THE EASY STAR ALL-STARS

The Easy Star All-Stars are essentially two longtime friends who grew up in New York’s fertile music scene surrounded by a revolving cast of some of the finest reggae players in the region. Michael Goldwasser (a.k.a. Michael G) and Victor Axelrod (a.k.a. Ticklah) form the core of the group that has provided the music and arrangements for all of Easy Star Records’ original productions since 1997. With the release of Dub Side Of The Moon—their most ambitious project to date—Michael G and Ticklah have made their mark as one of the most innovative and creative teams working in modern reggae.

The idea for Dub Side Of The Moon was hatched in 1999 by Easy Star Records vice president Lem Oppenheimer. Pink Floyd’s challenging masterpiece had been one of his favorite albums as a teenager, but after years as a reggae obsessive, he imagined a re-working of the original that would echo Dark Side’s album artwork—refracting Pink Floyd’s music vision through a prism of reggae’s rich rhythmic and instrumental possibilities. Soon, the other Easy Star principals, Eric Smith, Michael Goldwasser, and Remy Gerstein, along with ESAS keyboardist/producer Victor Axelrod, joined Oppenheimer in exploring these possibilities. They found Pink Floyd’s original compositions to be a natural conduit for their reggae/dub sensibilities. Four years later, the ESAS have emerged with a fascinating reggae version of Dark Side Of The Moon—which, it’s worth noting, marks its 30th anniversary in 2003—that captures all of the resonant nuances of the original (right down to the “Wizard of Oz” synchronicity) in a completely new context that is at once innovative and elemental. It’s as if Dub Side Of The Moon has always existed in some parallel universe.

Michael G and Ticklah knew they needed a solid rhythm section to complement their guitar and keyboard playing for Dub Side. By sticking with a four-piece, the producers felt they could better connect with Pink Floyd’s original recording, where band members Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason created the bulk of the music. This decision led Michael and Victor to recruit two more old friends, Victor Rice and Patrick Dougher, to flesh out the current incarnation of the ESAS. Victor Rice has played and recorded with a wide range of projects, from his own Victor Rice Octet to work on albums by Everlast, Glenn Branca, the Slackers, the Scofflaws, the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, and the Stubborn All-Stars. In 1999, he released Victor Rice at Version City, a mostly instrumental ska/reggae album on Stubborn Records. Patrick Dougher played in the Boilers with Victor Axelrod, as well as Roots Combination and Tru Mystic Sound.

As has been the case from the inception of the Easy Star All-Stars, other talented musicians were recruited to help make Dub Side Of The Moon a reality. Guest vocalists include roots/blues stalwart Corey Harris, as well as a virtual who’s who of modern reggae artists: top dancehall veteran Frankie Paul, Wailers singer Gary “Nesta” Pine, beloved harmony trio The Meditations, Brooklyn pacesetter Dr. Israel, legendary toaster Ranking Joe, frequent Easy Star contributor Sluggy Ranks, and talented newcomers Kirsty Rock and Dollarman. On the instrumental side, other contributors include: Burning Brass saxophonist Jenny Hill; Tamar-Kali, who has been singing solo and in New York bands since the mid-‘90s; percussionist Larry McDonald, who currently plays with Gil-Scott Heron, and has played with Peter Tosh, Ernest Ranglin, and others; Eddie Ocampo, who has played with the Victor Rice Octet and the Stubborn All-Stars; trombonist Mike Wagner, who has played in King Chango, the Daktaris, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, the Soul Providers, and the Victor Rice Octet; veteran reggae bassist Wayne Wiggum, who has most recently played as a member of Roots Combination.

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Michael Goldwasser was born in West Virginia, but moved to Queens, New York, at a young age. His family exposed Michael to a wide range of music, including jazz, soul, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, African music, and, of course, reggae. Michael began playing guitar at the age of 14. During his teenage years, he formed the Feds with three good friends and the precocious group gigged at clubs such as Nightingales, Downtown Beirut, and CBGB’s, playing alongside such well-known acts as the Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler. The Feds broke up once Michael and his friends graduated high school, but he continued his musical career while attending Columbia University. During that time, he formed the R&B band Special Request, and cultivated a loyal following sharing the bills with the Average White Band, Cibo Matto, Digable Planets, HR (of the Bad Brains), and others. After five years of hard work, the members of Special Request parted ways to pursue other musical opportunities.

It was around this time that Michael co-founded Easy Star Records with three childhood friends. Trading in R&B for reggae, Michael made sure to keep one thing constant: soul. Applying all that he had learned from writing songs for ten years, Michael G began producing, arranging, and writing music for Easy Star’s original productions. Right from the start, he recruited longtime friend and musical associate Victor Axelrod to supply his keyboard talents and production knowledge.

Victor Axelrod grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he was raised on a diet of British Two Tone, ska, reggae, dub, and other diverse styles. Between the ages of 17 and 21, Ticklah studied jazz with Mike Longo, but the influence of artists such as Augustus Pablo, King Tubby, and Dennis Bovell never abandoned his style. In high school, Ticklah played keys for the Boilers and other New York ska and reggae bands, crossing paths on many occasions with Michael G. After completing college at SUNY Purchase, Victor returned to New York and quickly joined up with a number of musical outfits, including the acid-jazz band Cooly’s Hot Box. In 1994, he accepted Michael G’s invitation to fill a keyboard vacancy in Special Request, whom he played with for the next two years.

Ticklah could never be accused of being lazy. He has worked continually with Cooly’s Hot Box (releasing an album with them in 2002), played with Desco Records’ retro funk/soul outfit the Soul Providers, the Dap Kings, and the Victor Rice Octet. In 1999, he joined Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, and has since recorded two records and continues to tour and record with them. In 1998, Ticklah released his first record, Polydemic, for Razorfish Records. On Polydemic, Ticklah wore his soul jazz influences—artists such as Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Idris Muhammed—on his sleeve, while establishing himself as one of the most talented multi-instrumentalists on the scene. On many of the record’s songs, Ticklah played all of the instruments himself. Victor has also recorded Ronny Jordan, remixed songs by George Michael and Mary J. Blige, played with and produced Dr. Israel, and (with DJ Spinna) had sizable dance floor hits with remixes of “Days Like This” by Shaun Escoffery and “Makeda” by Les Nubians. In 2000, Victor spearheaded and produced the New York reggae collective Roots Combination’s acclaimed release on Guidance Recordings. Michael G contributed to that effort, co-producing and co-writing the track “Nah Bow Down,” which featured vocals by Sluggy Ranks.

Meanwhile, as the Easy Star All-Stars, Michael G and Ticklah began establishing themselves as important figures in New York’s reggae scene. The first Easy Star single, Rob Symeonn’s “Anything For Jah,” was released in 1997, featuring wicked playing from the duo and production by Michael. For the following few years, Michael and Victor recruited friends and acquaintances to fill out the group for recordings and live shows. The All-Stars, working closely with local sound system Twin Sound, organized three highly acclaimed tribute concerts to the late dub master Augustus Pablo over the course of 1999 and 2000. The group also backed reggae legends such as Sugar Minott, Ranking Joe, Johnny Osbourne, The Meditations, and Sister Carol, both in the studio and on stage. Concurrently, the duo joined up with guitarist Matt Urbania, bassist Noah Schachtman, and Special Request drummer Frantz Hilaire to form the dub reggae band No Shadow Kick. No Shadow Kick played numerous gigs around New York from 1998-1999 as a logical extension of the Easy Star All-Stars (considering that both Hilaire and Schachtman have served as members of the Easy Star All-Stars at one time or another).

The Easy Star All-Stars provided all of the music for Easy Star’s first full-length release, 1998’s Easy Star Volume One. With music produced, written and arranged by Michael G, and anchored by Michael’s guitar work and Victor’s keyboard skills, the record established Easy Star as “perhaps one of the most important reggae labels in America today.” (Full Watts Magazine) This record was followed in 2002 by Easy Star Volume Two, which featured three dancehall riddims penned and produced by Michael and played by Michael and Victor. That record spawned two major New York radio hits, including “God Love,” which bounced around WLIB’s Top Ten Request charts for weeks. The Easy Star All-Stars also contributed the song “Asylum Dub” to Positive Sound Massive’s Mi Selecta compilation in 2000.

For two creative musicians such as Michael G and Ticklah, the Easy Star All-Stars is one part of two rich musical careers. Both continue to explore and pursue other musical endeavors, but both recognize that together they have the capacity to create magical recordings, pushing the envelope of reggae ever further. For the moment, the duo can rest easy knowing they have delivered a ground breaking recording in Dub Side Of The Moon; but with these two, there are always new musical paths to walk down, both separately and united as the Easy Star All-Stars.