For more than three decades, the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble has brought its blend of ska rhythms and jazz improvisation to audiences around the world. On Saturday, Aug. 22, bandleader Fred Reiter will bring that sound to The Room at Cedar Grove in Lewes, Delaware.
The group traces its roots to New York in the early 1990s, when Reiter was playing saxophone with The Toasters and touring alongside Jamaican ska pioneers The Skatalites.
“What we noticed was that these older Jamaican guys were rocking the house with instrumental music,” Reiter said. “That was really mind altering at the time because so much of popular music is vocal based.”
Rather than recreating that sound, Reiter wanted to add a New York edge through faster tempos, expanded harmonies and high-energy performances. The approach has since taken the ensemble to roughly 37 countries.
“I think the groove of ska is infectious. I think it’s a happy music,” Reiter said. “I think when people can sing melodies and hear melodies, they relate to it.”
That accessibility also allows the band to move between generations. Reiter points to “Perfidia,” an old standard and one of his father’s favorite songs, as an example of a melody recognized by audiences around the world.
“Certain melodies are going to exist for a long time because they work,” he said. “It was a hit in the ’30s, it’s a hit in the ’60s, now it’s a hit in 2026.”
In Lewes, Reiter plans to adapt the performance to The Room’s intimate setting, beginning with a jazzier approach before building toward ska, blues and pop influences. The set may also feature recognizable music from artists including Tom Petty and Electric Light Orchestra.
And despite decades of international touring, Reiter’s goal remains simple: “When people are dancing, we win.”
