One of reggae’s hottest new international stars, Martin Zobel & Soulrise are joined by the legendary Fully Fullwood in their Bay Area debut on a short West Coast swing sandwiched between European tours. Tonight’s concert celebrates the release of the band’s Fullwood-produced CD, “Land of the Free,” which Reggaeville.com called “no less than probably the most massive, premium and genuine roots album ever recorded by a German, if not European, reggae artist.” In Germany Zobel and his band Soulrise are rising stars thanks to their hit 2010 album, “One Future!” Zobel met Fullwood in 2011, and the two struck an immediate bond that led to Fullwood producing the new CD in “Fully’s Kitchen,” his Southern California studio. Committed to the band’s success, Fullwood then signed on to be guest player on the group’s tour.

George “Fully” Fullwood is one of Jamaica’s iconic roots musicians, the bass player on countless sessions for most of the greats from the birth of reggae, from Bob Marley and Lee “Scratch” Perry to Max Romeo, Judy Mowatt, Black Uhuru, Augustus Pablo, Joe Higgs, the Mighty Diamonds and Big Youth, to name a few. He was also a member of Peter Tosh’s Word, Sound and Power band and the founder of Jamaica’s all-star band Soul Syndicate. In recent years he has turned more to producing, which led him to Zobel.

Son of reggae great Toots Hibbert, Junior Toots was born and raised in Jamaica. He is committed to socially conscious lyrics and a determination to express himself sincerely from within. This passion comes through in his soulful vocal style that’s reminiscent of his father, the lead vocalist of Toots and the Maytals. With a mixture of R&B, reggae, roots, and reggaeton, Junior Toots sings original songs with a message to unite and uplift, including “Ethiopian from Birth” and “Justice” from his recently issued CD, “A Little Bit of Love.”