Biography of The Skatalites

Ska was Jamaica's first indigenous creation, a compelling mix of fast R&B, Rastafarian African rhythms, and Afro-Cuban percussion highlight. This double-time delight ruled Jamaica from 1962 to 1966, and none played it more convincingly than its creators, The Skatalites. Led by a mentally disturbed world-class trombonist named Don Drummond, the Skatalites were composed of the top instrumentalists on the island at the time: Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, and "Ska" Campbell on tenor sax; Lester Stering on alto; Karl Bryan on baritone; "Dizzy Johnny" Moore and Baba Brooks on trumpet; Lloyd Brevett on bass; Lloyd Knibbs on drums; Jackie Mittoo on piano; and Lyn Taitt and Jah Jerry on guitar. This is a roster of Jamaica's musical gods, the foundation of all that would come out of this tiny land of two million people to influence the entire world of music for the next 30 years. Rock-steady, reggae, rockers, dub -- all are merely tempo reworkings of the skipping ska beat.It is remarkable, then, to note that The Skatalites existed for a mere 14 months. As 1965 dawned, Drummond murdered his wife, and was put away in "de Bellevue" mental hospital, where he died a couple years later. The band then broke up into several different lineups, most notably Tommy McCook and the Supersonics, and the Soul Brothers. Their rhythm slowed in 1966 to the rock-steady, a twin result of Drummond's loss and a torpid steamy summer during which people no longer wanted to dance as frenetically as they had before. But ska underwent period revivals, most notably among British skinheads in the late '60s; Northern British two-tone skanksters in 1980; and massive movements in the '80s in places as far afield as Brussels, Tokyo, and California. Today, ska has achieved a permanent place in the world's beats, as alive, fresh and exciting as rock & roll. Yet even now no interpretation sounds more compelling than the original Studio One recordings made by its masters, The Skatalites. ~ Roger Steffens