On Valentine’s Day (February 14), Jay Douglas stopped by Toronto’s Sonic Boom Records for an intimate performance for the Lovers Rock Extravaganza, and now you get to experience the love for yourself.
Accompanied by a four-piece band, the free performance at Canada’s largest independent record store celebrated the release of his documentary, the excellent Play It Loud: How Toronto Got Soul. Directed by Graeme Mathieson, the film delves into Toronto’s untold music history by documenting Black music in Canada. Mathieson shines a spotlight on Douglas, who is credited with shaping the Caribbean-infused music known as the “Toronto sound” that is celebrated today.
During the performance, Douglas introduces the songs with an anecdote about auditioning in Kingston, Jamaica, alongside the legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers, a piece of history which is further recounted in the documentary. Douglas also shares how researching the music of Ray Charles and B.B. King during the COVID-19 pandemic helped to inform his 2022 record Confession.
“They’re all connected,” Douglas shared of reggae’s roots in American blues. “All connected, just like you and I are connected spiritually.”
Watch Douglas’s performance below.
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