The ever-flowing gift of reggae endures here in DC. On Wednesday, February 27, Howard Theatre patrons will hear old and new from the pioneers of ska music, The Skatalites. Their mission to bring back the heyday of Jamaican music continues with Walk With Me, the latest album release.
The Skatalites formed in 1963. The original members included Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso, Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibb, Lester Sterling, Don Drummond, Jah Jerry Haynes, Jackie Mittoo, Johnny Moore, and Jackie Opel. It didn’t take long from the time of their live debut (in the summer of 1964) to gain a residency at a beach club in eastern Kingston. Their dance-inducing style of play made them a premier band, transcending their genre.
The influence of American popular culture—R&B music and Hollywood films—catalyzed ska bands such as The Skatalites. They’re known for a playful, walking bass-line remake of The Guns of Navarone theme song. The song’s inclination for accented rhythms on the upbeat was a clever revamp of mundane heroic tunes.
The group’s first LP Ska Authentic enabled them to tour Jamaica while manning sessions with up-and-coming Jamaican artists such as Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, and Lee “Scratch” Perry. They also contributed their musical artistry to the music of “Mr. Rocksteady” crooner Ken Boothe and Toots Hibbert (of the Maytals). The Skatalites disbanded in 1965.
They broke up into two supergroups: Rolando Alphonso and the Soul Vendors and Tommy McCook and the Supersonics.
Eighteen years passed before The Skatalites reformed for their presentation at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in Montego Bay, in 1983. Six years later, some of the original members joined Bunny Wailer’s Liberation Tour, in 1989. Their bond remained despite the death of core members. The Skatalites have been touring and recording throughout Europe and the United States. Surviving original members include Sterling and Doreen Shaffer, who recorded vocals with the ska band between 1964-1965.
In May 2011, The Vinyl District paid tribute to Lloyd Knibb, the group’s late drummer. Walk With Me features some of Knibb’s last recorded tracks. “Love is the Way” was the last song he recorded.
