Something Special: Ska Hot Shots
The late Roland Alphonso, who died in 1998, made his reputation as a ska sax player, and his instrumental work was a vital ingredient to that era. But his style went beyond the limitations of any genre, whether from the kitschy cover of the James Bond theme, "From Russia with Love," where he smoothed over the jerkiness of the beat with his mellifluous tone, to "Jah Shakey," where his breathy introduction echoes jazzmanLester Young. The 20 tracks here range from pre-ska boogie all the way to the early days of reggae, with heavy emphasis on Alphonso's days with the influentialSkatalitesand their successors, theSoul Brothers. But all put a very clear focus on Alphonso's inventive playing. Give him the chance to solo and he could produce the unexpected, always making the song more than it was before, and pushing things in a slightly different direction. An album like this shows why he's so deeply revered.--Chris Nickson