Joseph Israel

If ever there was proof of the universal power and appeal of reggae music, it’s Gone Are the Days, the striking debut album from rising reggae star Joseph Israel. Israel receives an overwhelming response at his tour stops, including his most recent concert at the exclusive Universal Pictures party at the Sundance Festival in Park City, UT. Fresh from a smash hit showcase performance at the popular music conference South By Southwest with Lee "Scratch" Perry, Leon Mobley and Rocky Dawuni, Israel’s next stop will be performing with Luciano at a key Jamaican festival, followed by a spring American tour with reggae legends The Wailers.

Featuring sweet reflections of love, gripping, headline-torn news reports, moving tales of spiritual awakening and affecting calls for unity, Gone Are the Days is the first album from the Tulsa, Oklahoma-born, Arkansas-based singer, whose voice has for the past three years teetered on the edge of broader recognition.

Released March 20, 2007 by New Door Records/UME, the 15-track disc also finds Israel, who has toured nationally with Luciano and Abijah, backed by a litany of top reggae musicians, including saxophonist Dean Fraser, lead guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith and bassist Chris Meredith, who co-produced Gone Are the Days with Israel. Gone Are The Days is being released in its ground-breaking environmentally-friendly packaging format. As one of the firsts for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable, continuing the company’s long-standing commitment to being "green."

Recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, at the fabled Tuff Gong studios (birthplace of iconic albums by Bob Marley and his sons), as well as Shaggy’s Big Yard Studio, among others, Gone Are the Days features the stamp of approval from some of the genre’s heavyweights: The disc features collaborations with leading second-generation roots reggae artist Luciano ("Ruff Times") and Mikey General ("Universal Love"), as well as the smooth voices of Erica Newell and Rochelle Bradshaw (backing vocalists for Ziggy Marley and Luciano, respectively).

For Israel, born Joseph Montgomery Fennel, the disc represents the culmination of a lifelong fascination with the culture and music of Jamaica. It represents his strong belief in Jah (Yahweh) as the almighty God, and comes after countless sojourns to the island country to study the faith, music and culture.

Conscious and idealistic, the songs composing Gone Are the Days point to a better way to live, to a better world. "This CD, what it’s really all about to me, is bringing things out that haven’t been said", says Israel. "This is not a religious album. I’m just trying to promote the truth, and hopefully other people will want to hear it".

Recommended release:

	Title: Gone Are The Days Artist: Joseph Israel Year: 2007 Label: New Door Records/UME More info: www.josephisrael.com Where to buy: Amazon \| CD Baby
Tracks: 01 - Jerusalem 02 - Truth 03 - Gone Are The Days 04 - Jah Kingdom 05 - Mankind 06 - Hotta Fiyah 07 - Ruff Times (featuring Luciano) 08 - Jah Souljahs 09 - Perfect Love 10 - Be Together 11 - King Of Kings 12 - What A Day 13 - Universal Love (featuring Mikey General) 14 - A Tougher Battle Dub 15 - Jerusalem