The room is alive with rhythm. Passionate lyrics come from Roosta, the veteran Jamaican frontman. Deep reggae grooves. Hip-hop vibes with a twist of jazz and pounding funk bass. Music that arouses you to dance. A vibe so deep that powers across cultures and across oceans. This is Wheel Out!
Roosta was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica where reggae legends were the neighbors down the street. Roosta’s mom Annicia sang with the Crown Prince of Reggae, the great Dennis Brown. After arriving in New York as a young man, Roosta spent years as a frontman of Fear Nuttin Band, touring all over with the likes Toots and the Maytals, Tribal Seeds, SOJA and many others.
Now Roosta has brought together a new crew for a creative powerhouse. Improvisation and energy spark the way as they bring reggae to a new level. Combining roots rhythms and attitudes with modern cross-cultural vibes has bred a new and powerful force: Wheel Out!
It’s obvious what Roosta brings: fiery vocal skills and off-the hook freestyles. Longtime collaborator Tom Matthew on guitar combines rhythm & lead with a style that draws from Hendrix – psychedelia and psychosis . Bryan Worley on bass brings a heavy funk vibe and is always pushing the crowd to keep dancing. Javi Zen pounds the kit and spreads the jungle vibes through the roof.
Wheel Out! has a catalog that is largely original, though they pay tribute to some of the greats in reggae, soul and jazz with covers from Bob Marley, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Louis Armstrong. They frequently feature special guest artists from Jamaica as well as local hip-hop artists to drop in on the mic.
Wheel Out! is also known for their stripped-down acoustic set, Roostacoustic. You might catch them at a surprise small bar gig playing island vibes and getting soulful on you. They sound great on a big festival stage as well as at the restaurant for a late-night party. They’ve grown boldly from their years together in Total Collision and now push the vibes even deeper while we Wheel Out!
In 2023 they released their debut album “Stand Strong” which showcases the strength of their songwriting and performance with 11 original songs. They’re currently booking shows for 2024. Look for them all year long and get ready to feel the blaze from Wheel Out!