Jason Wilson and Ashara

JASON WILSON AND ASHARA 'Where Scotland meets Jamaica in Canada!'

The brainchild of the two-time Juno Awards nominee, CRMA award-winner and bestselling Scottish-Canadian musician-author Jason Wilson (Wilson & Swarbrick), Ashara presents a joyful blend of Scottish folk, global roots and reggae. Wilson, who provides vocals, acoustic guitar and piano, is joined by saxophonist Marcus Ali, vocalists Laurel Tubman and Karen Weigold, drummer Vince Reel and bassist Michael Shapinko and legendary Jamaican-Canadian guitarist and bandleader to Toots & The Maytals, Carl Harvey. The project also offers a rotating cast of award-winning Scottish trad musicians as special guests that often includes the great Highland piper Ali Hutton (Old Blind Dogs), award-winning fiddler Patsy Reid, feted accordionist John Somerville (Treacherous Orchestra), noted fiddler Jack Smedley (Rura) and Scottish-based Jamaican songstress Subrina (Ibrina) Ward and others. The lead singles ‘My Love Sings like a Lintie’ and ‘An Evening in Paris in Cumnock Tonight’ have already received extensive airplay across reggae and folk music radio shows in Scotland, England, Ireland and Canada. The project debuted in Scotland in January 2023 with six dates including one at the Celtic Connections music festival in Glasgow. The eponymous album will be released on 29 September (Wheel Records/Proper Music Distribution). Wilson – who has recorded and performed with Alanis Morissette, UB40, Dick Gaughan, Pee Wee Ellis, Sly & Robbie, Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick among many others – has several tour dates lined up for Ashara, including stops across Ontario, Western Canada, Australia/NZ and Fiji, Scotland, England and the Cayman Islands.