The Players Band is an American 9-piece ska band formed in Baltimore in 1999. The band's musical style combines Jamaican ska, rock, and reggae, and is characterized by the use of upbeat horns and percussion. The band has performed over 500 live shows in various states, including; Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Long Island, Vermont, and Virginia. The Players Band has performed with acts such as Grammy Award Winner
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...
, Grammy Award Winner
Toots & the Maytals
The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music.
...
,
The B-52's
The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, p ...
,
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky ...
,
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, ...
,
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979), known by his stage name Matisyahu (; ), is an American reggae singer, rapper, beatboxer
Beatboxing (also beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum mac ...
,
The English Beat
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
,
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label reco ...
,
Citizen Cope,
Fishbone
Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the lat ...
,
The Toasters
The Toasters are one of the original American second wave of ska bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, primarily through Moon Ska Records.
History
Englishman Robert "Bucket" Hingley relocated to New ...
,
The Skatalites
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many othe ...
,
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Orange County, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album ''Turn the Radio Off''. Soon af ...
,
The Pietasters
The Pietasters are an American eight-piece ska/soul band from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.
History
In 1990, Stephen Jackson and Chris Watt met at Virginia Tech, through mutual friend Tal Bayer, who was ...
,
The Aggrolites
The Aggrolites are an American reggae band from Los Angeles, California, United States, which formed in 2002.
Overview
The Aggrolites are an amalgamation of two previous Los Angeles reggae and ska bands, the Vessels and the Rhythm Doctors. ...
,
The Slackers
The Slackers are an American ska band, formed in Manhattan, New York in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz. The Slackers' notability is credited to their prolific career, tours of Nort ...
,
Rebirth Brass Band
The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans brass band. The group was founded in 1983 by Phillip "Tuba Phil" Frazier, his brother Keith Frazier, Kermit Ruffins,Skelly, RichardAllMusic Profile Retrieved 2013-02-9 and classmates from Joseph S. Cla ...
,
Big D and the Kids Table
Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork in Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and ...
,
The Know How
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
,
King Django
King Django (born Jeffrey Baker) is an American bandleader, singer, songwriter, arranger, engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, especially in the genres of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, dancehall, rhythm & blues and soul. Other infl ...
,
The Scofflaws
The Scofflaws are a Huntington, Long Island, New York-based third wave ska band that debuted in 1988. Known for their rambunctious live shows, technically proficient horn solos and tight arrangements, the Scofflaws were one of the top third wav ...
,
Westbound Train
Westbound Train is a ska band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2001.Apar, CoreyWestbound Train Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 2012-03-21 Their name originates from the Dennis Brown hit song by the same name.
Westbound Train released their ...
,
Eastern Standard Time
The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 U.S. states, states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and ...
,
Junkyard Band and many others. Notable ska musicians who have performed on stage with The Players Band as guests include; Adam Birch (
The Specials
The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English Two-tone (music genre), 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall (singer), Terr ...
), Jeff Richey (
The Toasters
The Toasters are one of the original American second wave of ska bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, primarily through Moon Ska Records.
History
Englishman Robert "Bucket" Hingley relocated to New ...
), Buford O’Sullivan (
The Scofflaws
The Scofflaws are a Huntington, Long Island, New York-based third wave ska band that debuted in 1988. Known for their rambunctious live shows, technically proficient horn solos and tight arrangements, the Scofflaws were one of the top third wav ...
), Vinny Noble (
Pilfers
Pilfers are an American ska band formed in 1997, when former Toasters vocalist, Coolie Ranx, at the urging of Pietaster's vocalist Steve Jackson, joined with former Bim Skala Bim trombonist, Vinny Nobile. To complete the lineup, they recruit ...
&
Bim Skala Bim
Bim Skala Bim formed in Boston as a ska band that was influenced by the bands in England’s two-tone movement as well as artists such as the Clash, UB40 and Bob Marley. Their "Boston Blue Beat" sound, a mix of upbeat two-tone ska, rock ‘n’ r ...
),
Dr. Ring-Ding
Dr. Ring Ding (Richard Alexander Jung) is a German reggae, ska and dancehall artist.
In the more than 20 years of his musical activity, he has become an integral part of the international music scene.
Jung lives in Germany, but spent a part o ...
, Morgan Russell (
Eastern Standard Time
The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 U.S. states, states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and ...
) and
H.R.
Paul D. Hudson (born February 11, 1956), known professionally as H.R. (Human Rights), is an American musician who leads the hardcore punk band Bad Brains, and is an instrumental figure in the development of the genre. His vocal delivery has b ...
(
Bad Brains
Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this ...
).
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
'' - 2001
*''
Hate the Game'' - 2003,
Victor Rice
Victor Rice (born April 17, 1967) is an American musician, record producer and mix engineer from New York City. Raised in Huntington, New York, Rice attended the Manhattan School of Music and began his professional career in the late 1980s duri ...
mixed 'Mama' & 'Rub A Dub'.
*''
Half-Time
In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...
'' - 2005
*''
Live & Direct'' - 2008
*''
Skamörgåsbord'' - 2020, mixed by
Victor Rice
Victor Rice (born April 17, 1967) is an American musician, record producer and mix engineer from New York City. Raised in Huntington, New York, Rice attended the Manhattan School of Music and began his professional career in the late 1980s duri ...
.
Compilations
*''D.C-ENE'' - 2001 on PGU Records
*''Make It Happen'' – 2001 on Big Touchin’ Productions
*''Oasis Alternative'' - 2002 on Oasis
*''Still Standing'' - 2003 by
Jump Up Records and
Megalith Records
Megalith Records is a ska record label founded on August 22, 2002 and located in Norman, Oklahoma. It is owned by Robert "Bucket" Hingley of The Toasters and the defunct label Moon Ska Records, and managed by Jeremy Patton, current webmaster and gr ...
Still Standing (ska compilation)
*''Stubborn Records Sampler'' - 2005 on Stubborn Records
*''The Way Things Used to Be Vol. 1'' - 2020 on Bob Records
Band members
*Dan Schneider - guitar/vocals - (Current member of
The Pietasters
The Pietasters are an American eight-piece ska/soul band from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.
History
In 1990, Stephen Jackson and Chris Watt met at Virginia Tech, through mutual friend Tal Bayer, who was ...
)
*Nick Reider – trumpet - (Current member of
Jah Works, touring member of
Bumpin Uglies
Bumpin Uglies is an American punk reggae band from Annapolis, Maryland.
The band's music features a "melody-driven, free-spirited blend of ska, reggae, and punk with a strong focus on lyrics and crowd-pleasing grooves."
The band's influences ...
)
*David Saunier – sax
*Michael Gorman - bari sax
*Paul Ackerman aka “Pablo Fiasco” - keys – (Current member of
Left Alone
Left Alone is a punk rock band from Wilmington, California. They were formed in May 1996 by lead vocalist and guitarist Elvis Cortez. Cortez formed his own label, Smelvis Records, to release Left Alone's records, and has since expanded the la ...
,
H.R.
Paul D. Hudson (born February 11, 1956), known professionally as H.R. (Human Rights), is an American musician who leads the hardcore punk band Bad Brains, and is an instrumental figure in the development of the genre. His vocal delivery has b ...
and the Dubb Agents,
Bad Manners
Bad Manners are an English two-tone and ska band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Early appearances included ''Top of the Pops'' and the live film documentary, ''Dance Craze'' (1981).
They were at their most popular during the early 1980 ...
, and formerly of
The Pietasters
The Pietasters are an American eight-piece ska/soul band from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.
History
In 1990, Stephen Jackson and Chris Watt met at Virginia Tech, through mutual friend Tal Bayer, who was ...
,
Stubborn All-Stars
Stubborn All-Stars are an American, New York City-based ska band led by King Django, front man of Skinnerbox and owner of Stubborn Records.
In 1994, Django assembled Stubborn All-Stars for a studio session which resulted in the four-song ''Old ...
, and
Skinnerbox
Skinnerbox is a third wave ska band formed in New York City in the late 1980s by King Django.
Discography
Full Length
*''Instrumental Conditioning'' (Stubborn) 1990)
*''Now & Then'' (Stubborn) (1992)
*''Tales of the Red'' (Stubborn) (1993)
*'' ...
.)
*Joe Ross - bass - (Current member of
The Pietasters
The Pietasters are an American eight-piece ska/soul band from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.
History
In 1990, Stephen Jackson and Chris Watt met at Virginia Tech, through mutual friend Tal Bayer, who was ...
)
*Andy Schneider - drums
*Mark Leary - vocals/percussion
*Kristin "Lady Hatchet" Forbes - bass/guitar (Touring member of
The Slackers
The Slackers are an American ska band, formed in Manhattan, New York in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz. The Slackers' notability is credited to their prolific career, tours of Nort ...
)
*Marc Levine - percussion
Notable press
*Lynn Strader, T. (2019). "Summer fun with Jamaican Ska music." The Journal
*Conlin, B. (2012). "Frederick Road Fridays adds sounds of Appalachia and Caribbean." The Baltimore Su
*The Associated Press (2008). "Performers announced for Phelps celebration." The Associated Pres
*Campbell, E. (2008). "The Players Band goes live." The Baltimore Examiner.
*Lee, P. (2007). ""Players Band" Performs At New Year's Spectacular." WJZ-TV, CBS Broadcasting Inc.
*Baylor, A. (2007). “Soundcheck, The Players.” The Baltimore Sun.
*Campbell, E. (2006). “Group plays benefit for homeless in Catonsville.” The Examiner.
*Sattler, D. (2006). “Hungry for help.” The View.
*Sattler, D. (2006). “Rock Steady, The Players are playing for big money. But not their own.” The View.
*Ames, M. (2006). “Brothers play for homeless.” The Catonsville Times.
*Lewis, J. (2006). "The Players Band, Halftime.” Baltimore Magazine.
*Unknown. (2006). “The Players Band will rock Alive @ Five event.” Gazette.
*Schaffer, S. (2004). “The Players.” The Baltimore Su
*Wollan, L. (2003). “The Players Band.” Music Monthly.
*Lewis, J. (2003). “The Players Band, Hate the Game.” Baltimore Magazine.
*Buckley, M. (2003). “The Players Band.” Chesapeake Music Guide.
*Unknown. (2003). “The Players.” Viking Remedy Magazine (France).
*Trawinski, J. (2003). “Hate the Game' is a jam driven album.” Towson University Towerlight.
*Scruggs, S. (2003). “The Players, Hate The Game.” Music Monthly.
*Wollan, L. (2001). “The Players, Instrumental.” Music Monthly.
*Jones, D. (2001). “The Players, Instrumental.” Rude Roots Magazine.
Notable quotes
"Fantastic! You guys are tough."
Buckwheat Zydeco
Stanley Dural Jr. (November 14, 1947 – September 24, 2016), better known by his stage name Buckwheat Zydeco, was an American accordionist and zydeco musician. He was one of the few zydeco artists to achieve mainstream success. His music gro ...
.
"Your band freaking rocks!"
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, ...
.
"Those guys are nice, really nice."
Angelo Moore
Angelo Carmen Christopher Moore (born November 5, 1965) is an American musician, best known for his work as lead singer and saxophonist for the Los Angeles ska and funk metal band Fishbone. Moore also performs and records under the stage name Dr ...
"A rocking big band out of Baltimore and DC, the Players can hit all the styles and are a must-see live!" - AP Magazine (
Alternative Press magazine
''Alternative Press'' is an American entertainment magazine primarily focused on music and culture, now based in Los Angeles, CA. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, and relevant news. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea ...
). August, 2003.
Radio play
89.7 FM WTMD, Towson, MD; Ocean 98.1 WOCM, Ocean City, MD; Southern FM 88.3, Brighton, Victoria; 106.7 FM The Fan, Washington, DC; KQBH-LA 101.5 FM, Los Angeles, CA; 97.9 FM 98 Rock, Baltimore, MD; 105.7 FM Live 105.7, Baltimore, MD; DC 101 FM, Washington, DC: 103.1 FM WRNR, Annapolis, MD: 103.1 FM WAFY, Frederick, MD; 99.1 FM WHFS, Washington, DC; 91.7 FM KVRX, Austin, TX; 88.3 FM WAIF, Cincinnati, OH; 101.9 FM CITR, Vancouver, B.C.; 89.5 FM CIUT, Toronto, ON; 105.3 FM WEBK, Killington, VT; 90.5 FM, Syracuse, NY; Holland Radio De B.R.T.O. zendt uit via de kabel op 87.5 MHz.
External links
Official siteFacebook site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Players Band
American ska musical groups