Perry Tole

Perry Tole is a musical enigma. His passionate, rich instrumentals originate from the Caribbean culture of his Jamaican homeland. Perry Tole’s sound is a unique mix of reggae with undertones of rock and dub fusion supported by staccato drum beats and captivating melodies. It is a sound that is truly his own.

Growing up in Jamaica, Perry was surrounded by music starting at a young age. As a child, his first musical influences came from the jukebox at his mother’s restaurant. The sounds of reggae, R&B and country music were familiar to him, and in high school he began exploring the range of the rock genre.  Inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Cat Stevens, Perry first picked up the guitar at age 16.

Perry's love for making music led him to the Jamaica School of Music, where he became part of the progressive rock-reggae band, Native.  Perry was with Native for four years and in that time recorded three albums with the group as lead guitarist: Native, Native – In a Strange Land, and Native – New World. 

After separating from the group, Perry started a jingle production company and a few years later after being stifled by the politics in his home country, Perry came to the United States.  He settled in Indiana near close friends and has been writing and producing his own music since.

As a solo instrumentalist, Perry Tole adeptly plays a wide variety of instruments but his instrument of choice, his love, his forte is the electric guitar. Perry is a musical visionary.  “I am driven by melody,” Perry says.  “A song is a picture, and I want that picture to portray a certain feeling, a certain mood. I pay attention to how everything fits into that picture.”  While some of Perry’s songs easily fit within the smooth jazz and easy listening model, many of his songs escape convention, with the reggae-rock energy that give his sound, as he calls it, “dancability.”

Perry currently plays and writes solo, but performs live as a duo with drummer, Patrick Guynn.  Perry hopes to see his music reach as many people as possible.  Perry Tole’s debut album “Flight of the Eagle” is set to release on November 22, 2010.