The Skatalites
| The Skatalites | |
|---|---|
 The Skatalites Live 2003 Munich |
|
| General information | |
| origin | Jamaica |
| Genre (s) | First wave ska , ska jazz |
| founding | 1963, 1964 |
| Website | www.skatalites.com |
| Founding members | |
| Doreen Shaffer | |
| Lester "Ska" Sterling | |
| Lloyd Knibb (until 2011, † May 12, 2011) | |
| Current occupation | |
| Doreen Shaffer | |
| Lester "Ska" Sterling | |
| Vin Gordon (from 2004) | |
| Karl "Cannonball" Bryan (from 2004) | |
| Val Douglas (from 2005) | |
| Devon James | |
| Ken Stewart | |
| Kevin Batchelor | |
| former members | |
trombone |
Don Drummond (until 1965, † May 6, 1969) |
Vocals, electric bass
|
Jackie Opel (until 1968, † 1970) |
Piano, organ
|
Jackie Mittoo (until 1990, † December 16, 1990) |
Tenor saxophone |
Tommy McCook (until 1998, † May 4, 1998) |
Tenor saxophone |
Rolando Alphonso (until 1998, † November 2, 1998) |
guitar |
Jah Jerry Haynes (until 2007, † August 13, 2007) |
double bass |
Lloyd Brevett († May 3, 2012) |
Trumpet |
Johnny Moore († August 16, 2008) |
The Skatalites are a Jamaican ski band . They are largely responsible for the development of Ska and have been active with studio albums and on worldwide tours since they were founded in 1963.
history
1962–1964: The beginning
Among other things, the members of the later Skatalites worked together musically as early as 1963. During this time they recorded almost all the pieces on the basis of which vocalists such as Bob Marley , Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff gave expression to the newfound self-confidence of Jamaica, which became independent in 1962.
Many musicians of the time attended the Alpha Boys School , a school in West Kingston, whose strict training was based on classical European music. Already in the 1950s, graduates of this school played in their own bands and toured various clubs and bars with their interpretation of jazz, while others were hired as studio musicians.
The development of ska, which, although its origins as a competition between different producers, was always played by the same musicians, concentrated on precisely this small group of musicians. In 1962 these included Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso , Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibb, Lester Sterling, Don Drummond , Jah Jerry Haynes, Jackie Mittoo and Johnny Moore , whose musical products benefited producers such as Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid in mutual competition.
In 1963, on the initiative of Tommy McCook, some of these musicians formed a band whose name was initially Satalites . This name goes back to the launch of a Russian satellite into space. Again on the idea of Tommy McCook, the band was then renamed Skatalites .
The following year, 1964, the first Skatalites LP Ska Authentic , a compilation of previously released singles, was released at Studio One in Kingston, and the Skatalites toured the island as the creators of Ska , but continued to play for almost all producers and helped young talent like Desmond Dekker , The Wailers and Lee Perry to breakthrough. The most creative member of the Skatalites, trombonist Don Drummond, created around 200 different tunes by 1965.
1965–1969: Drummond's fate and dissolution of the Skatalites
On January 1, 1965, the increasingly confused Don Drummond was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Anita "Marguerita" Mahfood, convicted and finally admitted to the Bellevue Asylum , a mental institution, where he died in 1969.
After Drummond was briefed and Tommy McCook switched to producer Arthur "Duke" Reid, the Skatalites split and split into two main bands: Rolando Alphonso and the Soul Brothers and Tommy McCook and the Supersonics .
1983–1989: Reunion and support tours
In June 1983, the original line-up reformed to perform at the Sunsplash Festival in Montego Bay in July. After this gig was a complete success, the Skatalites recorded their new album The Return of The Big Guns in the spring of 1984 .
Until 1989 the Skatalites played as a backing band for Prince Buster and as a support band on Bunny Wailer's tour , on which seven members of the original line-up can still be seen: Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Lester Sterling, Johnny Moore, Jackie Mittoo, Lloyd Brevett and Lloyd Knibb.
1990–2003: own tour, Grammy nominations and reorganization
From January 1990 the Skatalites play their first own US tour, on which Jackie Mittoo and Lester Sterling are absent compared to the previous cast . In late 1990, Mittoo died of cancer in Canada. In the years 1991–1993 the Skatalites toured Europe in 1992 and worked on their 1993 album, which was released under the name Skavoovee and whose presentation tour again took the Skatalites through the USA.
In 1996 and 1997 the Skatalites were nominated for a Grammy in the category “Best Reggae Album” for their works Hi-Bop Ska and Greetings From Skamania , both of which appeared one year earlier .
After Ball of Fire appeared in 1997 , Tommy McCook died on May 5, 1998, and Roland Alphonso died on November 20. In March 1999 Cedric “Im” Brooks joined the Skatalites. The Skatalites record several new albums with him. From February to July 2002, the Skatalites will be on the “Glory to the Sound” concert tour, which will take them from the USA via Europe to Japan. In 2003 a nine-month world tour followed with Vin "Don Drummond Junior" Gordon on the trombone.
2004–2005: birthday tour and another world tour
In May 2004 the Skatalites announce their 40th birthday tour of the band, which will last into May 2005 with the support of Vincent "Don Drummond Jr" Gordon and Karl "Cannonball" Bryan.
Afterwards they go on a world tour again with their latest live album In Orbit Vol.1 and reinforced by Val Douglas .
2007: 11 concerts in Germany
In November and December the Skatalites are touring Germany to present their new studio album On the Right Track .
Discography
- Ska Authentic ( Studio One , 1967)
- Ska Authentic, Vol. 2 (Studio One, 1967)
- Celebration Time (Studio One)
- Best Of (Studio One)
- African Roots (United Artists, 1978)
- Scattered Lights (Alligator, 1984)
- Return of the Big Guns (Iceland, 1984)
- With Sly & Robbie & Taxi Gang (Vista, 1984)
- Stretching Out live (ROIR, 1987)
- Hog in a Cocoa (Culture Press, 1993)
- I'm in the Mood for Ska ( Trojan Records , 1993)
- Ska Voovee ( Shanachie Records , 1993)
- Hi-Bop Ska (Shanachie, 1994)
- In the Mood for Ska (Trojan, 1995)
- Greetings from Skamania (Shanachie, 1996)
- The Skatalite! (Jet Set, 1997)
- Foundation Ska (Heartbeat, 1997)
- Ball of Fire (Iceland, 1998)
- The Clash of the Ska Titans (1999)
- Bashaka (Marston, 2000)
- Nucleus of Ska (Music Club, 2001)
- Herb Dub, Collie Dub (Motion, 2001)
- Ska Splash (Moonska, 2002)
- Lucky Seven (2002)
- From Paris With Love (World Village, 2002)
- Celebration (Studio One, 2002)
- Ska-ta-shot (2002)
- Guns of Navarone (2003)
- In Orbit Vol.1 Live in Argentina (2005)
- On the Right Track (2007)
- Walk With Me (2012)
literature
- René Wynands: Do The Reggae. Reggae from Pocomania to Ragga and the legend of Bob Marley. ( PDF ), ISBN 3-492-18409-X (Piper), ISBN 3-7957-8409-3 (Schott). P. 47
Web links
- Official website of the Skatalites
- The Skatalites at Discogs (English)