The Lost Books of Ska Vol. 1 By Howard Campbell — New ska album with Watty Burnett, Lester Sterling, Ernest Ranglin, Dean Fraser, Derrick Morgan, Stranger Cole and U-Roy. Anyone who moves in New York City music circles should be aware of John Allen, the multi-instrumentalist who played on some of Shaggy‘s biggest hits. Allen‘s latest project is a ska album known as The Lost Books of Ska Vol. 1 which is being produced by Skaville Music, a label he operates with singer Watty Burnett of The Congos. The album, which Allen expects to be released in 2016, is inspired by the The Skatalites, whom he considers the “greatest band ever formed in Jamaica”. The 59-year-old Allen recalls his relationship with two of the band’s original members as a teenager living in east Kingston. “Always loved ska but my main motivator … Read entire article »