Definitively his most personal and generational work to date, Toronto singer, songwriter, two-time JUNO Award nominee, Canadian Reggae Music Award winner and best-selling author Jason Wilson and group celebrate the release of their new folk/roots album titled ‘Ashara’ at The Redwood Theatre.

Special guest openers are Toronto’s ‘The Two Bobs,’ featuring Wilson and JUNO Award winner, singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and The Satellites co-founder Fergus Hambleton.

‘Ashara’ (10 in Arabic, “beautiful peace” or “ash tree”) is Wilson’s 10th album – yet a debut for this group. It will be released on digital, CD and vinyl formats and features nine songs: Seven originals, one cover (track seven) and an adaptation of a 1590s poem (track nine). Wilson provided lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, organ and accordion, joined by Carl Harvey on guitar, Vince Reel on drums, percussion and acoustic guitar, Laurel Tubman on backing vocals, Michael Shapinko on bass and Marcus Ali on Irish flute, whistles and saxophones (plus the string and horn arrangements).

Album special guests include Scottish musicians Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton on whistles, Jack Smedley on fiddle and John Somerville on accordion. The string section; Jill Daley and Brielle Goheen on violin, Amanda Penner on viola and Alex McMaster on cello. Patrice Barbanchon on trumpet, Herbie Barnes on banjo and Tim Bovaconti on mandolin.

‘Ashara’ was produced by Jason Wilson and recorded at Canterbury Music Company, Toronto and Valley Road Studio, Stouffville, ON. It was mixed and co-produced by Mars Giammarco and Carl Harvey at Red Egg Studio, Bolton, ON and mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering, Toronto.

Singles/Videos:

First, “My Love Sings Like a Lintie”; https://youtu.be/BFTFiTkK-vY

Second, “An Evening in Paris in Cumnock Tonight;

https://youtu.be/VQuoW_G8khI

Wilson states, “The project was kick-started when I began to digitize my father’s amazing 8 mm films, that he began taking in Scotland in 1960. I wanted to go WAY back and explore the breadth and depth of my Ayrshire roots, and so, ‘Ashara’ is my most ‘generational’ work. Sometimes I’m shocked at how personal the lyrics are, but it is about my family, ...all the way back to my sixth-great-uncle John Davidson, who, as the “shoemaker” Souter Johnnie, appears in Robert Burns’ legendary poem “Tam O’ Shanter. It shouldn’t surprise about how ‘Scottish’ or ‘folky’ this album sounds; I play way more acoustic guitar than I ever have (in DADGAD tuning thanks to Dick Gaughan!). In this sense, the ‘sound’ is really me, who I am."

Jason Wilson is the protégé of renowned keyboardist Jackie Mittoo and has performed and recorded with UB40, Sly & Robbie, Ernest Ranglin, Ron Sexsmith, Amanda Marshall, Alanis Morissette, The Mighty Sparrow, Brinsley Forde (Aswad), Dick Gaughan, Messenjah and more. ‘Ashara’ (10 in Arabic, “beautiful peace” or “ash tree”) is Wilson’s 10th album. Career highlights include JUNO nominated ‘Jonah’ (2000) with ‘Jason Wilson & Tabarruk’ and JUNO nominated and Canadian Reggae Music Award-winning solo ‘The Peacemaker's Chauffeur’ (2008).

Facebook Event; https://www.facebook.com/events/825690715806354

More artist info: http://jasonwilsonmusic.com