by Howard Campbell

KINGSTON, Jamaica – As a drummer, Paul Kastick has backed some of the biggest names in dancehall-reggae including Shaggy, Sean Paul, Diana King, Big Mountain and Maxi Priest. Last year, he made his lead singer debut with a cover of Steely Dan’s Night By Night.

That is one of the 15 songs on My Reggae Rockin’ Journey Vol 1, Kastick’s first album which was released early this month by his company, Groove Galore Muzik. It hears him going reggae on rock anthems such as Here I Go Again, a monster hit for Whitesnake in 1987, and Every Rose Has its Thorn, Poison’s 1988 power ballad.

“It feels like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders getting this out, because most of these songs I listened to from I was in high school,” said Kastick.

At first, he approached established singers like Richie Stephens and Tarrus Riley to interpret songs on his reggae-rock project, but Kastick was encouraged by bass guitarist Taddy P, his bandmate in Maxi Priest’s band, to take on the vocals himself.

Kastick, who is from Montego Bay, produced most of the songs on My Reggae Rockin’ Journey Vol I. Night by Night and I Could Have Lied (a Red Hot Chili Peppers original) are produced by American guitarist Rudy Valentino with whom he has worked for nearly 20 years.

Kastick and Valentino co-produced Hideaway, Tessanne Chin’s 2010 breakthrough hit.