Skatalites

Ever wonder what would happen if you took an influential band that played 30 years ago, let them listen to all the music that was born from them, and let them record an album after? Well, on From Paris With Love, the Skatalites are given that opportunity. Recorded in Paris in 2002 during a break from a European tour, the Skatalites gathered in a recording studio and improvised on some of their classics, some of other people’s classics, and even wrote and recorded two new songs. The result is an album that at times seems like a reggae-and-dubified version of the Skatalites, with a heavier bass line on most songs than on the originals, a trend that is most apparent on their two new tracks. The band also takes the opportunity to lengthen their originals and liberally sprinkle in solos. Perhaps the best moments are the three tracks where Doreen Schaffer takes up the mic, because her voice has never sounded more sublime, and the new sound brings out the best in her. When you take an influential band and let them take in 30 years of music you get the best of both worlds, and that is what we get in From Paris With Love.