The Trojan Ska Collection

The is one of the best overview collections of first-generation ska that you could find. Over the course of two discs it takes you on a musical tour of 1960s Jamaica, introducing you to the jazzy sounds of the Skatalites and the Baba Brooks Band, the calypso-inflected ska pop of Desmond Dekker, the social commentary of Justin Hinds and the Dominos, crooning overman moves from Eric Morris, and much more. If you listen carefully, you’ll also hear examples of the music beginning to slow and thicken into a style that would come to be called rock steady.