Jason Wilson Band Reggae Band from Toronto, ON

“You can make a legitimate argument than no Canadian artist has ever done more to innovate within his genre and expand popular perceptions of what his artform represents than Jason Wilson has for reggae music” - WORD “Deeply satisfying reggae for aware, intelligent grown-ups...a marvel from start to finish” - Ted Boothroyd – The Beat “You would have to separate him from so many of his contemporaries…treating listeners to smart, literate songs” - Errol Nazareth – The Toronto Sun Jason Wilson is a two-time Juno-Awards nominee and Canadian Reggae Music Award winner from Downsview, Ontario. Born to Scottish parents, Wilson was the protégé of Studio One keyboardist Jackie Mittoo and is the cousin of UB40's Michael Virtue. Wilson played his first night-club gig with Messenjah when he was only fourteen. Known for incorporating jazz and Scottish and English folk influences atop a reggae foundation, Wilson is a multi-instrumentalist though is perhaps best known for his piano skills. The singer-songwriter has performed and recorded with UB40, Alanis Morissette, Sly & Robbie, Ernest Ranglin, Pee Wee Ellis, Dave Swarbrick, Ron Sexsmith, The Mighty Sparrow, Percy Sledge, Brinsley Forde (Aswad), David Francey and many more. Wilson has extensive studio-session experience on his native instruments the piano and voice, but also on bass, guitar and accordion. Wilson has also been featured on many radio and television shows and is no stranger to the CBC where he has guested on many national and local programmes including Metro Morning; Fresh Air; The Current; Ontario Today; Big City, Small World and Mama Yama. Jason's own life story and music was featured in a special mini-documentary entitled 'The Grateful Dread' that appeared on The National with Peter Mansbridge. Similarly, Wilson's life was featured in a documentary on BBC radio. Author of four books (including the award-winning Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup), Wilson has been published several times in both academic and popular journals on a wide variety of historical topics and was nominated by the Guelph Mercury for their “Top 40 Under 40” campaign for his achievements in music and in academics. In the summer of 2009, Jason served as the lone professional musician on the advisory committee alongside Senator Pamela Wallin and others for the 'Cantos at the King Eddy' project in Calgary that will soon provide Canada with a national music museum. A current holder of a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, Wilson's research has included works on Canadiana, pop culture, the First World War, hockey, immigration and, of course, music. Indeed, much of the material found on Wilson's five critically acclaimed albums have largely been inspired by events in Canadian history. Jason's song-writing combines, as journalist Nicholas Jennings confirmed “his historical perspective and inventive arrangements on thoughtful, genre-stretching songs about human conflict.” Wilson was the on-stage musical director for the award-winning project Jamaica to Toronto (NOW Magazine Album of the Year 2006) and is co-leader of the popular Marley/Dylan tribute act The Two Bobs. Wilson is also one-half of the reggae-folk combo Wilson & Swarbrick and is the leader of Soldiers of Song, a tribute to Canada's famous Dumbells of WWI. Jason was presented with The Karl Mullings Memorial Award for commitment to reggae in Canada in 2007. No other Canadian reggae artist has toured as much as Wilson in the past ten years. With intriguing lyrical imagery – mostly culled from moments in history – Wilson presents a uniquely irresistible take on the Jamaican art form. Some of the festivals that Jason has performed at during previous tours include: · Vancouver Island MusicFest · Vancouver Folk Festival · Canmore Folk Festival · Calgary Folk Festival · Edmonton Folk Festival · Celtic Connections (Glasgow, Scotland) · Sidmouth Folk Festival (England) · Wickham Folk Festival (England) · Jazz on the Green (Kingston, Jamaica) · Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival · Hillside Festival (Guelph) · Calgary Reggae Festival · Irie Music Festival (Toronto) · Beaches International Jazz Festival (Toronto) · Rythmes Tremblant (Mont Tremblant, PQ) · Vancouver International Jazz Festival · Montreal International Jazz Festival · SaskTel International Jazz Festival (Saskatoon) · Toronto Beaches International Jazz Festival · Cool Jazz Winnipeg Festival · TD Canada Trust Calgary Jazz Festival · Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival · The Small World Festival (Toronto) · Montreal International Reggae Festival · Winnipeg Ska Festival · Saskatoon Reggae Festival · Summer Solstice Festival (Gravelbourg, SK) · Mount. Beat & Blues Festival (Revelstoke, BC) · The Shoreline Festival (Rollo Bay, PEI) · The Off Festival (Quebec City, PQ) · Komasket Festival (Vernon, BC) · and many more…