Olds Ambassador Trombone Formerly Used by Don Drummond

This Olds Ambassador Trombone was used by Ska musician and one of The Skatalites founding members, Don Drummond (1932-1969).  

Drummond was a Ska composer and trombonist who refined his musical skills at the Alpha Boy’s School in Kingston, Jamaica. After graduating, he often returned to the school to teach music. Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Johnny “Dizzy” Moore, and Lester Sterling were the four founding members of The Skatalites and rose to fame in the 1960s. 

The Skatalites are a Jamaican musical group that helped pioneer Ska, an amalgam of calypso, traditional Jamaican mento, and a syncopated adaptation of the American jazz and R&B. Precursor to the slower rocksteady and even slower reggae, ska was bouncy, horn-driven, irresistibly infectious island dance music that became the sound of mid-1960s Jamaica. 

Founded in Kingston, Jamaica in 1964, the Skatalites had a revolving cast of musicians over the years. Along with their own records, they were the uncredited backing band for many rising artists, including Desmond Dekker, the Wailers (featuring Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Livingston), the Maytals, and Prince Buster. The Skatalites initially disbanded in 1965, but after several reunions in the 1970s, re-formed in 1983 and are still playing their timeless music.