Skinnerbox

Skinnerbox, occasionally known as Skinnerbox NYC, emerged in the late '80s under the leadership of scene veteran Jeff "King Django" Baker, whose earlier stints included the Boilers, the Slackers, the Skadanks, and the hardcore outfit Murphy's Law. Baker handled songwriting duties along with vocals and trombone, assembling a group that shifted fluidly across R&B, punk, jazz, and pop-inflected ska. Beyond numerous compilation tracks and multiple cassette-only recordings, the band's output encompasses the 1993 full-length Tales of the Red plus the 1989-1994 retrospective Special Wild, both issued on his Stubborn label. Baker paused Skinnerbox activities in 1995 to launch the Stubborn All-Stars, with whom he toured and recorded, before reassembling the original project in 1997 for What You Can Do, What You Can't; that edition featured keyboardist/vocalist Brandt Sean Abner, trumpeter Dan Dulin, tenor saxophonist Erkin "El Wood" Husey, drummer James Blanck, bassists Pierre Romain and Anna Milat-Meyer, guitarists Dave Hahn and Krister Jonsson, plus additional keyboardist Guyora Kats.