Album lore

Step Forward, issued in 2008 by the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble on Ska-Jazz Productions, assembles twelve instrumental tracks that straddle the boundaries of ska, rocksteady, and jazz. The group's approach channels the energy of traditional Jamaican rhythms through a horn-driven setup, with nods to jazz standards such as the inclusion of "Take Five," reinterpreted within their hybrid framework. The album’s compositions, including “Boogie Stop Shuffle” and the titular “Step Forward,” emphasize tight arrangements and rhythmic interplay emblematic of the New York ska-jazz scene.The Ensemble’s work here is a measured contribution to the lineage of ska and reggae-inflected jazz, delivered with a clarity that privileges the interplay of brass and rhythm section. While firmly rooted in the grooves of roots reggae and ska punk, the album’s instrumental focus and deft musicianship offer a signal to crate-diggers seeking the intersection of these genres. Step Forward stands as a modest yet distinctive entry in the canon of early 21st-century ska-jazz hybrids.

Album lore

Step Forward, issued in 2008 by the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble on Ska-Jazz Productions, assembles twelve instrumental tracks that straddle the boundaries of ska, rocksteady, and jazz. The group's approach channels the energy of traditional Jamaican rhythms through a horn-driven setup, with nods to jazz standards such as the inclusion of "Take Five," reinterpreted within their hybrid framework. The album’s compositions, including “Boogie Stop Shuffle” and the titular “Step Forward,” emphasize tight arrangements and rhythmic interplay emblematic of the New York ska-jazz scene.The Ensemble’s work here is a measured contribution to the lineage of ska and reggae-inflected jazz, delivered with a clarity that privileges the interplay of brass and rhythm section. While firmly rooted in the grooves of roots reggae and ska punk, the album’s instrumental focus and deft musicianship offer a signal to crate-diggers seeking the intersection of these genres. Step Forward stands as a modest yet distinctive entry in the canon of early 21st-century ska-jazz hybrids.