If you're at all interested in the original ska from early sixties Jamaica (as opposed to later ska revivals), you know that there was a handful of go-to horn players, called into action through ska to rocksteady and a few continuing through reggae. Some of the bigger names were Don Drummond (trombone), Roland Alphonso (sax), Lester Sterling (sax), Johnny "Dizzy" Moore (trumpet), and Tommy McCook (sax), all founding members of the Skatalites, and all but Drummond alumni of the Alpha Boys School (a launching pad for many early reggae musicians). Some of them had records under their own name "and the Skatalites", others were featured players with co-billing on singers' records. Tommy McCook seemed everywhere back then. Checking this handful of tunes you'll hear what the Specials, Madness and Bad Manners, and later a thousand others, used, recycled and sometimes caricatured. Despite the sound quality (a little muddy, typical for the period in Jamaica), I prefer these to the later ultra kinetic bands.
Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - Ska Jam mp3 at Internet Archive
Tommy McCook & The Skatalites - Rocket Ship mp3 at Internet Archive
Tommy McCook & Lester Sterling - Inez mp3 at Internet Archive
The Silvertones, Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - My True Confession mp3 at Internet Archive
Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - Out of Space mp3 at Internet Archive
Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - Starry Night mp3 at Music ADD
Tommy McCook - Tenor On Call mp3 at J Bird
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