Few labels have quite as much great vintage ska in their vaults as Duke Reid's Treasure Isle. In the early to mid-'60s the Treasure Isle studio was home at various times to the Skatalites, the Baba Brooks Band, and following the demise of the Skatalites, the legendary trombonist Don Drummond, who served for a while as the label's musical director. This collection of rare and previously unreleased tracks prominently features Drummond and the Baba Brooks Band on a number of fine instrumentals, as well as some previously hard ...
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Few labels have quite as much great vintage ska in their vaults as Duke Reid's Treasure Isle. In the early to mid-'60s the Treasure Isle studio was home at various times to the Skatalites, the Baba Brooks Band, and following the demise of the Skatalites, the legendary trombonist Don Drummond, who served for a while as the label's musical director. This collection of rare and previously unreleased tracks prominently features Drummond and the Baba Brooks Band on a number of fine instrumentals, as well as some previously hard-to-find performances by such vocal luminaries as Alton Ellis, Justin Hinds, and Stranger Cole. The sound is amazingly clear on many tracks -- the instrumentals "Knockout Punch" and "Twilight Zone" are especially beautifully recorded. There's a nice version of the popular favorite "Penny Reel," a bizarre adaptation of "Love Me Tender" (rendered "Hold Me Tenderly" and sung, with more enthusiasm than skill, by Owen and Leon Silveira), and a fun instrumental arrangement of Ella Fitzgerald's "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" by Tommy McCook. This album doesn't necessarily stand head and shoulders above Heartbeat's previous old-school ska compilations, but it's certainly as good a place as any to start exploring this rich period in reggae history. ~ Rick Anderson, Rovi
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Add this copy of Knock Out Ska: Treasure Isle Ska to cart. $11.11, very good condition, Sold by SellingTales rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Belvidere, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Heartbeat / Pgd.