Jason Ager is a blues-rock artist with hip-hop and R&B influences. Jason’s self-taught guitar style is distinguished by stylized palm muting and percussive striking. He has been playing original music since picking up the guitar, and has grown a loyal following in his hometown Philadelphia music scene. With moves to Washington, D.C. and now Baltimore, Jason is a staple in clubs from New York to Virginia. He leads a trio that moves audiences to the dance floor, and also performs upbeat acoustic music that tests the boundaries of the traditional singer-songwriter.

Jason sings of love, loss, and youthful misadventures on his debut CD Lunchdate, out on March 5, 2010. High-energy guitar riffs and a driving rhythm section get the feet moving, and the rapid-fire lyrics of a veteran emcee draw smiles as they inscribe pop culture references and inventive rhymes. The album’s 12 tracks capture the variety of Jason’s influences, from Marvin Gaye to Taj Mahal, G. Love to Ben Harper. His signature sound is evident from track one, as “Jocelyn” demonstrates the syncopated vocal style Jason has cultivated, and “Sing-Along Jawn” pairs a memorable hook with stuttered consonants a la George Thorogood. He even goes a little bit country on standout single “Strawberry Wine.”

Jason’s backing band, affectionately known as the C.O.P.O., is comprised of bassist Austin O’Connor and drummer Sheri Gallagher. Austin has been playing with Jason since high school, where his melodic jazz/funk style began to take shape. Sheri brought her impeccable snare work and tight drum fills to the group in 2008. The band has crafted their blistering live show at Philadelphia venues like World Café Live, M Room, North Star Bar, Grape St. Pub, and more, and now they want to focus on widening and diversifying their audience. In February 2010 Jason played the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, and is an original member of The Nine, a traveling singer-songwriter showcase founded by D.C. musician Justin Trawick, whose Philadelphia performances are now run by Jason.

Whether as a solo performer or as head of a power trio, Jason creates songs that are memorable for their accessible, modern sound steeped in blues and rock traditions. Lyrically, gritty details from personal anecdotes are related with a sense of humor, and an understanding that life’s greatest moments are shared. A musician who relishes connecting with live audiences, Jason is already testing out new material in venues up and down the East Coast, so find a show near you.