A ska-ry evening

During an early 2013 recording session in Lincoln City, drummer Marv Bauer suggested a reggae fusion project formed around the songwriting of Randy Foote and Barry Klusman that came to be named JaSkaMon.

Sadly, both Bauer and Foote passed away after the group had released a few albums but, more than 11 years later and after nine albums and countless live shows, the act is still alive and well.

At the Lincoln City Cultural Center this Saturday, Oct. 26, the band will present a chronological song list of three tunes per album of fan favorites, starting with "Let's Get Irie" from "Sword & Plow" to "Better Man" from its latest release, "Salutations."

"We know people have Halloween on their minds and we represent the opposite mood,” Klusman said. “If it helps, think of it as a Skalloween gathering!"

Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s, evolving out of the earlier genres of mento, ska and rocksteady.  Reggae usually relates news, social gossip and political commentary. It is instantly recognizable from the counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat and the offbeat rhythm section. Stylistically, reggae incorporates some of the musical elements of rhythm and blues and jazz. Reggae has spread to many countries around the world, often incorporating local instruments and fusing with other genres.

Saturday’s show begins at 7 pm at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, located at 540 NE Hwy. 101. Tickets are $10 at the door. For more information, go to jaskamon.com.