Hoover, Jayson (The Trials Of)
Websites:Â
https://citizenfreak.com/artists/90769-anvil-chorus
Origin:
Edmonton, Alberta - Vancouver, British Columbia, 🇨🇦
Biography:
Jayson Hoover was one of Canada’s earliest soul trailblazers, a powerful and versatile vocalist who brought a uniquely Black Canadian voice to the forefront of Vancouver’s music scene in the 1960s and 1970s. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Hoover relocated to Vancouver as a young man in the early 1960s and quickly immersed himself in the city’s thriving R&B circuit, earning a reputation for his magnetic stage presence and deeply expressive vocal style.
He first rose to prominence as the charismatic frontman of The Epics, one of Vancouver’s premier soul ensembles. With a commanding presence and smooth delivery, Hoover helped elevate the group to local renown during a time when few Canadian acts were exploring Black American musical idioms. But it was with his next project—The Trials of Jayson Hoover—that he truly broke new ground.
Formed in 1967, The Trials of Jayson Hoover was a genre-bending act that fused soul, funk, and psychedelic rock with a social conscience and a heavy groove. Their debut single “King Size,” released on Tom Northcott’s New Syndrome label in 1968, was a local hit, reaching the Top 10 on Vancouver’s CKLG charts. The group soon found themselves on the bill alongside acts like Vanilla Fudge and a then-rising Led Zeppelin at the Pacific Coliseum. These high-profile appearances helped cement their place in Canadian rock history.
As musical trends shifted, the band briefly rebranded as Anvil Chorus in 1970, leaning further into hard rock without abandoning their soul roots. By 1971, the project had run its course, but Hoover was far from finished.
Embarking on a solo career, Jayson Hoover leaned deeper into sophisticated soul and funk. His 1974 single “(She’s) My Lady” and its follow-up “Everything’s Alright” showcased an artist comfortable in both smooth balladry and danceable grooves. In 1975, he released his self-titled LP on Mushroom Records—a landmark album that blended West Coast soul, funk, and jazz in a way few Canadian records had done before. His later singles like “Free the People” (1976) and “Make Someone Happy” (1977) reflected his enduring optimism and belief in music as a force for connection.
Though never a mainstream star, Hoover remained a beloved figure in British Columbia’s music scene and an influential presence for generations of Canadian soul and funk musicians. His catalog—revived and preserved through sites like CitizenFreak.com—continues to resonate with crate diggers, collectors, and new listeners discovering his legacy.
In recent years, Jayson Hoover’s contributions to Canadian music have been re-evaluated with renewed appreciation. As a Black artist who navigated predominantly white rock and pop scenes, he carved out a singular space for soulful, genre-defying music that still feels vital today.
-Robert Williston
