Vancouver-born, Toronto-based trumpeter, composer, and producer Jacob Soucy releases his debut album Vision Is Essential, August 07, 2024.
Vision Is Essential fuses the extensive influences of Jacob’s time in British Columbia with his experience studying music in Toronto alongside the best young jazz musicians in Canada.
Jacob’s life has been spent tapping into both the music that came out around the time of his birth at the turn of the millennium, as well as the music his parents, peers, school, and the internet introduced him to. This includes jazz, funk, pop, hip-hop, neo-soul, house, and more. Jacob’s unique taste is made apparent through the way he plays trumpet, the songs he writes, and how he produces records.
Jacob first experienced live music and recording sessions first hand thanks to his late father—an award-winning keyboardist and producer. This combined with encouragement from his mother who worked as a radio host led to him picking up the trumpet and drums in elementary school. In 2011, Jacob and his family moved from Vancouver to Vernon, British Columbia where he thrived in his high school’s jazz band while simultaneously learning to make beats on his first laptop. Positive experiences playing music with peers in high school led Jacob to pursue studying music in Toronto, where he would meet the eventual contributors to his debut album while he completed his Bachelor of Music degree at Humber College.
In 2022, the summer after his third year at Humber College, Jacob released a recording of his final recital as a live album — original songs performed in his school’s auditorium. The live version of “Icebreaker” was played by Jaymz Bee on JAZZ.FM91. Last summer, Jacob and his band performed at Trillium Park at Ontario Place.
