Jason Reolon

Pianist Jason Reolon is a household name in the South African Jazz fraternity.  This son of the South African drumming legend Bobby Gien (who performed with the famous Ronnie Scott Trio for 5 years) and jazz songbird, Josie Gien, has won numerous awards, studied internationally, and co-founded the renowned jazz band Breakfast Included, which has recorded and released two internationally acclaimed albums, Breakfast Included (2001) and Nightwork Ahead (2004).

Jason graduated from UCT in 2001 with a degree in jazz performance and composition, and was, in the same year, 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 also chosen as pianist for the National Youth Big Band at the Grahamstown festival in 2001 and in the same year, Breakfast Included walked off with the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters trophy for best Jazz Band in the Western Cape for the second year running.

Reolon, who has been a full time lecturer of Jazz Piano studies at the University of Cape Town's (UCT) College of Music since 2003, now also plays in his own Piano Trio, entitled the Jason Reolon Trio. This group released it’s first album, Off the Record in 2007, and 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.

Other highlights and projects include:

• Being a permanent member of the highly acclaimed jazz outfit Reality Radio (formerly known as The Restless Natives)
• Performing as keyboardist for the South African singing legend Vicky Sampson in 2008
• Being commissioned to form the band Mannenberg All Stars and arrange a version of Mannebergs which they performed at the prestigious Loerie Awards
• 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 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 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 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, Chris Collins & Salim Washington (USA), and the Electric Pops Orchestra (EPO) conducted by Mark Cheyne (South Africa).

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.  He is sponsored clothing by Puma