Influences:
Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Denis Brown, Aswad, Jackie Mittoo, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Berris Hammond, Third World, Culture, Augusta Pablo, John Holt, Fela Kuti, Jimi Hendrix and many others....
One of Canada's top roots reggae collectives, The House of David Gang specialize in the timeless and classic Jamaican reggae sound of the 1970s and early 80s. Faithfully recreating the soulful roots rock reggae sound, The House of David Gang is a certifiable reggae orchestra. Comprised of a collective of artists, vocalists, horn players, guitars, keyboards and backed by a rock-steady rhythm section, The House of David Gang have headlined Rock, World Music, Caribbean and Reggae Festivals, made appearances on live to air radio and performed at Private, Fundraisers and Community events.
Feel free to drop us a line at houseofdavidgang@hotmail.com
Upcoming shows: House of David Gang
House of David Gang is a Toronto-based reggae outfit that delivers late 70s and early 80s style Jamaican reggae originals mixed with folk, soul, calypso, afrobeat, hip hop as well as classic reggae material of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Formed in Toronto over 15 years ago, the band is fronted by seasoned reggae veteran King Selah – a fixture of the Canadian Jamaican Reggae scene - and members have included members of Resinators, Irie Band, Explorer Band, Revelation, Selassie I Power, Imagine Rainbow Warriors and many others.
King Selah - lead vocals & back up vocals
At the young age 17, Desmond Anderson moved to Canada from his home in Portland, Jamaica. He was immediately taken in by the gospel community and sang for many years in church and festival choirs. Upon staring his own group which he called “Selah”, Desmond Anderson become the voice of a resurgence of a roots rock style in Toronto playing frequently at the Bambu, Lee’s Palace, and El Mocambo.
In 1988, two local bands, (Selah and Imagine Rainbow Warriors) merged together. Desmond became King Selah, the powerful lead vocalist with a heart of gold and the band was now called: “House of David Gang” - named after a Queen Street West house those very members shared and used to the host after-hour reggae parties 1988 -1995. Over several years many musicians have been a part of The House of David and the group played a key role in developing some of Toronto's top session and reggae players.
For the past 15 years King Selah and the House of David Gang have hosted the Toronto Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer Tributes which have helped bring spotlight Toronto's burgeoning roots rock reggae scene. Now with a new line-up the House of David Gang faithfully recreates the soulful and classic roots rock reggae sound (Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh). The band is a certifiable reggae orchestra; the band comprises multiple vocalists, horn players, guitars, keyboards and the rock-steady rhythm section of Collin "Jah-Lin" M. Edwards - (drums) and Uncledropsi (bass).
Collin 'Jahlin' Edwards on drums was born in Hanover, Germany. In 1987, he began performing as the drummer with reggae band Imagine Rainbow Warriors, led by local activist Steve Hall. He returned to his family roots in Jamaica in 1992 and stayed until 2003. He has worked with such artists as Gregory Isaacs and Yellowman. Collin's dynamic drum work gives the House of David Gang it's authentic and hard-hitting edge.
Jay 'High Plains Drifter' Cleary on rhythm and lead guitar was born in Toronto. Jay started his performing career while studying jazz at St. F.X. University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, co-founding his own funk-fusion project, High Plains Drifter. A versatile guitarist, Jay has played with Caution Jam, Duane Andrews, Mark Wilson & The Way It Is, The Irie Band, Dr. Dfunkt and he toured for 3 years with Capbe Breton Folk/Rock singer songwriter Aaron MacDonald. He has performed at the Atlantic Jazz Festival, Evolve Festival, Toronto Island Jazz Festival and more. Jay adds his enthusiasm and a funky jazz sound to the House of David Gang.
Mike Field Trumpet - The warm sound of Mike Field's horn is smooth and melodic. With twenty years experience as a soloist and collaborator, Mike can also be heard leading the horn section in reggae and world beat as well as jazz bands on a regular basis. His style is simple, it's sentimental, and it reflects the emotional colors we all experience in our daily lives. Born in Toronto, Mike has toured as a jazz musician in New York City, Denver, Berlin, Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Cyprus.
Dean Yeats Trombone- Dean Yeats is currently completing his Bachelors Degree in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto. Dean was the recipient of the University of Toronto’s Noreen and Phil Nimmons, and Mamie May entrance scholarships in 2005 and the Duke Ellington scholarship in 2007. Having played with Jazz Big Bands and smaller ensembles, it's Dean's arranging and writing skills that are important parts of his playing
PREVIOUS GIGS
Welcome to the House of David Myspace Page
Photo Collage of House of David Gang at El Mocambo for Peter Tosh Tribute 2007 - photo by Carl Hoskisson
Pick up your copy of the Movements Riddim album today. Featuring: Queen Ifrica, Luciano, Tony Rebel, TOK, Turbulence, Duan Stephenson, Bryan Art, and many more!!
What's goin' on House Of David Gang? What wonderful vibrations you are capable of. Transistors bridge where your vanity would never go. Please let me hear more of that wonderful sound. You are dressed with filaments and people take pains to make you fully incandescent this evening. How it passes there and back again like a tear drop glistening in moonlight. May you always have stables of horses to service your needs. Your tears evoke a taste as memorable as honey. Your intoxicating reflection can but incorporate freely into the powerful surface of a disintegrating mirror set afloat upon a swarm of locusts. Your cleverness helps me breathe without the need of oxygen. I desire to see life through your hallucinations so that they massage my viscera into an eternal state of turgid flux. Your reflections bring happiness that rends naked glass. I keep searching for you between the cushions. The stickers hugging the fruit smell better than the perfume of ambergris. Your layers of absinthe and torsion form concretions of hyper-alimentation.
And BTW -- Great News: AUX is coming to Rogers Digital Cable this fall as a full-fledged music channel. If you love our lineup now, you won't believe what we've got in the works!
Pama Intl-Happenstance is the first of 3 singles to be taken from Pama Intl's much anticipated forthcoming album Pama Outernational (scheduled for a Oct/Nov'09 release)
