JASON REOLON

Based in Cape Town

Pianist Jason Reolon, son of the South African drumming legend Bobby Gien (performed with the famous Ronnie Scott Trio for 5 years) and jazz songbird, Josie Gien, helped to found the renowned jazz band Breakfast Included in 1999.

2001 was the year his band walked off with the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters trophy for best Jazz Band in the Western Cape for the second year running. It was in this same year that he graduated from UCT with a degree in jazz performance and composition and was also voted as winner of the South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) National Overseas Scholarship Competition for Best Jazz Pianist, an honour which took him to New York in 2004 to further his studies and career. He was chosen as pianist for the National Youth Big Band at the Grahamstown festival in 2001. Breakfast Included recorded and released two internationally acclaimed albums, Breakfast Included (2001) and Nightwork Ahead (2004).

Reolon has been a full time lecturer of Jazz Piano studies at the University of Cape Town's (UCT) College of Music for the last 8 years.

He plays in his own Piano Trio, entitled the Jason Reolon Trio. This group released it’s first album, Off the Record in 2007.

Reolon and his Trio recently collaborated with renowned South African jazz pianist, Andrew Ford and his Trio. Together with Cliff Wallis, they created the Double Standards show which has just been recorded live to be released on DVD.

He is a permanent member of the highly acclaimed jazz outfit Reality Radio,(formerly known as The Restless Natives) who recorded their debut double album,Wanted(2008 Acoustic/2009 Electronic).

Jason was also the keyboardist for the South African singing legend Vicky Sampson in 2008.

In September 2009, Jason was commissioned to form the band Mannenberg All Stars and arranged a version of Mannebergs which they performed at the prestigious Loerie Awards for Advertising.

He performed as Keyboardist/Percussionist/Composer for Electro House sensation group, Iridium Project and Groove Lounge Project, Magic Carpet Ride alongside renowned DJ artists Craig De Souza and Nick Matthews in 2008 and 2009.

Other projects and ventures include a Jazz/Funk Organ Trio, a Cuban Latin Group, an Adult Contemporary Rock Band,Merseystate, the Haydn Gardner & the Hot Shots and his own Solo Piano Project.

Jason has performed and collaborated with bands and renowned national and international artists from various genres including Karl Martin Almqvist, Martin Sjöstedt, Johan Hörlen, Fredrik Noren (Sweden), Ole Jørn Myklebust (Norway), Samuel Blaser, (Switzerland) Adrian Mears (Australia) Efrain Torro (Puerto Rico), Feya Faku, Ian Henderson, Siya Makuzeni, Rus Nerwich & The Collective Imagination, James Stewart, Swing Ting Big Band and EPO Electric Pops Orchestra conducted by Mark Cheney (South Africa) and Chris Collins & Salim Washington (USA).

He has recorded on various albums for bands and projects such as Jacsharp, Ginsberg & Herman, Claire Phillips, Shen Winberg and Merseystate on Acoustic Piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer and Hammond organ.

Jason performs regularly in and around the Western Cape and has performed on countless stages and festivals, the more notable ones being:

North Sea Jazz Festival
Cape Town International Jazz Festival
Grahamstown Jazz Festival
Davidoff Vocal Jazz Festival
Rocking the Daisies Festival
Up the Creek Festival
Synergy Festival
Durban July
J&B Met
Loerie Advertising Awards
H20 Festival
Flamjangled Tea Party Festival
National Freedom Day Concert
Kirstenbosch Sunset Concert
Oude Libertas Concert
Obz Music Festival
Queen's Plate
Cape Town Arts Festival
Smirnoff International Comedy Festival
Cape Town Jazzathon
Internationally in the UK, New York, Canada,Switzerland and Argentina

His main influences include Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett, Sting, Joey Calderazzo, Monty Alexander, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Jason Rebello, Herbie Hancock, Joshua Redman, John Coltrane, Horace Silver, Relax, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Wayne Shorter, James Brown, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner.

Jason performs on Steinway, Yamaha, Bosendorfer and Kawai Acoustic Grand Pianos as well as on a Nord Electro keyboard and is sponsored clothing by Puma