Tommy McCook, great saxophonist & founding member of The Skatalites

Tenor saxophonist Tommy McCook was among the most groundbreaking Jamaican musicians of his generation, playing an important role in the evolution of ska and reggae.

McCook was born in Cuba in 1927 (some accounts say 1932) and moved to Jamaica in 1933. He took up the tenor saxophone at the age of eleven, when he attended Kingston’s Alpha Cottage School, an institution for rebellious boys. He eventually joined Eric Dean’s Orchestra and emerged as a highly skilled jazz player.

Between the late ’40s and early ’50s, he frequently collaborated with the famous drummer, percussionist, and vocalist Count Ossie. In 1954, McCook relocated to the Bahamas for a work project, while he continued working on his mastery of jazz.

In 1962, Tommy McCook returned to Jamaica. This is where, in 1964, he formed a new band with different members, including the musical director of Studio One – Jackie Mittoo, trombone master Don Drummond, studio session regulars Lloyd Brevette and Lester Sterling, and with the Cavaliers’ Lloyd Knibb and Johnny Moore, among others. Many credit McCook with coming up with the band’s name – The Skatalites.

The group lasted just 14 months, from June 1964 to August 1965, but their influence on music worldwide remains incalculable. The Skatalites were the quintessential ska band of their time, backing every major vocalist and producing an astounding amount of prime instrumental material.

Following the group’s demise, McCook founded the Supersonics, who became the house band at Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle studio, which was extremely popular in the rocksteady era.

McCook remained a fixture of the Jamaican session circuit throughout the years that followed, and he also issued a number of solo albums for producer Bunny Lee. In 1983 he re-formed the Skatalites: the band worked on different release (even obtaining a couple of Grammy nominations), and in 1994 they mounted their first world tour. McCook died in 1998.