The Skatalites: Jamaica's answer to Motown

They are Jamaica's answer to the Motown house band and Booker T. and the MG's combined according to music bible Rolling Stone, and the Skatalites certainly have the history to back it up.

The Alpha Cottage School, run by Roman Catholic nuns since 1880, educated many of the future Skatalites & produced more than their share of the musicians of prominence during the '40's and '50's dance band era.

The best of these players were central to the emerging sounds of the '60's. As set musicians, the Skatalites backed the top singers of the day. Stranger Cole, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Toots and The Maytals, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff are a few who benefited from tight rhythms cultivated by the new Ska collective.

As a studio recording force, the band was placed all on one track with the singer on another; 'one take' recording. These conditions forged a union among the musicians that had only one logical conclusion. Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso, Johnny Moore, Lester Sterling, Don Drummond, Lloyd Knibb, Lloyd Brevett, Jerome Hinds, and Jackie Mittoo began working together regularly in the early sixties and formed The Ska-talites in June of 1964.

No matter how great the contributions of individual members, the Skatalites were always greater than the sum of their parts, and thus the band carried on.
From the start, The Skatalites changed Jamaican music forever.

The creation of ska-the father of rocksteady, the grandfather of reggae-gave us eternal rhythms that now infiltrate the globe.

See the band, which consists of Lester "Ska" Sterling - Alto Sax; Lloyd Knibb - Drums; Doreen Shaffer - Vocals; Vin Gordon - Trombone; Karl "Cannonball" Bryan - Tenor Sax; Kevin Batchelor- Trumpet and Devon James - Guitar on Thurs 1 & 2 May at at the Jazz Café, 5 Parkway, Camden Town, London NW1 7PG. 7pm-11pm. Adm:  £26 adv / £30 door. Info: 0870 060 3777.

Ali Campbell and Friends; Running Free

The line between a good singer and a great one is vast. Good singers deliver the songs on point but great singers take the material and play with it, tease it until it becomes reinvented. This is what Ali Campbell, the lead singer of UB40 does. Sometimes, he takes the classics and updates them until they feel completely fresh and contemporary.

His soothing vocals can often inject panache into any absolutely everything. Although his solo album, ‘Running Free’ wasn’t as perfect as his previous efforts, it still packed a potent punch.

In support of the album, Campbell will perform a one off show in which he will be joined on stage by some of the guests on the disc. The World’s Greatest Rhythm Section, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, will take to the drums and bass whilst other artists gearing to perform are Smokey Robinson, Mick Hucknall, Bitty Mclean, Beverley Knight and Lemar plus more artists to be confirmed.

It is definitely an evening that Campbell is looking forward to, stating, “It will be a fantastic night. The whole experience of recording the album has been amazing so sharing a stage with these great artists will be brilliant. It certainly will be a night to remember and a unique occasion both for all of us on stage and for the audience.”

As lead singer with the legendary UB40, whose current arena tour sold out, Ali Campbell has shifted 60 million records worldwide, toured across the globe, notched up four number 1 singles and received an Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement. At this year’s Grammy Awards, UB40 were nominated for best reggae album for their most recent album released in 2006. Ali Campbell is am innovative artist that will continue to make relevant music for years to come.

Ali Campbell will be performing on 3 April 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. 8pm. Adm: £50 -£75. Info: 0870 735 5000.

By Diriye Osman