Skatalites Present New Material On the Right Track

The Skatalites

On the Right Track (AIM, 2007)

Veteran Jamaican band The Skatalites chose Australia to record its second album of new material. Even though the band has been around for many years, most of its recordings included covers of songs, ranging from Cuban music to pop hits by The Beatles.

Seven of the original Skatalites participated in the recording, including the inventor of the popular ska beat, Lloyd Knibb. On the Right Track is a collection of melodic instrumental pieces with a ska beat and jazzy brass.

"We came to Byron Bay without much previously conceived material. One melody I had in my head and then a couple guys had tunes ready but we had never rehearsed a bit of it," said manager and keyboardist Ken Stewart. "We had to work out harmonies and progressions from there. One of the nights of the festival featured us with Yothu Yindi, an Aboriginal rock band who were like Pink Floyd goes didgeridoo. After that was Damian Marley. Those two performances were both so unique they gave us the energy we needed to finish the CD. Although scheduling was a bit tough, (as we were recording around festival performances) the creative juices were flowing nicely due to the cast, the beautiful weather and beaches and just a whole new experience." 

Buy On the Right Track.