Our first show will be at the Sunken Ship Tattoo Fest in Everett. Click here for more details.

Then later that evening we will be heading to Palmers in Redmond to have a great evening of SKA with the one and only Angelo Moore AKA (Dr. Maddvibe) from Fishbone. You will have to opportunities to come on out and enjoy some great SKA. Click here for more details.

Yes you read the title correct, this Wed the 26th of May at Jazzbones Natalie Wouldn’t, and the Diablatones will be sharing the stage with the infamous Cherry Poppin Daddies. If you want to se some great music this is a show you have to make.

I remember way back in the 90 playing with CPD and they were great then and even better now. Doors open at 9:00 so check your calendars and if you want to skank your pants off then you must make this show.

If you’re wanting to have some fun tonight then come on out to the Tiger Lounge in Seattle.  Natalie Wouldn’t will be playing some great SKA along with Uninvited, and Luna Sphere. I’m sure the green beer will be flowing and please come wearing your green. Also remember to save the date of May 31st Folklife festival. Mural Amphitheater at 2:30.  Natalie Wouldn’t will be playing to the masses hopefully with the sun shinning.

Now go out and get your Skank on.

Thanks for taking the time.

NW

Cheers the band.

So we are very excited to be playing this weekend at the Anchor Tavern in Everett. We will be sharing the stage with Poke Da Squid, Jaded 52, and the Skablins. This will be a great show. We always have such a great turn out at the Anchor. If your out and about please come up to Everett, or down depending on where you live and enjoy a fun night of SKA. For other shows we will be playing please visit our band site at www.nataliewouldnt.com

Thanks

the band

So lately as I’m out and about it may get mentioned that I play drums in a SKA band. Lots of times the response will go something like this.  SKA? What kind of music is that? Then I have to go through the Etymology and the History of SKA. So I thought for those of you who are curious here is what Wiki has to say.

Etymology

There are different theories about the origins of the word ska. Ernest Ranglin claimed that the term was coined by musicians to refer to the “skat! skat! skat!” scratching guitar strum.^[6] Another explanation is that at a recording session in 1959 produced by Coxsone Dodd, double bassistCluett Johnson instructed guitarist Ranglin to “play like ska, ska, ska”, although Ranglin has denied this, stating “Clue couldn’t tell me what to play!”.^[7] A further theory is that it derives from Johnson’s word skavoovie, with which he was known to greet his friends.^[8] Jackie Mittoo insisted that the musicians themselves called the rhythm Staya Staya, and that it was Byron Lee who introduced the term ‘ska’.^[9]

History

After World War II, Jamaicans purchased radios in increasing numbers and were able to hear rhythm and blues music from Southern United States cities such as New Orleans by artists such as Fats Domino^[10] and Louis Jordan.^[11] The stationing of American military forces during and after the war meant that Jamaicans could listen to military broadcasts of American music, and there was a constant influx of records from the US. To meet the demand for that music, entrepreneurs such as Prince Buster, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, and Duke Reid formed sound systems. As jump blues and more traditional R&B began to ebb in popularity in the early 1960s, Jamaican artists began recording their own version of the genres.^[12] The style was of bars made up of four triplets, similar to that of “My Baby Just Cares for Me” by Nina Simone, but was characterized by a guitar chop on the off beat – known as an upstroke or skank – with horns taking the lead and often following the off beat skank and piano emphasizing the bass line and, again, playing the skank.^[1] Drums kept 4/4 time and the bass drum was accented on the 3rd beat of each 4-triplet phrase. The snare would play side stick and accent the third beat of each 4-triplet phrase.^[1] The upstroke sound can also be found in other Caribbean forms of music, such as mento and calypso.^[13]

One theory about the origin of ska is that Prince Buster created it during the inaugural recording session for his new record label Wild Bells.^[13] The session was financed by Duke Reid, who was supposed to get half of the songs to release. However, he only received one, which was bytrombonist Rico Rodriguez.^{[citation needed]} Among the pieces recorded were “They Got to Go“, “Oh Carolina” and “Shake a Leg.”^{[citation needed]} According to reggae historian Steve Barrow, during the sessions, Prince Buster told guitarist Jah Jerry to “change gear, man, change gear.”^{[citation needed]}The guitar began emphasizing the second and fourth beats in the bar, giving rise to the new sound. The drums were taken from traditional Jamaican drumming and marching styles. To create the ska beat, Prince Buster essentially flipped the R&B shuffle beat, stressing the offbeats with the help of the guitar.

The first ska recordings were created at facilities such as Studio One and WIRL Records inKingston, Jamaica with producers such as Dodd, Reid, Prince Buster, and Edward Seaga.^[13] The ska sound coincided with the celebratory feelings surrounding Jamaica’s independence from the UK in 1962; an event commemorated by songs such as Derrick Morgan‘s “Forward March” and The Skatalites‘ “Freedom Sound.” Because the newly-independent Jamaica didn’t ratify the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works until 1994 copyright was not an issue, which created a large number of cover songs and reinterpretations. Jamaican musicians such as The Skatalites often recorded instrumental ska versions of popular American and British music, such as Beatles songs, Motown and Atlantic soul hits, movie theme songs, or surf rockinstrumentals. Bob Marley‘s band The Wailers covered the Beatles’ “And I Love Her,” and radically reinterpreted Bob Dylan‘s “Like a Rolling Stone.”

Yes it is true Natalie Wouldn’t made it on the internal distributed CD in the Microsoft world. This CD is only available for Microsoft employees but if you happen to know someone who works there which is a huge possibility in this neck of the woods you might be able to get your hands on one. We are always excited when we can let our music help others.

Cheers NW