FIDDLE / BVs
A full time member of Scottish reels band The Infamous Grouse and the London based Licence to Ceilidh, Jason has found himself representing traditional music and dance in many far flung places. He has also been courted to perform for the rich and famous including being asked to perform for Sting at his Birthday party in 2008 at his home in Wiltshire. Other persons of note or infamy depending on your view, to whom he has performed include, Steven Fry, Robert Downey Jnr, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kevin Spacey, Guy Ritchie, Thandie Newton, Saffron Burroughs, Jodie Kidd, Jemima Goldsmith
Despite hailing from a line of musical professionals Jason’s own musical career had a somewhat discouraging start. At the age of seven, having been presented with a cigar box violin, he proceeded for several years to nightly torturing his long suffering father who sat in dogged accompaniment on the piano. There being very little in the way of distractions in 1980’s Edinburgh, his perseverance not to mention, his fathers patience, ultimately paid off. On being presented with a beautiful 18th century Italian fiddle, his muse was complete and no time was lost before he found himself touring half way round the planet to grace the famous concert halls of Europe and America in the company of other talented musicians of his generation. A liberal arts education followed, studying fine art and design at Glasgow School of Art and an honours degree in music at University of East Anglia.
Since then Jason has gone on to carve a niche for himself in the worlds of post-rock electronica, nu- folk and traditional Scottish and Irish music. In 2003 Jason was a founder member of sublime postrocksters, ClubofRome. Radio1 dj Steve Lamacq famously wrote of their debut single ‘Apartment’, “If the Mercury prize panel could hear this, they would cream their pants!!”. Regular airplay on national and leftfield radio followed including the now legendary 4-hour marathon session on London’s Resonance FM in collaboration with sub-culture luminary and author of the era defining Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh. Key movers in the establishment of the Evil Art monthly series of pan-art minifests at the cavernous and sepulchral 291 Gallery in Hackney, the band used their influence to provide an important and groundbreaking platform for artists working across all performance media.
The decade progressed and finding himself looking for something altogether more ethereal, Jason joined nu-folkists Candythief in 2006 as their violinist in time to take a full role in string writing and orchestration for their widely admired second album Technicolour Wilderness, which was released on the King Creosote project label Fence Records in 2007. Again the album received much attention in national press and on national radio including multiple regular airplay on BBC’s Radio1 Radio2 and Radio6. Candythief are currently in the final stages of recording their third album and looking forward to taking it on tour. They have previously collaborated, supported and shared the bill with luminaries as diverse as Malcolm Middleton, Richard James, James Yorkston, Adrian Crowley, Pete Molinari and King Creosote to The Mystery Jets, Razorlight and The Subways. Having been raised in the best traditions of Scottish and Irish instrumental playing (he studied under Edinburgh violinist and fiddle virtuoso Edna Arthur for 10 years) it is natural that he devotes much time to this area which he considers perhaps his greatest passion. A full time member of Scottish reels band The Infamous Grouse and the London based Licence to Ceilidh, Jason has found himself representing traditional music and dance in many far flung places. During his tenure, he has toured extensively round Central Europe as well as it’s outliers including Kazakhstan, Romania and Russia, Morocco and Norway, In 2005 at the behest of the British high Commission, Jason led a tour of India culminating in performances in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. This relationship continues to this day with repeat annual tours. He has also been courted to perform for the rich and famous including being asked to perform for Sting at his Birthday party in 2008 at his home in Wiltshire. Other persons of note or infamy depending on your view, to whom he has performed include, Steven Fry, Robert Downey Jnr, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kevin Spacey, Guy Ritchie, Thandie Newton, Saffron Burroughs, Jodie Kidd, Jemima Goldsmith , , , ,
