, released on Mango Records in the UK, based on charts written by Drummond and arranged by McCook. On 7 July 1984, The Skatalites played to thousands at Selhurst Park during the London Sunsplash. The Skatalites played seven tunes and also backed Prince Buster on three before closing with a reprise of their theme song, "Freedom Sounds". This concert resulted in the live recording Live At Sunsplash.
Between 1985 and 1988, the core members of the Skatalites emigrated and united in the northeast of the United States. They played their first US concert at The Village Gate and began to play spotted dates in Northeast US.
1989–present
The Skatalites were featured on the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals, which won the Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Gwen Stefani / No Doubt, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, Manu Chao, The Roots, Ryan Adams, Keith Richards, Toots Hibbert, Paul Douglas, Jackie Jackson, and Ken Boothe.
In 2004, original member Lloyd Brevett left the band. It was reported that he was removed from the band after conflicts with newer members. He toured briefly leading his own band, and then retired to Jamaica. In April that year, the Skatalites started a new world tour with their new bass player Val Douglas, whose A-Team band was the primary backing band for Reggae Sunsplash Tours through the 1980s and 1990s. In October 2005, The Skatalites released The Skatalites in Orbit, Vol.1 recorded live in Buenos Aires, recorded during concerts on 23 and 24 September 2005. In March 2006, The Skatalites played at La Bal De La Rose for Caroline, Princess of Hanover, along with Jimmy Cliff, The Wailers and Alpha Blondy. This show started the 2006 Global Orbit Tour reaching Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. In April 2006, Skatalites recorded 11 new tunes and one cover in Byron Bay, Australia, at the 301 Studios, released the following year as the album On The Right Track by AIM International, Australia. In September 2007, The Skatalites contributed the track "Be My Guest", with Ben Harper on vocals, to the Fats Domino tribute CD Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino featuring numerous artists. This CD raised funds for all the musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina.
On 12 May 2011, founding member and drummer Lloyd Knibb died of liver cancer at the age of 80. Bass player and fellow founding member Lloyd Brevett died after suffering a stroke on 3 May 2012, aged 80.
On 8 February 2012, the band announced a new single and album due out in 2012 as well as a new US tour starting in Texas and heading to New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, California, Washington, and then Canada. These dates follow four dates they announced in January for the North East. The new album will be titled All Roads and will feature the last recordings of founding member Lloyd Knibb.
On 26 August 2016 the band released the album Platinum Ska and toured through the USA, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, France Italy and the UK.

www.skatalites.com ...

VA • 100% Dynamite! Ska, Soul, Rocksteady & Funk in Jamaica

 

Laurel Aitken • The Pama Years

 

 

Artist Biography by Steve Huey

Known as "the Godfather of Ska," Laurel Aitken was Jamaica's first real recording star. He was a pioneer in many other respects as well: he was one of the first artists ever to release a ska record, the first to work at promoting his music in the U.K., and one of the first to record for the seminal Island label, itself a major force in the international popularity of Jamaican music. Cutting his teeth on the sort of jump blues and boogie shuffles popular during the early days of American R&B, Aitken recorded numerous hits for a variety of labels over the years, enjoying his heyday during the '60s. His continued presence in the U.K. made him an elder statesman to the Two Tone ska revival movement of the punk era, and he continued to tour even into the new millennium.

Aitken was born in Cuba on April 22, 1927, and moved to his father's homeland of Jamaica in 1938. At age 15, he won a prominent talent competition with his rendition of "Pennies From Heaven"; around the same time, he also sang as part of a calypso group that performed for tourists arriving on the island from cruise ships. Aitken developed his singing and songwriting chops on a wide variety of material: jump blues (especially those of Louis Jordan and the young Nat King Cole), New Orleans R&B, calypso, and the indigenous Jamaican folk style mento. He became a popular nightclub performer around Kingston, and officially joined the nascent Jamaican recording industry in 1957, when he recorded (and produced) the R&B/calypso spiritual "Roll Jordan Roll." The following year, he began recording for producer Chris Blackwell's fledgling Island label; his double-A-sided "Little Sheila"/"Boogie in My Bones" was the first single ever released on Island, as well as one of the earliest ska records. It was also a massive hit in Jamaica, topping the charts for nearly three months, and went on to become the first Jamaican record ever issued in the U.K.

Aitken scored another hit with 1959's gospel-informed "Judgement Day," an early production by the legendary Duke Reid, and repeated his success with 1960's "Boogie Rock." In the meantime, he recorded for several prominent producers, including Reid, Leslie Kong, and Ken Khouri. In 1960, spurred by the popularity of his records in England, Aitken moved to London, specifically the heavily West Indian area of Brixton. There he began recording for Blue Beat, the first British-based label to cater to Jamaican immigrant tastes. Blue Beat's first single was a reissue of "Boogie Rock," and not long after, "Mary Lee" became the first song Aitken recorded specifically for the label. As a prominent Jamaican who'd chosen to make his home in Brixton, Aitken's popularity among the U.K.'s West Indian immigrants soon exceeded the stardom he'd enjoyed back home.

Aitken cut more than 15 singles for Blue Beat, then temporarily returned to Jamaica in 1963 for a recording binge that often found him backed by the Skatalites. Some tracks, like "Weary Wanderer" and "Zion," were produced by Reid; another, the hit "Bad Minded Woman," was released by Aitken's new U.K. label, Rio. Aitken remained with Rio through 1966, issuing around 20 singles and also recording for several other small labels. Rio went bankrupt, and during the late '60s, Aitken signed a new deal with the Pama family of labels (Nu Beat, Doctor Bird, etc.), partly because the company helped him out with his overdue child support payments. This arrangement resulted in some of his biggest U.K. hits, many of which he penned himself: "Fire in Mi Wire," "Pussy Price" (both early slack numbers), "Landlord and Tenants," "It's Too Late," "Jesse James," "Rise & Fall," "Woppi King," and "Skinhead Train," to name the biggest. This material was among Aitken's most enduring, and broadened his appeal to white audiences (mostly skinheads and mods).

Labour of Love

The ascent of Bob Marley and the new Rastafarian emphasis on culturally relevant reggae made Aitken's music seem somewhat outdated in the '70s. He moved to Leicester, well outside of London, and while he performed occasionally, he was effectively retired from recording. However, the Two Tone ska revival of the late '70s made Aitken's style hip all over again, and the English Beat rewrote the lyrics of "Pussy Price" for their own "Ranking Full Stop." Aitken returned to the recording studio and came up with "Rudy Got Married," which became his first ever U.K. chart single in 1981. Aitken resumed his regular U.K. tours during the '80s, and spent a year and a half working with a band called the Potato 5, with whom he recorded on Gaz's Rockin' Records. In 1986, he appeared alongside David Bowie in the mod film Absolute Beginners; additionally, UB40 covered Aitken's single "Guilty" (recorded under the name Tiger) on their hit Labour of Love album, further increasing his visibility. Aitken performed with several third wave ska bands over the '80s and '90s, and although his recording activity dropped off substantially, he continued to tour into the new millennium, even documenting and releasing a performance titled Live at Club Ska, issued in 2004. After six decades of recording and performing, Laurel Aitken's reign as the Godfather of Ska came to an end on July 17, 2005 when at the age of 87 the singer suffered a heart attack and passed way.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/laurel-aitken-mn0000138792/biography

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 Biografía del artista por Steve Huey

Conocido como "el Padrino de Ska", Laurel Aitken fue la primera estrella de la grabación de Jamaica. Fue pionero en muchos otros aspectos también: fue uno de los primeros artistas en lanzar un disco de ska, el primero en trabajar en la promoción de su música en el Reino Unido, y uno de los primeros en grabar para el seminal sello Island, que en sí mismo es una fuerza importante en la popularidad internacional de la música jamaicana. Aitken grabó numerosos éxitos para una variedad de sellos discográficos a lo largo de los años, disfrutando de su apogeo durante los años sesenta. Su presencia continua en el Reino Unido lo convirtió en un anciano estadista del movimiento de renacimiento del ska Two Tone de la era punk, y continuó su gira incluso en el nuevo milenio.

Aitken nació en Cuba el 22 de abril de 1927 y se mudó a la patria de su padre, Jamaica, en 1938. A la edad de 15 años, ganó un concurso de talentos prominentes con su interpretación de "Pennies From Heaven"; más o menos al mismo tiempo, también cantó como parte de un grupo de calipso que actuaba para los turistas que llegaban a la isla en cruceros. Aitken desarrolló sus chuletas de canto y composición sobre una amplia variedad de materiales: jump blues (especialmente los de Louis Jordan y el joven Nat King Cole), New Orleans R&B, calypso, y el mento de estilo folklórico jamaicano. Se convirtió en un popular artista de clubes nocturnos en Kingston, y se unió oficialmente a la naciente industria discográfica jamaicana en 1957, cuando grabó (y produjo) el espiritual "Roll Jordan Roll" de R&B/calypso. Al año siguiente, comenzó a grabar para el incipiente sello Island del productor Chris Blackwell; su doble cara "Little Sheila"/"Boogie in My Bones" fue el primer sencillo publicado en Island, así como uno de los primeros discos de ska. También fue un gran éxito en Jamaica, encabezando las listas de éxitos durante casi tres meses, y se convirtió en el primer disco jamaiquino jamás publicado en el Reino Unido.

Aitken obtuvo otro éxito con el "Día del Juicio" de 1959, una producción temprana del legendario Duque Reid, y repitió su éxito con el "Boogie Rock" de los años 60. Mientras tanto, grabó para varios productores prominentes, incluyendo Reid, Leslie Kong y Ken Khouri. En 1960, impulsado por la popularidad de sus discos en Inglaterra, Aitken se trasladó a Londres, concretamente a la zona de Brixton, una zona densamente poblada por las Indias Occidentales. Allí comenzó a grabar para Blue Beat, el primer sello con sede en Gran Bretaña que satisface los gustos de los inmigrantes jamaiquinos. El primer sencillo de Blue Beat fue una reedición de "Boogie Rock", y poco después, "Mary Lee" se convirtió en la primera canción de Aitken grabada específicamente para el sello. Como prominente jamaiquino que había decidido establecerse en Brixton, la popularidad de Aitken entre los inmigrantes de las Indias Occidentales del Reino Unido pronto superó el estrellato que había disfrutado en su país.

Aitken grabó más de 15 sencillos para Blue Beat, y luego regresó temporalmente a Jamaica en 1963 para una juerga discográfica que a menudo lo encontró respaldado por los Skatalites. Algunos temas, como "Weary Wanderer" y "Zion", fueron producidos por Reid; otro, el éxito "Bad Minded Woman", fue lanzado por el nuevo sello británico de Aitken, Rio. Aitken permaneció con Rio hasta 1966, emitiendo alrededor de 20 sencillos y también grabando para varios otros sellos pequeños. Río se fue a la bancarrota, y a finales de los años 60, Aitken firmó un nuevo acuerdo con la familia de etiquetas Pama (Nu Beat, Doctor Bird, etc.), en parte porque la compañía le ayudó con sus pagos atrasados de manutención infantil. Este arreglo resultó en algunos de sus mayores éxitos en el Reino Unido, muchos de los cuales él mismo escribió: "Fire in Mi Wire", "Pussy Price" (ambos números iniciales), "Landlord and Tenants", "It's Too Late", "Jesse James", "Rise & Fall", "Woppi King" y "Skinhead Train", por nombrar los más grandes. Este material fue uno de los más duraderos de Aitken, y amplió su atractivo para el público blanco (principalmente skinheads y mods).

El ascenso de Bob Marley y el nuevo énfasis rastafariano en el reggae culturalmente relevante hicieron que la música de Aitken pareciera algo anticuada en los años 70. Se mudó a Leicester, en las afueras de Londres, y aunque tocaba ocasionalmente, fue retirado de la grabación. Sin embargo, el renacimiento del ska Two Tone de finales de los 70 hizo que el estilo de Aitken volviera a estar de moda, y el English Beat reescribió la letra de "Pussy Price" para su propio "Ranking Full Stop". Aitken regresó al estudio de grabación y se le ocurrió "Rudy Got Married", que se convirtió en su primer single en el Reino Unido en 1981. Aitken reanudó sus giras regulares por el Reino Unido durante los años 80, y pasó un año y medio trabajando con una banda llamada The Potato 5, con la que grabó en Gaz's Rockin' Records. En 1986, apareció junto a David Bowie en la película "Absolute Beginners"; además, UB40 cubrió el sencillo de Aitken "Guilty" (grabado bajo el nombre de Tiger) en su exitoso álbum "Labour of Love", aumentando aún más su visibilidad. Aitken tocó con varias bandas de ska de tercera ola durante los'80 y'90, y aunque su actividad discográfica se redujo sustancialmente, continuó girando en el nuevo milenio, incluso documentando y lanzando una actuación titulada Live at Club Ska, publicada en 2004. Después de seis décadas de grabar y tocar, el reinado de Laurel Aitken como el Padrino de Ska terminó el 17 de julio de 2005, cuando a la edad de 87 años el cantante sufrió un ataque al corazón y se fue.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/laurel-aitken-mn0000138792/biography