Search - Jazz Jamaica :: Double Barrel

Five years on, this picks up where Skaravan left off, still largely a mix of older Jamaican tunes and jazz (including a glorious reading of Herbie Hancock's "Butterfly"). This also throws some pop and soul into the stew, with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" being a standout. This is still, by and large, the same band, but time has made them tighter, and added a vibrant, confident swing to the sound; these are guys who are quite obviously used to playing with each other. As should be the case, the music is still very much rooted in JA, moving easily from ska (including Skatalites covers) to the skinhead reggae of the title track. This isn't a ska band that plays jazz; it's a jazz band that touches on ska. Lovely. --Chris Nickson