The leader of the legendary Skatalites, tenor saxophonist Tommy McCook was among the most innovative and influential Jamaican musicians of his generation, a prime catalyst behind the evolution and international popularity of ska and reggae.
Born March 3rd 1932, McCook learned to play sax while attending Kingston's Alpha Cottage School, an institution for wayward boys; upon exiting the school at the age of 14, he toured with the dance bands of Eric Deans and Roy Coburn, emerging as a highly skilled jazz player. Between the late '40s and early '50s, he also frequently collaborated with the famed Count Ossie, lending his talents alongside those of the Rastafarian hand-drummers and chanting vocalists who comprised Ossie's group.
In 1954 McCook relocated to the Bahamas to join a dance band there, and in the years to follow his mastery of jazz became increasingly pronounced.
McCook did not return return to Jamaica on a permanent basis until 1962, arriving in time to help push the developing ska sound to the next level. In 1963, he was approached by Studio One musical director Jackie Mittoo to lead a new group he was forming dubbed the Skatalites; McCook initially declined the offer, but by mid-1964 he accepted the role of bandleader, drawing on his extensive knowledge of jazz and R&B to add distinctive new dimensions to their sound.
Though existing only 14 months, the Skatalites were the quintessential ska band of their time, backing every major vocalist and producing an astounding amount of prime instrumental material. In the wake of the group's demise, McCook founded the Supersonics, who were soon installed as the house band at Duke Reid's Treasure Isle studio; the most sought-after studio unit of the rock steady era, they appeared on classic hits from artists including Alton Ellis, Justin Hinds and the Techniques.
McCook remained a fixture of the Jamaican session circuit throughout the years which followed, and he also issued a number of solo albums for producer Bunny Lee, among them 1974's Cookin', 1975's Brass Rockers and 1977's Hot Lava.
For Glen Brown, in 1976 McCook also issued a blank-labelled LP generally referred to as Horny Dub, and two years later he teamed with trumpeter Bobby Ellis for Blazing Horns.
In 1983 he reformed the Skatalites nearly two decades after their initial break-up, relocating the group to the U.S. in 1985 just months after the release of their comeback album Return of the Big Guns. A series of new releases from the group followed in the years to come, and they even notched a pair of Grammy nominations; in 1994 the Skatalites mounted their first world tour, which included appearances as part of the Skavoovee U.S.A. tour, a package which included their descendants the Specials, the Selecter and the Toasters.
McCook died at his home in Atlanta, Georgia on May 5th, 1998.
(Source: Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide)
Discography
(Sources: Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide // Wikipedia)
Top Secret - 1969 - Techniques
Horny Dub - 1976 - Grounation
Reggae In Jazz - 1976 - Eve
Cookin' Shuffle - Jamaica Authentic
Down On Bond Street - Trojan Records (1999)
Tommy's Last Stand - Creole - 2001
Blazing Horns - Tenor In Roots - 1976-1978 - Blood & Fire (2003)
Real Cool - 1966-1977 - Trojan Records (2005)
With The Skatalites
Tommy McCook & The Skatalites - The Skatalite! - 1969 - Treasure Island
With Bobby Ellis
Green Mango - 1974 - Attack
Blazing Horns - 1977 - Grove Music
With The Aggrovators
Brass Rockers - 1975 - Striker Lee
Cookin' - 1975 - Horse/Trojan
King Tubby Meets The Aggrovators At Dub Station - 1975 - Live and Love
Show Case - 1975 - Culture Press (1997)
Disco Rockers (aka Hot Lava) - 1977 - Dynamic Sound
Instrumental Reggae - RAS (1992)
With Yabby You
Yabby You Meets Tommy McCook In Dub - Peacemaker
Yabby You Meets Sly & Robie Along With Tommy McCook - Prophets
Compilations
2005 Real Cool: The Jamaican King of the Saxophone '66-'77
2003 Blazing Horns/Tenor in Roots
1999 Tribute to Tommy: The Best of Tommy McCook and the Skatalites
1998 Show Case
1997 Down on Bond Street
Also appears on
2006 Alpha Boys School: Music in Education 1910-2006
2006 Downbeat the Ruler: Killer Instrumentals from Studio One
2006 Reggae Action
2006 Reggae Roots [United Multi Box]
2006 Ska Bonanza: The Studio One Ska Years [Bonus Tracks]
2006 The Best of Studio One Collection [Box Set]
2005 Blood & Fire: Hit Sounds from the Observer Station 1970-1978
2005 Carry Go Bring Come: The Anthology
2005 Chris Coco Presents: The Dub Club
2005 Dawning of a New Era
2005 Dawning of a New Era: The Roots of Skinhead Reggae
2005 Hold Me Tight: Anthology 1965-1973
2005 I Am the Upsetter: The Story of Lee "Scratch" Perry: Golden Years
2005 Out on a Funky Trip: Funk, Soul & Reggae From Randy's 1970-1975
2005 Rhythm Masters, Vol. 1
2005 Rhythm Masters, Vol. 2
2005 Rocksteady: Anthology
2005 Safe Travel with Phil Pratt & Friends 1966-68: The Rare Side of Rocksteady
2005 Simply Reggae
2005 Trojan Dub Rarities Box
2005 Trojan Legends Box Set
2004 African Herbsman [DualDisc]
2004 Dub-Triptych
2004 Feel Alright
2004 Impact Rare and Unreleased Reggae, Funk, And Soul
2004 In the Mood for Ska: The Moonska Years
2004 King Tubby's in Fine Style
2004 Phoenix City: A History of the World's Greatest Ska
2004 Simply Rockers, Vol. 4
2004 Studio One Muzik City
2004 Studio One Ska
2004 The Story of Treasure Isle
2004 This Is Reggae Music: The Golden Era 1960-1975
2004 Trojan Sixties
2004 Trojan Suedehead Box Set
2003 African Herbsman [Bonus Tracks]
2003 Arise Rootsman: Jamaican Roots 1965-1983
2003 Bangarang: The Best of Stranger Cole 1962-1972
2003 Classic Reggae: The Producers
2003 Dancehall '69: 40 Skinhead Reggae Rarities
2003 Muzik City: The Story of Trojan
2003 Studio One Scorchers
2003 Studio One Story [CD & DVD]
2003 Tree of Satta
2003 Trojan Box Set: Reggae Chill-Out
2003 Trojan Story [UK Import]
2003 Version Galore [Bonus Tracks]
2002 Dub It to the Top: 1976-1979
2002 Dynamite Reggae Classics
2002 Head Shot: Reggae Instrumentals, Dubs and Other Oddities
2002 Lucky Seven
2002 Rebel Music: A Reggae Anthology, Vol.1
2002 Simply Rockers, Vol. 2: Jamaican Music from the Vaults
2002 Tighten Up, Vol. 1 [Expanded]
2002 Trojan Box Set: Mod Reggae
2002 Trojan Skinhead Reggae Box Set
2001 A Guide to the Rough Guides
2001 Do the Reggay: The Early Reggae Recordings 1968-69
2001 Gems from Treasure Isle
2001 Knock Out Ska: Treasure Isle Ska Instrumentals
2001 Respect: A Tribute to Bob Marley
2001 Rough Guide to Africa
2001 Rough Guide to Latin America
2001 Street Corner: Ska Classics and Original Rude Boy
2001 The Rough Guide to the Music of Jamaica: Roots Music From the Loudest Island on the Planet
2001 Trojan Box Set: A Jamaican Story
2000 Kings & Queens of Rocksteady
2000 The Crown Prince: 16 Mighty Hits from Reggae's Best Loved Voice
2000 Top Rock Steady
2000 Trojan Box Set: Dub, Vol. 2
2000 Trojan Box Set: Ska, Vol. 2
1999 200% Dynamite!
1999 Deep Ska
1999 Jazz in Jamaica [Culture Press]
1999 Musical Communion
1999 Tribute to Bob Marley [Box Set]
1999 Trojan Box Set: Dub
1999 Trojan Box Set: Instrumentals
1999 Trojan Box Set: Rock Steady
1999 Trojan Box Set: Ska
1999 Trojan Box Set: Tribute to Bob Marley
1999 Welcome to Beatville
1998 100% Dynamite!
1998 Come Rock with Me in Jamaica
1998 Gay Jamaica Independence Time
1998 Get on Up!: Joe Gibbs Rocksteady
1998 Greatest Jamaican Beat: Rock Steady BaBa-Boom Time
1998 King Size Ska
1998 Legends, Vol. 2: The History of Ska
1998 Old School Ska: An Anthology
1998 Rock Steady Beat: Treasure Isle's Greatest Hits
1998 Satta Dub
1998 Ska Ra Van: Top Sounds From Top Deck, Vol. 1
1998 Soul Music for Sale
1998 Top Sounds From Top Deck, Vol. 2
1997 20 Film & Stage Classics
1997 It's Rockin' Time: Duke Reid's Rock Steady 1967-1968
1997 Jesus Dread (1972-1977)
1997 Music Is My Occupation
1997 Out of Many One: Jamaican Music 1962-1975
1997 Soul of Jamaica/Here Comes the Duke
1996 History of Trojan Records, Vol. 2: 1972-1995
1996 Reggaemania: The Best of Reggae
1996 Roots of Reggae, Vol. 2: Rock Steady
1996 Totally Wired in Dub
1996 White Squall
1995 History of Trojan Records, Vol. 1: 1968-1971
1995 Monkey Ska
1995 New York Ska Jazz Ensemble
1995 Streets of Ska
1995 The History of Ska [Receiver]
1995 Tribute to Bob Marley, Vol. 1 [Trojan]
1995 Wild Bunch: 27 Instrumental Classics
1994 From Boogie to Nyahbinghi
1994 Tribute to the Skatalites
1994 Version Affair, Vol. 1
1993 Songs for Jah
1992 Instrumental Reggae
1991 Ska Bonanza: The Studio One Ska Years
1991 Solid Gold from the Vaults, Vol. 2
1989 Shufflin' on Bond Street
1988 Blow Mr. Hornsman: Instrumental Reggae, 1968-1975
1988 Dance Crasher: Ska to Rock Steady
1988 Downbeat the Ruler: Killer Instrumentals from Studio One
1979 Intensified!: Original Ska 1962-1966
1970 Funky Chicken
