Ball of Fire (album)
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| Ball of Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1997 (UK) 1998 (US) | |||
| Genre | Ska jazz | |||
| Label | Island Jamaica Jazz[1] | |||
| Skatalites chronology | ||||
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Ball of Fire is an album by the Jamaican band the Skatalites, released in 1998 in the United States.[2][3] The band supported the album with a North American tour, including shows with several Hellcat bands.[4][5]
The eight-piece Skatalites recorded Ball of Fire with four original members.[6] The band reinterpreted some of their older instrumentals—which had been hits in the United Kingdom—stretching them out and giving them a jazzier sound, with longer guitar and horn solos.[7][8][9] Ernest Ranglin played guitar on some of the tracks.[10] The title track was written in the early 1960s.[11]
Critical reception
The Austin Chronicle wrote that Ball of Fire "is nothing less than a live, in-the-studio recording with a sparkling sound... Here is one of the greatest 'groove' bands of all time at the top of their form."[14] The Independent stated: "Ultimately, you're left with the feeling that it's being done for their benefit, rather than yours. That's jazz, I guess."[20] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution determined that Ranglin "contributes lightning quick bebop lines, taking the music beyond its structural limitations."[13]
Rolling Stone deemed the album "a casual, disarmingly sweet trip through the band's storied songbook."[18] The Los Angeles Daily News opined that "the current lineup recaptures the original energy and jazz roots."[16] The Indianapolis Star determined that "enough cannot be said about the strong, smooth solos on trumpet (Nathan Breedlove) and alto sax (Lester Sterling)."[15]
AllMusic wrote that the album "finds a reunited Skatalites reworking their greatest hits, playing long, extended passages that allow the band to demonstrate their substantial instrumental abilities."[12]