Victor Axelrod If You Ask Me To...

If you’re a fan of Daptone Records, chances are you’ve read or heard the name Victor Axelrod, and even if you haven’t, you’ve heard music from his hand. As a producer, arranger, recording and mixing engineer, and keyboardist, his creativity has extended across more than two decades of the label’s releases, even dating to its prehistory with Desco Records. Featuring previously unreleased tracks by Sugar Minott and Binky Griptite, If You Ask Me To (the first LP under his name for the label) is a collection of singles released between 2007-2023.The genesis of the project came via an 11th hour request from Daptone for a Sharon Jones remix in 2007 that resulted in the reggae version of “How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?” found here. This opened the door to additional explorations of reggae/soul synergies within the catalog, affirming the musical and cultural link between Daptone’s core soul sound and Axelrod’s passion for Jamaican music. While previous projects like Tick