Art Island S1E5: Tony Wilson - Musician, Composer, Author

In Episode 5 of ART ISLAND, Zsofin Sheehy joins jazz composer Tony Wilson in his Hornby Island studio, where the seeds of Tony's musical journeys are sown and cultivated. Tony shares both the joy, challenges, and drive behind his singular career and the expressive, often improvised compositions that earned him respect as one of the foremost jazz composers and musicians in Canada. But Tony's music is not only what makes his story exceptional. He candidly shares his life experiences of homelessness and addiction, and how he has used his art for creating dialogue about urgent social justice issues. Tony's humble recollection of his life, work and current projects carries wisdom for any viewer striving to realize their creative dreams.

[About Tony Wilson]
Tony Wilson began his musical studies in 1981 at Malaspina College in Nanaimo, where he studied composition with Pat Carpenter. After moving to Vancouver in 1987, he performed and wrote music for the sextet Video Barbeque which won a West Coast Music Award for its CD Maximillism. In 1990, he formed the Tony Wilson Sextet which performs original compositions as well as arrangements of the works of jazz luminaries such as Don Cherry, Sun Ra, Captain Beefheart and Duke Ellington. He also leads a quintet, a quartet and a trio in his name, as well as the 11+ piece band he formed to perform his multimedia presentation, The Homeless Project. Tony has toured across Canada, Europe and the United States, worked on commissions by international orchestras and dance companies, and has released six albums to date.

[Art Island: Perspectives from a Creative Community]
Who are the individuals that comprise the vibrant artistic community of Hornby Island? This 10-episode docu-series looks into the personal lives and artistic perspectives of local artists — our community members. Expanding on how they became artists, what inspires their art, challenges they've encountered, and how they persevered, Art Island is a deep dive into why artists feel art is important and how it has the power to affect us all.

[Credits]
Director & Cinematographer - Zsofin Sheehy
Associate Producer - Emma Walter
Assistant Director - Kris Krüg
Location Sound - Liam Wheatley
Sound Mix & Design - Matt Copeland
Title Animation - Grigorii Kniagnitskii
Colour - Bogdan Mykytenko

[Additional footage courtesy of]
Mike McKinlay
Lee Hutzulak

[Music]
Tony Wilson

[A Day's Life Band]
Tony Wilson - Guitar
J.p. Cater - Trumpet
Jesse Zubot - Violin
Peggy Lee - Cello
Russell Sholberg - Bass
Skye Brooks - Drums

[Photos courtesy of]
Bob Cain Photography
Hornby Island Archives
Chris Weixelbaumer
Don Peterson Photography

For more episodes follow the links below:

E1: Alina Milek    • Art Island S1E1: Alina Milek - Flower...  
E2: Tom Burrows    • Art Island S1E2: Tom Burrows - Sculptor  
E3: Moragh Eilish    • Art Island S1E3: Moragh Eilish - Mixe...  
E4: Michelle Nyberg    • Art Island S1E4: Michelle Nyberg - Pa...  
E5: Tony Wilson    • Art Island S1E5: Tony Wilson - Musici...  
E6: Alpen Kelley    • Art Island S1E6: Alpen Kelley – Paint...  
E7: Gordon Payne    • Art Island S1E7: Gordon Payne - Artist  
E8: Elaine Savoie    • Art Island S1E8: Elaine Savoie - Pain...  
E9: Tom Knott    • Art Island S1E9: Tom Knott - Artist  

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Funding for this episode of ART ISLAND is provided by the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, and the Province of British Columbia.