by CHRIS NICKSON

For a band whose first incarnation only lasted for 14 months in 1964-65, the impact of the Skatalites has been huge.  Comprised of the cream of Jamaican session musicians, they were not only the house band at Clement Dodd's famed Studio One, backing countless singers and groups, but also scored more then a few hits in their own name, including "Guns Of Navarone."  Everyone from Madness to the American Third Wave ska bands owes them a debt.  Re-forming in 1983, they've now enjoyed a long, lauded career.  Time has taken its toll on the lineup, but five original members still remain, and they can be heard to great effect on the vibrant new album, From Paris With Love (World Village).  Catch the kings of ska: almost 40 years on, they're still in a class of their own.