Victoria BC Ska Society members, Board and staff are thrilled to have the opportunity to experience BOOKER T. JONES - an act that represents such an important part of soul music history past and present. Booker T. Jones' work with Booker T & the M.G'S backing seminal artists such as Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett who have influenced thousands of musicians and fans in the ska/rocksteady/reggae scene world-wide since the inception of ska and rocksteady genres in the early 1960s.

It can be argued that it was Booker T. Jones who set the cast for modern soul music and is largely responsible for its rise and enduring popularity. On classic Stax hits like “Green Onions,” “Hang ‘Em High,” “Time Is Tight,” and “Melting Pot” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Musicians Hall of Fame inductee and GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient pushed the music’s boundaries, refined it to its essence and then injected it into the nation’s bloodstream.

While Booker T. Jones is most known for his lead role on the B3 organ in Booker T & the MGS he has continued to record with the whose who of contemporary soul, jazz, rock n' roll, hip hop and Latin based artists. In 2009 Booker T Jones was featured playing the B3 on Rancid's album Let the Dominoes Fall on the track "Up to No Good." In 2011 Booker T Jones recorded his ninth studio album titled The Road to Memphis on the ANTI record label. On the album he is backed by hip hop/jazz juggernauts The Roots. A fan favourite on the album played by Booker and the Roots is "Everything is Everything" written by Lauryn Hill. This album also features songs with Yimi Yames of My Morning Jacket; Matt Berninger of the National and Sharon Jones of Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings who sing a duet "Representing Memphis" and Lou Reed on the track "The Bronx."

His tenth and most recent album Sound the Alarm 2013 marked his much anticipated return to Stax Records. Sound the Alarm, finds the Hammond B3 organ master looking ahead yet again, laying down his distinctive bedrock grooves amid a succession of sparkling collaborations with some of contemporary R&B’s most gifted young voices.The album features guests appearances by Poncho Sanchez, Gary Clark Jr. Estelle, Anthony Hamilton and Vintage Trouble.

JESSE ROPER

Every day more excitement for Jesse Roper grows throughout Canada and beyond as his explosive live show that compliment the genuine qualitites of his music are discovered. Since his first critically acclaimed album release Son of John, Roper followed up with his much anticipated sophomore album Red Bird in early 2015. Since that release Roper has raised his profile to new heights. Before 2015 summer's festival season, he sold out The Imperial in Vancouver with colleagues Jon and Roy and Frankie. And when summer arrived he played on the Burnaby Roots and Blues Festivals supporting both Lee Fields and the Expressions and The Sheepdogs. Notably he was also a main act for Rock The Shores which featured The Black Keys and other popular bands.

Starting the guitar at six years old, Jesse soon mastered songs of heroes like Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin by ear. Battling with stage fright, he was thrown out onto the stage with sweaty palms and a queasy stomach, which was quickly overshadowed by the audience's overwhelmingly positive reaction. Since that time Jesse Roper has grown into the musician he is today. He appreciates legends before him such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, but his music remains current with the organic rawness of his vocals and guitar over shadowing any preconceived stereotypes made of blues musicians. His youthful energy captivates audiences while his knock out live performance blows them away.


MUD FUNK (featuring Tonye Aganaba)

Will Lloyd (guitar) and Adriana Parejas (lead vocals) have worked hard to stay true to their roots when composing for this multi talented 9 piece R&B soul big band. More musical creativity and leadership come courtesy of Paul Steppin Steffes (bass) and Chris Couto (drums) whose musical inspirations come from other successful Vancouver reggae and worldbeat groups such as Giraffe Aftermath and Kutapira. Kevin Lee (saxophone & keyboards) has a strong history in funk and soul which led him to tour Asia with his previous group Milk, and Kinta Maeda's Big Brass Sounds (trombone & trumpet). Gospel inspired harmonies warm up your soul with sweet backup vocals from Marina Lagace and Alison Mcclare.

Although Mud Funk are relatively new on the scene the experience and energy of their group is extensive. Mud Funk have played several sold out performances this year in Vancouver including the TD Vancouver Jazz Festival presented by Coastal Jazz Society.

Tonye Aganaba

Tonye Aganaba will be our special guest performing with Mud Funk on this most historic evening. Tonye is one of Canada's most promising R&B, hip hop soul performers performing on various large festivals, charity events and high profile concerts throughout North America. Tonye Aganaba performs frequently with her band Tonye Aganaba and the Foundation and also as "Magic T" in her hip hop, reggae R&B group The Red, Gold and Green Machine (LA/Vancouver). Tonye's infectious spirit and lush voice ooze with the undeniable essence of love, tenderness and togetherness, the very spirit which infects her favourite albums from childhood. As her family moved from one small town to the next, it was artists like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston who were her steadfast friends. They not only taught her how to sing and to move, but how to live creatively, and how to express herself honestly through the universal language of music.