Ernest Ranglin

Ranglin has proven to be one of the best and most versatile guitarists in Jamaica's history and an important innovator in the development of Ska. In the late '50s he played in the Blasters, a Jamaican R&B group influenced by American jazz and blues that played shuffling boogies. Ranglin added a hiccupping guitar that was to become the basis for the Ska sound. He then helped form the Skatalites, recording some of the best cuts of the genre. He also worked as a studio guitarist for producers Duke Reid and Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, contributing to many classic Rock Steady and reggae hits. On top of it all, he's an excellent, Wes Montgomery-inspired jazz guitarist, and one of the few musicians in the world to successfully fuse reggae and jazz.