**NEW: The band info has been updated on the official site. Check it out here.**
Portland, Maine based songwriter, guitarist and producer Jason Spooner has been a visible and respected presence on the northeastern and national live music circuits for close to two decades.
As the bandleader of The Jason Spooner Band (Dan Boyden – Drums, Stu Mahan – Bass, and Dawson Hill – Keyboards), Spooner has expanded his musical horizons significantly over the course of five studio releases.
The quartet stands out with an interesting signature sound that appeals to a wide range of audiences… seamlessly blending a variety of musical influences into a cohesive, energetic and listenable experience. Roots, Rock, Americana, blues, folk, and groove-oriented jazz with undercurrents of reggae and soul are all accounted for here and supported by audibly strong musicianship, interesting arrangements and well-crafted, intelligent writing.
Jason Spooner
Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
This multi-award winning New England-based songwriter discovered his father’s collection of eight-track tapes as a child and never looked back. After early exposure to songwriter legends like Neil Young, Paul Simon, Jim Croce and Van Morrison along with Motown heavies like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight, Jason was inspired to start making the rounds on coffee house stages in his teens. Before long, Jason jumped head-first into the Northeast’s burgeoning songwriter scene.
Jason recently won the 2007 Mountain Stage New Song contest international finals at the South Street Sea Port in New York City. He was also a national finalist in the 2007 Starbucks Music Makers Competition. He toured the East Coast in the Spring of 2006 as part of the Falcon Ridge “Most Wanted” Preview Tour. Jason was honored as a 2006 New Folk Finalist at the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX. Jason and the band returned to both Falcon Ridge and Kerrville in the summer of 2007 as main stage acts. Previously, he won the 2005 Songwriting Contest at the Ossipee Valley Bluegrass Festival in NH and was a finalist in the prestigious 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Comp. Other highlights include Jason’s song “Pickup Truck” airing on NPR’s “Car Talk” Program and a national appearance on The Food Network’s “FoodNation with Bobby Flay.”
Dan Boyden
Drums
More coming soon…
Stu Mahan
Bass
Inspired by the low-end of Berry Oakley, Wilton Felder, John Paul Jones, Paul Jackson, Family Man, and many others, Stu took up electric bass as a freshman in high school and quickly absorbed the fundamentals of the instrument. Stu’s path led him to the University of Maine Music program where he sharpened his skills, broadened his repertoire, and met some of his favorite musicians and educators to this day. In 2005, Stu moved to Portland, Maine, where he worked the bar and club scene, quickly becoming a ‘first-call’ bass player. Hailing from the quiet solitude of Pemaquid, Maine, Stu’s adventures eventually led him to of Brooklyn, New York, where he cut his teeth with some of the strongest musicians on the scene. Upon moving down he toured extensively with New York based rock band The London Souls and Eric Krasno Band. Stu has shared the stage with Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule, Maurice Brown, North Mississippi All-Stars, Samantha Fish, Soulive, Dave Gutter, Lettuce, Spencer Albee, George Porter Jr, Eric Krasno, Ivan Neville, Jason Spooner, Marcus King, Dominic Lavoie, David Hidalgo (of Los Lobos), Lyle Divinsky (of Motet), among many other incredible artists.
Under the project name ‘North Blood’, Stu has recently released a reggae 45 b/w dub-side. His production work includes Octopus Kid, The Tristones, Aimee Bayles, Royal Hammer, The Gainers, Lauren Crosby, and Zesty! among others. He is currently working with Kenya Hall and Sam Whitman on their respective upcoming albums.
Source: https://www.stumahan.com/bio
Dawson Hill
Keyboards
More coming soon…