The Skatalites "Skatalite" 2025-12-26 now's the time to grab

now's the time to grab a copy because this one's definitely essential listening

united in the great miracle of being alive

Much of that is down to the circumstances that led up to the recording of these songs—most obviously a global pandemic that allowed for intense self-reflection

stepping out of the muted shadows to bellow and wail like some wild hybrid of PJ Harvey and Emmylou Harris on a rocking track like "Forgiven/Forgotten" or the more country-seeped "Hi-Five

and the album also saw the band begin to move away from their Irish folk/punk roots and start to incorporate musical styles from other parts of the world

The Skatalites "Skatalite" 2025-12-26 now's the time to grabLimited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on turquoise coloured 180 gram audiophile vinyl. The album The Skatalite was originally released in 1969 and contains some of the best tracks from The Skatalites cut for producer Duke Reid. It was recorded with the classic line up, featuring Don Drummond on trombone, Jackie Mittoo on piano, and Jonny "Dizzy" Moore on the trumpet. This 12 track set includes "Eastern Standard Time", "Dan De Lion" and