'JONAH' record review/from 'ROCKERS' (Belgium Serial)

ROCKERS REGGAEZINE
February 2001
"FRESH & CLEAN" SECTION

(Translated from Dutch)

JASON WILSON & TABARRUK - 'JONAH' (WHEEL RECORDS)
In Canada there has always been a booming reggae scene. Organ virtuoso,
studio wizard and riddim brain (the late) Jackie Mitoo emigrated at the
end of the 60's to Ontario, where his Studio One companion Leroy Sibbles
(singer with The Heptones and also as bassist whose contribution to the
riddims Jackie Mittoo created is important) also settled. Also the late
Joe Higgs, original hit maker during the Ska area, tutor to Bob Marley
and writer of a foursome classical reggae albums, stayed a long time in
Canada. Alton Ellis, the king of rock-steady, and his son Noel, a now
forgotten roots singer from the rub-a-dub area have also lived in
Canada.

Just to illustrate that Jason Wilson could have met lesser
influences when he was a young kid starting to play reggae himself. You
even get the impression that he wants to excel past his Jamaican
influences, so ingenious and virtuous is the music he developed. This is
not typical reggae anymore, but a thoughtful, at times high driving
interpretation of the original simple rhythms. There are horns and
violins taking part, congas and accordions, real and programmed drums.
The songs dare you to listen very carefully, and again, and again, to
better hear all details and subtleties. The lyrics are of a literary
content, even mythologist and melancholy, both strange and recognizable
(that is if you occasionally read a book).

This in short, is reggae for the experienced, with all respect to those
who don't want to look further than riddims and reality lyrics. Try to
picture yourself how UB40 would sound today if they were still writing
their own songs, and if they would have had themselves led by the same
evolution that Sting experienced. Though this comparison may have
something to do with UB40's Michael Virtue joining on keyboards, and the
successful cover version of UB40's 'Sardonicus'. Perhaps Sting is the
right reference - like him, Jason Wilson dares to join reggae rhythms
with jazz vibes and pop influences.

Tabarruk dare to walk on new paths, where no rastaman has gone before.Maybe you should have a degree to completely get 'Jonah', posess an
academic mind, be a boring white ass! Sometimes really that is me, and
during those moments I really like to listen to this album. And
according to me this CD should get better with the years. I'll keep you
posted. (KM)

In the past month I have encountered a great reggae band playing at various venues throughout Saskatoon. The most striking things about the band in the three shows I was able to see were the vocal and keyboard skills of bandleader Jason Wilson. I was impressed first by his obvious grounding in traditional reggae and second by the way he used his skills as a pianist to supplement this rootsy sound. The sets I saw him play flawlessly blended covers by the traditional reggae greats with songs of his own without making his compositions seem out of place.

Wilson’s third album was released this summer on an Ontario based label, and it features twelve original songs, recorded with impeccable production values. Wilson has spared nothing in creating exactly the sound he wants for every track, despite the fact that he plays every instrument available in the live shows, he still has assembled a rather large list of guest musicians. Jonah features the sounds of flugelhorn, trumpet, trombone, violin, saxophone and bassoon, creating a variety of musical voices to complement Wilson’s keyboard work. Despite the Sting-like variety in instrumentation, it is the sounds of Wilson’s keys that take these songs beyond a traditional reggae sound. Jonah rarely loses its undeniable reggae beat, but Wilson and Tabarruk take that rhythm to places it has never been, occasionally breaking away from the bouncy reggae tempo but always returning to it.

Wilson is an incredible musician, and this is clear to anyone who saw him play live this summer, even if they don’t like reggae. But he does not use Jonah as an opportunity to show off his playing skills with lots of flamboyant solos. Instead, the song writing is the show-case of this album, and each song sounds painstakingly crafted and produced into a piece of striking contemporary reggae.

Jason Wilson’s vocals also do a lot to make this album as good as itis, and his voice is as good a reason to see him live as his instrumentation. When I had a chance to speak with him, he struck me as an interesting guy, a modest self-supporter, a man immersed in hockey history, a man well rooted in his Scottish heritage, but not as the kind of guy who fits the reggae stereotype, so when I listen to

his album, it seems hard to believe that these vocals are coming out of this guy. This is a big part of why his live shows are so striking, and even liberating. This is why I plan to see him play whenever I get the chance.

I just received the package. THE MUSIC IS WILD. It was beyond what I had expected. This album, if given the right push will be a classic. It is a pity that Jamaican radio is so backward. I played three tracks on Sunday at the beach and my mature listeners were impressed. It is nice hearing Rappa Robert again. IT IS SO SAD THAT OUR RADIO IS CAUGHT UP IN THE SEX/VIOLENCE TRIP. The album is so refreshing that last night I put it in my Walkman and climbed a tree and took in the sunset in a bliss. There is a close relation/vibration with nature/rural life that make feel very close to this work. I understand that the geographical terrain/existence differ but musically there is a strong magnetism with the lyrics/arrangements that I can identify with. All tracks are bombastic, painting their own pictures.