Jason Wilson's Sumach Roots

Sumach Roots presents a groundbreaking musical journey into Toronto’s history

There’s never been a more important time to know our history. Understanding that the fundamental challenges we face as a society today are not dissimilar to those our ancestors faced gives us a fresh perspective on our lives. One of the common threads is music and, with that as its foundation, Sumach Roots (the album and live show) takes audiences on a bold and innovative exploration of Toronto’s evolution over the past three hundred years. The brainchild of two-time JUNO nominee and best-selling historian Jason Wilson, Sumach Roots draws from a deep well of sounds—from traditional British folk to bebop jazz and classic reggae—in order to tell the stories of those who built Toronto, both literally and culturally.

With a top-flight cast of performers joining him on stage (including award-winning actors Sara Moyle, Herbie Barnes and Jim Armstrong), Wilson delves into the late 18th Century diaries of Elizabeth Simcoe, the impact of the Irish Famine, the great Toronto fires of 1902 and 1904, and other crucial moments that illuminate the host/immigrant experience in Toronto. Sumach Roots follows Wilson’s acclaimed 2016 album Perennials as the second part of his Valley Road Trilogy, a celebration of “place” and an invitation to bridge the various enclaves and ethnic borders that demarcate the city.