The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra
British band
The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra are a British band formed in 2011 by Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson. The band consists of an ever-shifting line-up of ska and reggae-orientated musicians playing classic ska covers. Their debut album was released in 2013.
Formation
The band was formed in April 2011 to play a concert at The Regal in Oxford. After being asked to put together a group of musicians for the occasion, Thompson contacted Madness bassist Mark Bedford with the idea of putting together a group to play the old reggae and ska tunes that had inspired them to become musicians. Together, they assembled a group of previous collaborators, including Seamus Beaghan, who had played with Madness after keyboardist Mike Barson's departure; Terry Edwards, who, with Bedford created jazz duo BUtterfield 8; Louis Vause, a member of Thompson's other offshoot band Crunch, and Kevin Burdett, who had also played with Madness during Chris Foreman's hiatus from the band. The positive reception to the gig led to other performances, mostly around London and Brighton (including a support slot with Thompson and Bedford's primary band, Madness, at Butlin's, Minehead in Nov 2012), and an expansion of the line-up.
Debut album: The Benevolence of Sister Mary Ignatius
In 2012, the band entered the studio to record their debut album. The record was made in Brighton at Iron Works studios, home of producer Mike Pelanconi, a.k.a. Prince Fatty, and a limited edition E.P., entitled You Lucky People, was released.
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