Stubborn All-Stars
Encyclopedia
Stubborn All-Stars are a New York City
ska
band led by King Django
, front man of Skinnerbox
and owner of Stubborn Records.
By early 1994, Django's original ska roots began to tug at him, and he assembled Stubborn All-Stars for a studio session which resulted in the 4-song Old's Cool 7" EP
. Choosing musicians very carefully from the large pool of New York ska bands such as Skinnerbox, The Insteps, The Slackers
, The Scofflaws
, and Agent 99, for their familiarity with and ability to play traditional Jamaica
n ska. Django hit upon the sound he was looking for: ska in a very traditional Jamaican style, reconnected with its own roots in American
Rhythm & Blues.
They released their debut Open Season in September 1995, featuring guest appearances by Roland Alphonso
of the Skatalites, Chris Dowd (ex-Fishbone
), and Robert "Bucket" Hingley of the Toasters
.
Their second album, Back With a New Batch, was released in 1997. The video for the single Pick Yourself Up went into heavy rotation on MTV
, and Alternative Press
reviewed it as "the best reggae album of 1997".
Their third album, Nex Music, was released in 1999.
The band also collaborated with famous punk band Rancid
on the song 'I Wanna Riot' for the Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
soundtrack.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band led by King Django
King Django
Jeff Baker, better known as King Django, is a New Brunswick, NJ-based ska musician. He was the leader of Skinnerbox and Stubborn All-Stars....
, front man of Skinnerbox
Skinnerbox
Skinnerbox is a third wave ska band formed in New York City in the early 1990s by King Django.-Full Length:*Instrumental Conditioning 1990)*Now & Then *Tales of the Red...
and owner of Stubborn Records.
By early 1994, Django's original ska roots began to tug at him, and he assembled Stubborn All-Stars for a studio session which resulted in the 4-song Old's Cool 7" EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. Choosing musicians very carefully from the large pool of New York ska bands such as Skinnerbox, The Insteps, The Slackers
The Slackers
The Slackers are a New York City band, formed in Brooklyn in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz...
, The Scofflaws
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 wave ska acts of the '90s and one of the most beloved...
, and Agent 99, for their familiarity with and ability to play traditional Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n ska. Django hit upon the sound he was looking for: ska in a very traditional Jamaican style, reconnected with its own roots in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Rhythm & Blues.
They released their debut Open Season in September 1995, featuring guest appearances by Roland Alphonso
Roland Alphonso
Roland Alphonso O.D. or Rolando Alphonso aka The Chief Musician was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of The Skatalites....
of the Skatalites, Chris Dowd (ex-Fishbone
Fishbone
Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s...
), and Robert "Bucket" Hingley of the Toasters
The Toasters
The Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
.
Their second album, Back With a New Batch, was released in 1997. The video for the single Pick Yourself Up went into heavy rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and Alternative Press
Alternative Press (music magazine)
Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
reviewed it as "the best reggae album of 1997".
Their third album, Nex Music, was released in 1999.
The band also collaborated with famous punk band Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
on the song 'I Wanna Riot' for the Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
Beavis and Butt-head Do America
Beavis and Butt-head Do America is a 1996 animated feature film, based on the TV series, Beavis and Butt-Head. It was produced by Paramount Pictures in association with Geffen Pictures and MTV Films, and co-written and directed by creator Mike Judge. The film grossed $20.11 million in its opening...
soundtrack.
Line up
- King DjangoKing DjangoJeff Baker, better known as King Django, is a New Brunswick, NJ-based ska musician. He was the leader of Skinnerbox and Stubborn All-Stars....
(Skinnerbox) - Vocals, Trombone - Jay NugentJay NugentJayson Nugent is a guitarist and DJ from New York who plays in the style of several Jamaican music genres....
(Agent 99) - Guitar - Noah Shachtman (No Shadow Kick) - Bass Guitar
- Rolf Langsjoen (Skinnerbox) - Trumpet
- Phil Wartell (The Radiation Kings) - Drums
- Scott Palmer (The Radiation Kings) - Keys
- David Hahn (Dub is a Weapon, Skinnerbox, Slackers) - Guitar
- Dave Hillyard (The SlackersThe SlackersThe Slackers are a New York City band, formed in Brooklyn in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz...
) - Sax - Vic RuggieroVic RuggieroVictor "Vic" Ruggiero, is a musician, songwriter and producer from New York City who has played in many ska bands, such as The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars, SKAndalous All Stars, Crazy Baldhead and The Silencers...
(The Slackers) - Organ - Victor RiceVictor RiceVictor Rice is a musician and producer from New York City. He is most noted for his work within the third wave ska genre of the 1990s through the early 2000s, as both a bassist and as a producer....
(The Scofflaws, NYC Ska-Jazz Ensemble) - Bass Guitar - Eddie OcampoEddie OcampoEddie Ocampo is an drummer of the Third Wave Ska movement. He performed in several bands, such as The Insteps, Stubborn All-Stars, Dave Hillyard Rocksteady 7, the Jammyland All Stars, the Fandanglers, and many more Ska and Version City related bands...
(The Insteps, Dave Hillyard & the Rocksteady 7, Crazy Baldhead) - Drums - Sheldon Gregg (The Insteps, NYSJE, Bluebeaters) - Bass
- Erkin Husey (Skinnerbox, The Rudy Crew) - Sax
- Danny Duelin (The Boilers, Skinnerbox, Rudy Crew) - Trumpet
- Dave Nelson (The Insteps) - Trombone
- Paul Ackerman (The Pietasters, Skinnerbox) - Keys
- Regina Belantese (The Insteps, The Scofflaws) - Sax
- Jason Glazer (Skinnerbox) - Trumpet