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KEEP ON MOVIN' The spiraling legacy of Toots and the legendary Skatalites
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Weekly Dig, Boston, MA, KEEP ON MOVIN' The spiraling legacy of Toots and the legendary Skatalites >>
BY Capt. C. Terlino
Did you know that studio/session bands were as influential to Motown's Funk Brothers and the Stax/Volt catalogue as the legendary Skatalites were to many reggae/ska marvels? From singers to players such as Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley and the heavyweight champ of reggae, Toots Hibbert (Toots and Maytals), the Skatalites encompassed these talents with their magnificent propulsive rhythms and their crafted, stylistic bounce. The Skatalites became the definitive sound of Ska music and the blueprint for the future of Jamaican music.
With the American big band sound becoming prominent in Jamaica via transistor radio in the 1950s, as well as those exclusive Jamaican performers touring with bigger contenders (Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie), the American big band jazz sound was fused together with the native sounds of the island, predominantly Calypso, which set the standard for the newfound sound, Ska.
Originally consisting of seven or so members, (Tommy McCook, Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Cluet Johnson, Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibbs, Drumbago and others) the Skatalites blended the musical ingredients of grass roots with the upper echelon of Jamaican beat. In 1965, tragedy struck the band when Don Drummond, trombonist and pioneer of Jamaica's musical aim and philosophy, murdered his wife in a fit of jealousy, resulting in his confinement at a mental institution. Drummond died in 1969 and the Skatalites disbanded.
It wasn't until the rising popularity of UK/Jamaican beat in the '80s (The Police, UB40, The Clash, The Specials) that Tommy McCook brought back the legacy of the Skatalites, spotlighting new players, to reveal and confirm where this music had originated.
One of many performers in the limelight who sang alongside the thunderous Skatalites during the origin of the Jamaican sound was Toots Hibbert. Toots was a man of Rasta philosophy, the gospel and moreover, music. Toots' voice has proven worthy of comparison to some of the greatest singers ever to blow wind into a microphone. Where there was Otis Redding in America, there was Toots in Jamaica, putting soul music into new perspective. With his band the Maytals, Toots defined what Reggae music was, and still is, with his classic number, "Do The Reggay."
From the death of Marley to the new digital era of Jamaican music and R&B, Toots has prevailed and has remained not only as one of reggae's biggest legends but an imperative element to the evolution and construction of world music from roots rock to reggae.
On stage, Toots, with the Skatalites as his foundation, declares the vitality and importance of Reggae music and promises to deliver one of the most profound performances conceivable.
([Caption:] Toots and the Skatalites will do the reggae next Wednesday, May 2 downstairs at the Middle East with special DJ guests, 9:30pm/18+/$20adv, $25dos.) 05/14/03
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