New York Ska Jazz Ensemble - Get This (1998)

The New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble is exactly what its name suggests: a group of New York ska musicians dedicated to exploring the links between ska and jazz. The membership is all culled from top New York ska acts, making it something of a supergroup: leaders "Rocksteady" Freddie Reiter (saxophone, vocals) and Rick Faulkner (trombone, vocals) hail from the Toasters, as does drummer/lead vocalist Jonathan McCain, guitarist Devon James comes from the legendary Skatalites, and bassist Victor Rice and keyboardist Cary Brown play full-time with the Scofflaws.The album is a near even mix of original and ska-styled jazz standards like the Steve Cropper-penned "See Saw," Les Brown's "Comes Love" (both featuring Checkered Cabs vocalist Caz Gardner), Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo," and more. Jack Ruby Jr. (the Toasters) gives reggae vocal treatment to three of the 14 cuts. The resultant two-tone jazz gives off a subtropical hedonist charm, conjuring up the contrasting images of Jamaican beaches and jazz club nightlife. Trombone and sax are the mainstays of the NYSJE horn section with occasional flute and Nathan Breedlove guesting on trumpet for three tracks. Stand-up bass completes a jumping equation that leads in science more toward straight-ahead jazz and in spirit more toward lively, infectious ska.