The Best of Tommy McCook & the Skatalites

Subtitled The Best of Tommy McCook and the Skatalites — this is not a tribute album, it is the real deal — this has 18 tracks from 1962-1965, when McCook and his accompanists were in their ska prime. Tommy McCook & the Skatalites recorded prolifically during this time, and it's hard for the modern American listener — without access to McCook's entire discography — to judge whether this is the optimum selection. It certainly sounds good, though, in respect to both McCook's playing and the infectious ska groove of his band, which included luminaries in their own right like saxophonist Roland Alphonso, pianist Jackie Mittoo, and trombonist Don Drummond. The instrumental riffs do have a certain sameness over a full-length disc, which makes some of the more unusual covers ("Exodus," a wacky "Goldfinger") and minor-key melodies ("Freedom Sounds," "Ska Ba") standouts. "Wheel and Turn" has an irresistibly smoky lilt, enhanced by strange, barely audible strains of what sounds like violin in the background. There are also a couple of atypical cuts showing that McCook's versatility covered more than ska; "Jazz Walking" has a jazz-soul arrangement with organ, and the seven-minute "The Answer" is pretty straight-ahead jazz.