Ska Voovee
The Skatalites were to the beginnings of Jamaican pop music (ska, rock steady, reggae) what Booker T. & the MGs were to the beginnings of Memphis soul. Like the MGs, the Skatalites were a tight, innovative band that not only backed the major singers of their field but also scored major instrumental hits on their own. And like the MGs, the Skatalites have reunited despite the death of a key member (drummer Al Jackson for the MGs; trombonist Don Drummond for the Skatalites) to play for a whole new generation of soul and ska fans. The Skatalites' reunion album,Ska Voovee, may not have the spark of a young band plowing new ground, but it does deliver the satisfaction of old pros revisiting the scene of their triumph.--Geoffrey Himes