The Skatalites

By far the most prolific band of ska's earliest days, the Skatalites (featuring surviving members Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibb and Lester Sterling) stay true to their jazz roots. These veterans displayed their chops, stretching out to six- or seven-minute improvs. Unlike their last trip, the band didn't bring a vocalist, which gave the musicians more room to flex. Toronto fans were in for a treat though, as Lord Tanamo (a Toronto native) performed several songs and his vocals gave the tracks more organisation. On other tracks however, it was disarray that ruled the day, as the songs became a mash of solos and lost their cohesion without a consistent vocalist. The performance left no doubt that the Skatalites are still mind-blowing musicians that continue to define the music they created, as they blew through hits like "Guns of Navarone" and "Eastern Standard Time."