Michael Goldwasser

Internationally known record producer Michael Goldwasser has gone from being a teenager playing in clubs all over New York City to ruling the Billboard Reggae Charts. He founded his record label, Easy Star Records, in 1996, and while many other independent labels have come and gone, Easy Star has become a leading independent reggae label, adapting to changes in the industry and continuing to flourish. Michael is the mastermind behind a unique musical genre – taking classic albums and re-imagining them as reggae. His production Dub Side of the Moon, a reggae version of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, is one of the best-selling independent reggae releases of this decade, and has been praised by Pink Floyd guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour himself. Likewise, the members of Radiohead are all fans of his album Radiodread, a reggae version of their classic OK Computer. His album, Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band is an adaptation of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album, and it not only held the #1 spot on the Billboard Reggae Chart upon release, but it was the first reggae album to crack the Billboard Top 200 in over two years. The most recent album in the tribute series produced by Michael is Easy Star’s Thrillah, a complete reggae version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. Michael has written, produced, arranged, and played on many of Easy Star’s releases, and has worked with some of the biggest names in reggae including Matisyahu, Steel Pulse, Third World, Luciano, Sugar Minott, Toots & the Maytals, Sister Carol, The Meditations, Ranking Joe, Frankie Paul, Morgan Heritage, Israel Vibration, Horace Andy, Sister Nancy, and Half Pint. He also produced Zion Crossroads for acclaimed blues artist Corey Harris, and the self-titled Hatikva 6 for Israel’s leading reggae band. In 2011, Michael did a dub version of top-selling U.S. reggae band Rebelution’s entire album Peace of Mind. He has done remixes for diverse artists such as Yoko Ono, Toots & the Maytals, Umphrey’s McGee, John Brown’s Body, and Tommy T of Gogol Bordello. Michael’s latest project is Goldswagger, a journey back to the r&b/soul/funk side of the reggae master. Goldswagger brings back the vibes of the late 70’s/early 80’s, when music was still recorded as live as possible in the studio and musicianship ruled the day. The first self-titled album of this project features all original compositions by Michael – songs about life, love, and staying positive. Michael plays guitar, keyboards, bass, percussion, and sings, along with musical contributions from John “JR” Robinson (Chaka Khan/Rufus, Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall), Manny Laine (Wyclef Jean), and Ivan Katz (Easy Star All-Stars) on drums; Bill Holloman (Nile Rodgers’ Chic) on horns, Uri Kleinman (Martha Wash) on bass, Shaul Eshet (Karolina) on keys, and guest lead vocals by Maya Azucena, Honey Larochelle, Lisala Beatty, Sophia Ramos, Robbie Rosen, Greg Vilfranc, and Melaku. As a DJ, Michael specializes in playing unreleased material from the Easy Star vaults, making each performance a unique experience. He has performed at both private parties and clubs in NYC, Jamaica, and Israel. Among his many fans are Emma Bloomberg (NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s daughter) who asked Michael and his band to perform Dub Side of the Moon at her wedding.