Trumpeter Johnny “Dizzy” Moore, one of the founding members of the Jamaican ska/reggae outfit the Skatalites, has passed away after a long battle with cancer. Moore, along with saxophonists Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso and trombonist Don Drummond, formed the band in 1964; it broke up a little more than a year later, but its influence spread far and wide. Moore became a fixture of the session-musician scene, appearing on albums by the likes of Bob Marley and Lee “Scratch” Perry, and he also played with the band briefly after it reformed in 1986. He was 70. (The Skatalites’ “Guns Of Navarone” is above; after the jump, a YouTube embed of “Silver Dollar.”)

Ska pioneer Johnny Moore dies at 70 [Press Association]
The Skatalites – Guns Of Navarone [YouTube]
Tommy McCook & The Skatalites / Silver Dollar [YouTube via Lasting Tribute]