The past two years have been busy for Wildfire Records in terms of releases. The Philadelphia-based company, operated by Jamaican Earl Messam, has issued several compilation albums featuring veteran and upcoming artistes.

Messam continues that trend with All Star Album, a 22-song collection featuring acts such as Anaconda, Glen Ricks and Shan Bam. It is the follow-up to Champion Album and Ready fi di World, Vol 3 which were released in June.

The Clarendon-born Messam told Observer Online that his selection process is simple. He records veteran acts such as Ricks, Anaconda and Roland Burrell, but also looks to give Philadelphia-reared singers like Shan Bam, their break.

“All of my work is special, because of the love of music. The time that I have spent creating these songs, with handpicked artistes and producers, makes the work great and special,” said Messam.

Anaconda, who began recording in 2000, has five songs on All Star Album. They include Don’t Come A mi Yard, Woman and Caribbean Queen.

Shan Bam, who has Jamaican heritage, is featured on five collaborations including a cover of Beres Hammond’s No Goodbye, which she did with Ricks.

The evergreen Ricks, whose career started in the late 1960s, was a part of Toronto, Canada’s growing reggae communities at that time. In 1970, as a member of The Fabulous Flames (which included Lovindeer), he had a massive hit song with a reggae version of Neil Diamond’s Holly Holy.

When Love is New is Ricks’ other song on the All Star Album.

Messam got involved in the music business in Jamaica during the 1980s. He continued to produce artistes after moving to Philadelphia late that decade, and has worked in recent times with Burrell, best known for the hit songs, Stormy Night and Johnny Dollar.

— Howard Campbell