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The Legendary Skatalites in Dub

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Skatalites

 
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The Legendary Skatalites in Dub

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Avg: 4.0 (33 ratings)

One of Jamaica's most beloved — and influential — outfits

  • We Say...

    With a level of popularity surpassed only by the Wailers, the Skatalites are one of Jamaica's most beloved and influential outfits. Their early ‘60s work forged the template for reggae music and made stars out of keyboardist Jackie Mittoo, trombonist Don Drummond and singer Roland Alphonso; their quick, clipped rhythms and snaking horn sections were later mimicked by a host of So-Cal checkerboard ska(te) bands.

    The Legendary Skatalites in Dub collects an assortment of the group's work with producers Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby — not exactly slouches themselves — providing a fascinating study in the breadth and depth of Jamaican music. The horns on songs like "Kimble Dub" and "Dumboo Dub" are still bright and triumphant, but with all the bed music stripped out their exuberance feels small and contained, like revelers who showed up to a party 5 hours too early. "Stealing Dub" and "Fugitive Dub," with their rolling bass lines and fluttering flutes, sound more like deep funk than dense dub.

    Splitting the difference between the Skatalites’ spry, bouncy rhythms and Perry and Tubby's spacier aesthetic, Legendary works because neither party fully gets their way, and their compromises make for riveting listening.

  • They Say...

    This is the third collection of King Tubby-produced Skatalites tracks to come from England's Motion label. Once again, anyone whose acquaintance with the Skatalites is limited to that group's classic '60s ska material will be surprised by the slow, languid roots rhythms that are on offer here; and once again, the combination of Tubby's dubwise engineering prowess and the Skatalites effortless groovemaking is perfect. On "Middle East Dub" saxophonist Tommy McCook plays the melody from Bob Marley's "Coming in from the Cold" over the "Give Thanks" rhythm before getting slingshotted off into space by Tubby, while the funde and repeater drums chuckle and percolate underneath; Tony Brevett's "Starlight" gets two cuts, one a showcase for the trombone magic of Don Drummond ("Starlight Version") and the other a more mystical version that focuses more on the percussionists ("African Dub"). Nine of these fifteen tracks (including all three of the CD bonus tracks) were recorded at Lee "Scratch" Perry's notorious Black Ark studio before being taken to Tubby's for remixing, and all partake of that inimitable swampy, dark Black Ark vibe. Overall, this is a treasure trove of classic dub that can confidently be recommended to all fans of the genre.

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