History of Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae

Get ready for a sweltering live album from Jamaican trendsetters the Ska-talites, recorded in Finland in 1994 and capturing, for the final time, the late tenor sax legends Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso. Fittingly, the band rifle through a bag of hits – ‘Freedom Sound’, ‘Skafrica’ and ‘Guns of Navarone’ – as if the entire set were a pumping encore. Nathan Breedlove on trumpet and Will Clarke on trombone complete the militant, slick horn section, while fellow founding members Lloyd Knibb, Lloyd Brevett and Doreen Shaffer feature on drums, bass and vocals. The Ska-talites may still be touring today, but never in the band's history did experience, flair and self-gratification come together in such a flex of confidence. From McCook's opening shout of ‘greetings and salutations’, the audience know they are in safe hands. ‘I am your humble musical servant,’ he continues, revelling in the respect that his gentlemanly persona and explosive talent commanded. No ska lesson could emit chief Ska-talites composer and trombonist Don Drummond, and his memory is honoured with a fast-paced blast of ‘Man in the Street’ before the evening slips into rocksteady and reggae; this is one of those live albums that turns the listener green with envy.