Roots Tonic was the name of the three piece rock-reggae band best known as Matisyahu's backing band during live shows and studio recordings. The band was made up of Aaron Dugan (guitar and sounds), Josh Werner (bass and keyboard, also co-writes songs with Matisyahu), and Jonah David (drums and percussion). They have recorded two studio albums and a live album with Matisyahu, but the name Roots Tonic was first mentioned on the inside cover of Matisyahu's 2006 major label album Youth and its dub version, Youth Dub.
Youth producer Bill Laswell was so impressed with the band that he invited it to record a dub album with him. The result, Roots Tonic meets Bill Laswell, was released in mid-2006 on Reach Out International Records.
In 2007, first Jonah David, and shortly after Josh Werner left Matisyahu's live band, which meant the end of Roots Tonic as well.
In 2009/2010, Dub Trio became Root Tonic's successor to support Matisyahu live on stage.
In 2011, Bill Laswell and Josh Werner produced Lee "Scratch" Perry's studio album "Rise Again"; Aaron Dugan plays guitar on select tracks.
Lee "Scratch" Perry was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development of dub music with his early adoption of remixing and studio effects to create new instrumental or vocal versions of existing reggae tracks. He worked with and produced for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, The Congos, Max Romeo, Adrian Sherwood, Beastie Boys, Ari Up, The Clash, The Orb, and many others.
William Otis Laswell is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, world music, jazz, dub, and ambient styles.
Praxis is the name of an experimental rock project, led by producer/bassist Bill Laswell and featuring guitarist Buckethead and drummer Brain in nearly every incarnation of the band.
Painkiller is a band that formed in 1991, combining avant-garde jazz and grindcore. Later albums incorporated elements of ambient and dub.
Ejigayehu Shibabaw, known by her stage name Gigi, is an Ethiopian singer. She has performed the music of Ethiopia in combination with a wide variety of other genres, often in collaboration with her husband Bill Laswell, a bassist and producer.
Live at Stubb's is a live album by Matisyahu. It was recorded live at Stubb's in Austin, Texas on February 19, 2005 under his record label Or Music. The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart, then seven months later it debuted at number 176 on the Billboard 200. On the issue of January 7, 2006 it reached the top of on the Reggae Albums Chart, and on the issue of March 18, 2006 it reached number 30 on the Billboard 200. The album was also certified gold by the RIAA on February 27, 2006 with over 500,000 copies sold. On December 27, 2006 it was announced that Live at Stubb's was ranked 2nd on the Billboard Reggae album charts for the year. The CD contains the music video for "King Without a Crown".
Shake Off the Dust... Arise is the debut album by Matisyahu and was released October 28, 2004 by JDub Records. It fell out of print following his move to Epic Records, and would remain a collector's item until it was remastered and reissued in October 2010, sold exclusively through his official website. The album is now widely available as a digital download through standard retailers, albeit with modified cover art. The album's name comes from the Hebrew liturgical poem "Lekhah Dodi" which is sung by most Jewish denominations in order to welcome the holy Sabbath, which in the poem is referred to as a bride.
Youth is an album by American reggae singer Matisyahu, which was released on March 7, 2006. It is his second proper studio release, as Live at Stubb's is a live album. The CD quickly shot to the top of iTunes best sellers list the day it was released.
Youth Dub is a bonus disc released in conjunction with Matisyahu's second studio album Youth. Both discs were released on March 7, 2006. Youth Dub is included with some copies of Youth and is available as a limited edition, stand-alone album. Producer Bill Laswell made a King Tubby style dub remix of Youth, adding effects and bringing to the fore the music of the backing band Roots Tonic rather than Matisyahu's vocals. Laswell was so impressed with the band that he invited them back into his studio and teamed up for an all-instrumental dub album, Roots Tonic meets Bill Laswell.
Dub Trio is a dub/rock cross-over band from Brooklyn, New York City, New York.
Last Exit was an American free jazz supergroup, composed of electric guitarist Sonny Sharrock, drummer/occasional vocalist Ronald Shannon Jackson, saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, and bass guitarist Bill Laswell. They were active from 1986 to the early 1990s, releasing primarily live albums recorded in Europe. Sharrock's death in 1994 caused the dissolution of the band, though touring had not occurred for several years before his demise. The band is unrelated to the 1970s British jazz fusion band of the same name.
Matthew Paul Miller, known by his stage name Matisyahu, is an American Jewish reggae singer, rapper, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician.
Transmutation is the first album by Bill Laswell's ever-changing "supergroup" Praxis. The album was released in 1992 and features Buckethead on guitar, Bootsy Collins on bass and vocals, Brain on drums, Bernie Worrell on keyboards and DJ AF Next Man Flip on turntables.
Tribal Seeds is an American reggae band based in San Diego that was formed in 2005 by the Jacobo brothers, singer Steven Rene and producer Tony-Ray.
Josh Werner is an American bassist, producer, composer and songwriter.
Aaron Dugan is a guitarist, composer and songwriter originally from Philadelphia who resides in Brooklyn. Dugan has performed and recorded with a wide variety of musicians and producers including Roots Tonic, Matisyahu, Trevor Hall, Bootsy Collins, Amy Carrigan, John Zorn, Maya Dunietz, Chris Tunkel, Mark Guiliana and Bill Laswell. Dugan has clinched two Gold Records as lead guitarist on Matisyahu's Live at Stubb's and Youth, and has recorded two solo albums featuring his own compositions.
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is an American reggae and jam band from Rochester, New York, founded in 2001 and known for their live performances and authentic roots reggae and dub sound.
Jonah David is a drummer/percussionist who has performed and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Matisyahu, Costello, Roots Tonic, Josh Werner, Bill Laswell, Braindance, Joshua Nelson, King Django and the Brooklyn Funk Essentials.
Undercurrent is an album by American reggae singer Matisyahu, which was released on May 19, 2017. It is his sixth studio release, and follows 2014's Akeda. Undercurrent was recorded in Brooklyn, New York.
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