The Gramophone Allstars are a collective from Barcelona that brings you ska inspired Jazz tunes from the days gone by. Next to Ska and Jazz their interests goes out to Boogaloo and rocksteady as well but the majority of their influences are to be found in many fields of  jazz  music.  While the band was born in 2008 in Barcelona, the band members are not really that fresh anymore!  Many of them have earned their credits already in different bands in the Jamaican music scene or learned their moves within other scenes like jazz, fusion or funk.

Just Delightnin’ was made the same year the band was born and is a nice mix of self penned tunes and some old Jazz covers!  Four covers and eight own compositions takes you on a journey for about 40 minutes into a world of Ska Jazz with the addition of some soul and Latin stuff. Amongst the covers you’ll find great tunes like in “A Mellow Tone”, “A Night In Tunesia”, “The Memphis Train” and “Oh Not my Baby”.  While most covers are tunes with lyrics, the self penned songs are mostly instrumentals. And when checking out the self-penned compositions it’ll be “Taronja” and “Getting’ hot” that immediately draws your attention. Real Ska & Rocksteady is to be found on tunes like “Mump’s Invasion”, “A Song four Pauleta” or “Vietnam”while “Makin’ Love With Loneliness” even flirts with reggae.

Just Delightnin’ is the debut of the Gramophone Allstars who delivers with their mix of jazz and ska a nice addition to the genre. This is much more then gimmick and hopefully the band will be able to put out a couple of more recordings in the future although I have to admit that I fear for it! Not because of the quality or the styles but simply because a band existing out of more then 10 musicians is not easy to bring together.  However keep your fingers crossed and enjoy this “Just Delightin’” in the mean time.

Mr Blue Boogie.