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Tony Wilson helped shape creative music in Vancouver and beyond since the 1980s. A longtime Hornby Islander, Tone passed away suddenly on June 6, just weeks ahead of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival he performed at so many times (often on his birthday, which the Festival always coincided with). Tony led innumerable projects of his own compositions, and lent his stratospheric imagination to the Peggy Lee Band, Dark Blue World, Pugs & Crows, and his unflinching multi-disciplinary works like The Homeless Project.

Ever curious, and always able to channel fire and find channels to the spiritual, Tony’s far-ranging interest in composers and players from the obscure to the renowned often led him to present projects at the Festival that spotlighted and extrapolated on the works of Sonny Greenwich, Lenny Breau, Jim Pepper, Pedar Long, Frank Zappa, Sun Ra, and others. Tony’s improvisational genius and signature guitar playing elevated these performances beyond tribute, and often felt like a melding of powerful cosmic forces.

He was an open-hearted collaborator who paid tribute to so many, and though our hearts are hurting we’re looking forward to sharing time with many of Tony’s friends, family, and collaborators in the time slot that Tony was going to present “Flowers for Albert”, a project celebrating Albert Ayler. Instead, we’ll gather for Flowers for Tone, celebrating Tony’s profound impact and influence on our hearts and ears, and honouring his lasting legacy on the creative music scene.

The Flowers for Tone ensemble features James Meger bass, Kenton Loewen drums, Feven Kidane trumpet, Ruthie Ha saxophones, Peggy Lee cello, Cole Schmidt guitar, and several other guests.