The Skalars Skoolin' With The Skalars

St Louis soulful ska darlings' 1996 Moon Ska NYC debut on vinyl for the first time. The Skalars (originally led by Isaac Green), are a female-fronted band, one of only a handful of women-led full time groups found in the 90's third wave scene. Even more uniquely, not only are three-quarters of their excellent brass section women, but all the band's singers also double as horn players. As for Isaac Green himself, he is the band's skanking and crowd-pleasing MC. The Skalars are as indebted to the American R&B scene as they are to ska's Jamaican originators, and the Brits that amped up the genre during the Two Tone years. The band's choice of cover songs reflect those first two influences, diving back into early-'60s R&B for the Marvelettes' "Beechwood 4-5789" and Wynonie Harris' "Bloodshot Eyes," and back to the Caribbean for the Heptones' "I Love You." The Skalars' originals swing from Two Tone skankers with R&B undertones to the big band jazz that reflects their love of the Skatalites, and on occasion, as with the instrumental "Special K," more Latin-flavored styles. But for each of the high energy ska numbers, there are also slower, sweeter reggae songs, like the haunting "High School" or the riff driven, bass heavy "Don't Count." It's a unique and stylistic mix, and the band deliver it with true style.