The Easy Star All-Stars will embark on a world tour this spring in support of their much anticipated reggae re-imagining of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The tour will continue through the summer including U.S. dates that begin in mid-May.
The new album, Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, set for release April 14 on Easy Star Records, is generating buzz amongst fans and critics alike, as The Associated Press asks, “Could the Beatles have been Rastafarians at heart?”
The album follows the widespread critical and commercial success of 2003’s Dub Side of the Moon and 2006’s Radiodread, and features guest vocals from an impressive list of reggae, dancehall and dub greats including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Luciano, U Roy, Bunny Rugs (Third World), Ranking Roger (English Beat), Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Max Romeo and The Mighty Diamonds.
The album’s second single, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” featuring Frankie Paul, will be available exclusively through Rhapsody beginning April 7. The first single, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” featuring Luciano, is available now on iTunes and is paired with a b-side dub version featuring the legendary U Roy. Both “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and Easy Star’s imaginitive reinterpretation of “She’s Leaving Home,” featuring Kirsty Rock, are now available for stream on the band’s MySpace page: www.myspace.com/easystarallstars
Of the decision to infuse reggae into the Beatles classic, producer Michael Goldwasser says “We’ve focused on re-envisioning concept albums as reggae and it’s really important that the source material works as a whole and is not just a collection of songs. So, what better to take on next than the mother of all concept albums?”
Goldwasser is once more the musical mastermind behind this album, having arranged and produced the music, assembled the musicians and guest artists and played guitar throughout.
Goldwasser is joined by Victor Rice (bass), Victor “Ticklah” Axelrod (keyboards) and Patrick Dougher & Eddie Ocampo (drums, percussion). Members of the touring version of the Easy Star All-Stars also contribute, including Ras I Ray, Jenny Hill, Buford O’Sullivan, Ivan Katz, Kirsty Rock,Tamar-kali, Junior Jazz and Menny More. In addition to producing six albums for Easy Star,Goldwasser has produced albums for Corey Harris, Hatikva 6 and others, and has had compositions featured in the motion pictures Failure To Launch and Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream.
For over a decade, Easy Star Records has been a trendsetting independent reggae label. Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread form the backbone of a catalogue that includes progressive albums from John Brown’s Body and Easy Star All-Stars keyboardist Ticklah, reissues of classic material from Sugar Minott and Linval Thompson and new recordings from reggae legends The Meditations and Sister Carol.
EASY STAR ALL-STARS WORLD TOUR DATES
April 10 Chill City Festival Melbourne, AUS
April 11 The Corner Melbourne, AUS
April 13 East Coast Blues & Roots Festival Byron Bay, AUS
April 15 The Zoo Brisbane, AUS
April 16 The Metro/Sydney Uni Sydney, AUS
April 18 West Coast Blues & Roots Festival Perth, AUS
April 28 Koko w/ Ed Rome London, UK
April 29 Manchester Academy w/ Ed Rome Manchester, UK
May 1 Bergenfest Bergen, NOR
May 2 Festival Labadoux Inglemunster, BEL
May 4 Paradiso Amsterdam, NET
May 5 Liberation Day Festival Den Bosch, NET
May 5 Liberation Day Festival Groningen, NET
May 6 Birmingham O2 Academy w/ Ed Rome Birmingham, UK
May 7 Nottingham Rescue Room w/ Ed Rome Nottingham, UK
May 8 The Arches Glasgow, SCO
May 9 The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival Belfast, N. Ireland
May 14 Higher Ground w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Burlington, VT
May 15 Middle East w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Boston, MA
May 16 The Asylum w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Portland, ME
May 20 World Café Live w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Philadelphia, PA
May 21 BB King’s w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad New York, NY
May 22 Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, NY
May 24 Summer Camp Fest w/ members of Umphrey’s McGee Chillicothe, NY
June 3 Ram’s Head Live w/ Gregory Isaacs Baltimore, MD
June 4 9:30 Club w/ Gregory Isaacs Washington, DC
June 5 IS Venue w/ Trumystic Charlottesville, VA
June 6 Soap Box w/ Trumystic Wilmington, NC
June 7 Cat’s Cradle w/ Trumystic Carrboro, NC
June 15 Belly Up Tavern w/ Blue King Brown Solana Beach, CA
June 16 The Key Club w/Blue King Brown West Hollywood, CA
June 17 Downtown Brewing Co. w/Blue King Brown San Luis Obispo, CA
June 18 Fishlips w/Blue King Brown Bakersfield, CA
June 19 The Catalyst w/Blue King Brown Santa Cruz, CA
June 20 Slim’s w/Blue King Brown San Francisco, CA
June 21 Sierra Nevada World Music Festival Boonville, CA
June 24 Stuyvesant Town New York, NY
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