Ska pioneer Ernest Ranglin opens his UK tour and 70th birthday celebrations in Brighton.

The Jamaican helped create some of popular music's most influential forms, as ska developed into rocksteady, reggae and dub.

He has also added to his formidable jazz abilities by becoming a leading musician for the legendary Studio One and Trojan labels, along with the Skatalites, Jackie Mittoo, the Wailers and others.

Bob Marley wanted him as his musical director but Ernest was already fulfilling the role for Jimmy Cliff.

He recalls initial meetings with the legendary producer Prince Buster: "I sort of got him started as I did all his first arrangements."

Ranglin once spent a very pleasant afternoon on Brighton beach when it was a lot less crowded than of late.

With him were Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and singer Millie Small. That day, they produced the seminal Sixties sound of My Boy Lollipop, which launched ska in the UK.

"I really like it down there," he says. "It's where I did my first arrangement in England. We came down while I was staying in London."

He wove himself into British jazz, playing regularly at Ronnie Scott's. Scott played sax on Lollipop and Ernest's ska version of the film theme Exodus.

His band played for Bond movie Dr No, which was fraught with scheduling difficulties.

"We had such a short time, just a couple of weeks, without even a script or the rushes to work with," he explains. "It was very difficult. I wasn't credited either."

The musicians he has worked with have welcomed him as a peer, including Cannonball Adderley, Courtney Pine, Baaba Maal and George Benson.

"It has been a long haul, that's certain, but worth it. George is a good friend of mine. I saw Baba Maal perform two weeks ago and he's a great guy. He has such energy on stage, I don't how he does it."

Recently returned from Cape Town, Ernest is fulfilling a busy schedule.

"It was not a long tour," he says, "as I was supposed to be recording a new CD there but that was postponed so I'll be going back to South Africa.

"I also have to go back to Jamaica soon to do a documentary film about ska music."

A revered figure for today's musicians, he has recorded with Michael Franti and has a second album due with St Germain.

Playing on this tour are top reggae duo Mafia and Fluxy, on bass and drums. They've worked with Burning Spear, Aaliyah and Horace Andy.

Aswad keyboardist Bubblers while Jazz Warriors saxophonist Brian Edwards will also perform and jazz pianist Jason Rebello provides the support.