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About Jay
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Walkaboutfish Records
presents Fiji-born didgeridoo artist and stringed instrument virtuoso Jay Hoad.
Jay performs both as a solo artist and also fronts an extremely high energy
band. He has two internationally-released albums to his credit, "Stories
For The Soul" and "Warmth In The White".
Jay has spent the last six years
touring the globe, following the sun and his inspiration for music throughout the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Fiji, and North America, keeping up a relentless
performance schedule whilst passionately learning about third world culture and every style of music he can sink his teeth
in to. Last year Jay was honoured to support Bob Marley’s
‘The
Wailers’ on the East coast leg of their North America tour, amongst
other international artists.
Now Jay is taking his unique show around Australia for the very first time with
the huge “Stories for the Soul” tour covering all major cities as well as a large portion of regional Australia. The tour
also includes performances in many surrounding countries including Fiji, New Zealand and Japan.
“Stories for the Soul” was released in 2011 through the
MGM/Green label and fuses many genres including
blues, roots, rock, funk, reggae, tribal, Latin and Celtic music. This album is a deeply personal
reflection taking us with Jay as he relives the past few years spent on the road and across the seas. Drawing inspiration from the his stories and experiences
around the world the tales reveal stories of love, learning, possibility and heartbreak; rich with history and central to the soul-building journey that is this release. The album features many of Australia’s premiere musicians including
Adam Page, Chris Finnen and
Ria Loof.
The live show is a very funky and high-energy performance that sees Jay sitting in a cockpit of instruments including
didgeridoos, weissenborn lap steel, dulcimer, guitar, harmonica, ocarina, percussion, loops, djembe, voice and then some. Mouth, hands and feet work in harmony as Jay fuses many genres and unusual instruments to create a sound that's hard to believe comes from just one person.
Effortless incorporation of loop stations allows Jay to go from one instrument to the next, creating a dramatic visual for the listener portraying a sound that can be compared to a large band. Jay also often strips his music back to beautiful acoustic weissenborn, dulcimer and dulsitar instrumentals, mesmerizing audiences with his controlled beauty as he makes his instruments talk.
Jay’s shows are always unique from one night to the next; he has a vast range of repertoire and prides himself on his consistent high energy "play every night like it's your last" vibe, always giving his audiences complete respect and a deeply heart felt performance.
His other projects include the Jay Hoad Band, a seven-piece ensemble featuring
Jim Miller (trumpet), Tim O’Brien (saxophone), Ria Loof (vocals), Mat Long (guitar), Henry Moncreiff (drums) and Miles Sly (percussion). Since the Jay Hoad Band was formed in 2007 they have done numerous tours throughout North America, Canada and Australia. The album "Warmth In The White" by the group enjoyed a successful
North American release in 2008 and received critical acclaim in Australia. Much like Jay’s solo show, the band covers many genres of music and has a fiesta-type vibe that has shaken dance floors at festivals from North to South and East to West!
The “Stories for the Soul” tour kicked off in Alice Springs on August 26th 2011 and continues throughout SA, WA,
Fiji, QLD, NSW, VIC, New Zealand, with a big wrap up in Japan in
mid-2012. The Tour sees Jay featured at many iconic venues and festivals so be sure to keep an eye on the website as you never know where he may pop
up!
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