NYC Ska Orchestra
Joe's Pub425 Lafayette Street, New York 10003
NYC Ska Orchestra brings its 20-piece big-band formation to Joe’s Pub, playing original compositions and new arrangements that connect jazz big-band writing, soul and R&B with Jamaican roots music.
Led by arranger, trumpeter and singer Kevin Batchelor, the ensemble includes Jamaican percussionist and vocalist Larry MacDonald and drummer Carl Wright. Its players have recorded or performed with artists including Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Lee “Scratch” Perry, the Skatalites and Toots & The Maytals. Their sound moves through ska, mento, rocksteady, reggae and jazz, described as “unique, accessible, joyous and danceable.”
The stage is set in a converted library space with a striped bar and photos of legends like Leonard Cohen and Amy Winehouse lining the walls. You'll find yourself seated on velvet couches or at candle-lit tables, close enough to hear every note from the back. The sound, engineered by technicians who've worked with John Legend and The Notorious B.I.G., is consistently ranked among the best in New York. Three shows a day, dinner and drinks served throughout, and a menu ranging from Italian small plates to craft cocktails; it's a place where music and conversation flow together, and where both rising stars and legends have made their U.S. debuts.