A Luta Continua

a musical telegram to the Opposition in the streets of Tehran... and a Remembrance Of Juneteenth, the Day Of Emancipation in Galveston, Texas, June 19th, 1865.

"Shah-Shah A Go-Go" - the Stranglers - The Raven
"Ai Bod Dub" - Llwybr Llaethog - Mewn Dub [ROIR]
"Ouelli el Darek" - Cheik Khaled - Sahra
"Let Me Cry" - Cheb Mami - Planete Rai [Declic]
"Rock el Casbah" - Rachid Taha [Barclay]
"Mustaspha Dance" - the Clash [Epic]

"Cool Down" - Silvertones
"Weather Report" - the Tennors - Rock Steady Classics [Nighthawk]
"Give Yourself Over" - Soldiers of Jah Army - Get Wiser [Innerloop]
"A Luta Continua" - Big Youth - A Luta Continua [Heartbeat]
"Give Praises" - Big Youth - Ride Like Lightning [Trojan/Sancturary]

"Slavery Days" - Burning Spear - Reggae Greats [Mango]
"Slave Master" - Gregory Isaacs - Mr Isaacs [Heartbeat]
"Massi Massa" - the Tennors - Rock Steady Classics
"We And Dem" - Bob Marley & the Wailers - Uprising [Tuff Gong/Island]
"Us And Them" - Frankie Paul - Dub Side Of The Moon [Easy Star]

"Reincarnate" - Ras Tesfa McDonald

"Is This Love?" - Bob Marley & the Wailers - Dubmatix remix
"Talking Love" - John Holt & the Paragons - Hold Tight! Lynn Taitt & the Jets [Trojan/Sanctuary]
"Better Must Come" - Delroy Wilson - Trojan Explosion! [MOJO]
"You Should Have Known Better" - Justin Hinds & the Dominos
"Happy Land" - Carlton & the Shoes
"Storm Warning" - Lynn Taitt & the Jets - Hold Tight! Lynn Taitt &the Jets

"A Day In The Life" - Michael Rose/Menny More - Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band [Easy Star]

playlist, 5 June... a prelude to a Splendid time

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - Junior Jazz - Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band [Easy Star]
"With A Little Help From My Friends" - Luciano - Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band [Easy Star]
"Unity" - Lynn Taitt & the Jets - Hold Me Tight [Trojan/Sanctuary]
"Rough Out There (Tokyo Tower Mix)" - Noiseshaper - Real to Reel [Echo Beach]
"Rasta Shout Again" - Mr. Irie - MP3
"Meditations" - African Connection - Ghetto Knowledge [Easy Star]
"Storm Warning" - Lynn Taitt & the Jets - Hold Me Tight[Trojan/Sanctuary]
"Smoky Places" - Lynn Taitt & the Jets - Hold Me Tight[Trojan/Sanctuary]
"Fixing A Hole" - Max Romeo - Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band [Easy Star]
"Baby I Love You So" - Jacob Miller - DJ Andy Smith Greensleeves Document
"King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown" - Augustus Pablo - DJ Andy Smith Greensleeves Document
"You Are No Good" - MIchael Prophet - DJ Andy Smith Greensl
"At The End Of The Day" - Trumystic - Dub Power [TMG]
"At The End Of The Day (DUB)" - Trumystic
"Gun The Man Down" - Prince Buster - The Outlaw [Prince Buster]
"Us And Them" - Frankie Paul - Dub Side Of The Moon [Easy Star]
"Version"
"What We Gonna Do?" - John Brown Body - Pressure Points
"What Comes Around" - Ruff Scott - Easy Star Vol 1
"How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?" - Sharon Jones/Ticklah - MP3
"Left With A Broken Heart" - Paragons - Unearthed Gold Of Rock Steady [Ossie]
"Small Garden" - Zoot Simms - Studio One 7"
"Nice Time" - Lynn Taitt & The Jets - Hold Me Tight [Trojan/Sanctuary]
"Airbag" - Horace Andy - Radiodread [Easy Star]
"Can't Stop Us Now" - Viceroys - Can't Stop Us Now /Lynval Thompson Productions [Easy Star]
"A Day In The Life" - Michael Rose/Menny More - Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band

A Splendid Time

In the legacy of Jamaican music, certain bands arose as studio rhythm sections of renown, providing the musical landscape for untold dozens of vocalists... in the fashion of Motown's Funk Brothers, and STAX Records' Booker T. & The M.G.s. Names like the Skatalites, Roots Radics, Sly & Robbie, and even Bob Marley's Wailers Band scored the musical underpinnings for phenomenal music, maybe not so apparent to most Americans, but to the world.

From this tradition comes Easy Star All-Stars, formed on our own shores in urban-exotic NYC... the "House Band" of Easy Star Records. For over ten years this venerable unit has backed many of the kingpins of reggae music in their newer solo offerings, and in remarkable tribute albums in the past few years... notably, re-workings of Pink Floyd (Dub Side Of The Moon), Radiohead (Radiodread), and most recently, the Beatles (Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band). In the packed, humid environment of the IS Venue in Charlottesville, VA., an adoring public got to find out just how remarkable is their sound, in this particular guise.

The logistics of including all off of these star vocalists in a touring band being unrealistic, the Easy Star All Stars relied on their own prodigious talents (and those of Kirsty Rock of Trumystic, the openers), both vocally and musically, in presenting original and very familiar music. The ambitious "tribute" undertakings of the Easy Star Records vanguard (Michael Goldwasser, Eric Smith and now-local Lem Oppenheimer) might cause the unschooled to think that there were big musical shoes to fill, with the adaptation to reggae. But, if crowd reaction is any indication, the call-and-response dispelled that notion, Friday night.

And, though the heart of a reggae band is it's rhythm unit, it's the brass section that punctuates this amazing performance (Jenny Hill, hailing from the pinnacle of roots brass sections, Burning Spear's Burning Brass, and Buford O'Sullivan of 3G Ska stalwarts, the Scofflaws). From the familiar "English" horn figures from Sergeant Pepper, to classic reggae riffs, to gusty blues blasts... they Brought It Home.

In short, this was not just a "show"... but, an Event.

As fortunate as was Charlottesville to benefit from this performance, who's getting the best bargain from the Easy Star All Stars? The upcoming audiences of England's Glastonbury Festival: Three nights... three stages... each night focusing on each of those "tribute" albums.

Lucky Brits.

Easy Star All Stars at IS Venue, Tonight.

Venerable reggae innovators Easy Star All Stars will be debuting tracks from their newest release, Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band CD, tonight... and, no doubt, be mining their previous hits from Dub Side Of The Moon and Radiodread. All Stars, to be sure.

Opening will be Trumystic, fronted by Kirsty Rock... herself, an Easy Star alumni.

A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All.