Leason Jacobs - Music is Life - It Feeds The Soul!
Leason Jacobs started his musical journey at with a neighbourhood Steelband, Starlight Pioneers playing the bass pan. He joined with his siblings and performed in his first Panorama. As an adolescent he and his siblings moved on to play Arima Angel Harps where he was a Cello player, and would often take chances to fool around on the drum set. The older heads would often run him away from it telling him he was too young.
Leason on Drums - doing what he loves best!
Whilst attending Five Rivers Junior Secondary School he began playing with Arima Senior Comprehensive school band where his brother and sister were members of the school and band. He began on Cello and every opportunity he got he would find himself behind the drum set. The opportunity arose when the band’s drummer fell ill. He officially became the school’s drummer when he began attending the school after NCSE exams. There he won School Panorama and Schools Music Festival. The school band then began playing with Nutones Steel Orchestra for Panorama. Leason won his first Panorama playing Cello with Clive Bradley's High Mas. After Nutones the siblings moved onto Pamberi Steel Orchestra where he played Cello pan but he was sort of an understudy to Darceuil a well-known drummer and drummer for Pamberi.
When the Music Captures You!
After finishing school Leason went on to play with Skiffle bunch where he played Cello for a bit. He won the World Steelband Festival in the year 2000 playing Cello for the rendition In the Rainforest but played drums for the test piece Pan by Storm after being put on the drums by conductor Ben Jackson. Ben knew Leason very well from the school Panorama and Music Festival days as they were rivals, Ben being with Success Laventille School. His first Panorama as a drummer was with Skiffle Bunch playing Coffee Street by Andy Narell. This sparked his tremendous lifelong career as a drummer. Since then Leason has played with countless numbers of bands locally, regionally and internationally, with 40 Panorama wins in total.
Leason, Brent Holder MBE and Ken ‘Professor’ Philmore.
Trinidad and Tobago
Single Pan Bands Panorama Wins:
La Horquetta Pan Groove- 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
San Juan East Side Steel Orchestra- 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2025
Other Single Pan Bands he performed with include: San Juan All Stars and Newtown Playboys and Unistars Steel Orchestra
Small Bands Panorama Wins:
Merrytones Steel Orchestra- 2004
La Horquetta Pan Groove- 2017
Southern Stars- 2026
Other Small Steelbands he performed with include: Defence Force Steel Orchestra and TTEC New East Side Dimension
Leason Enjoying the music in the Heat!
Medium Bands- Panorama Wins
Courts Sound Specialist- 2008
Pan Elders Steel Orchestra- 2014, 2015
Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra- 2011, 2012
Other Medium Bands he performed with include: Couva Joylanders Steel Orchestra, Carib Dixieland Steel Orchestra.
Large Bands:
Phase II Pan Groove- 2006,2008
Other Large Bands he performed with include: Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra, Fonclaire Steel Orchestra, Supernovas Steel Orchestra, Starlift Steel Orchestra.
Leason with the Phase II Pan Groove Crew!
Regionally:
St. Vincent and The Grenadines:
Sion Hill Steel Orchestra Panorama Win- 2014
Starlift SVG Steel Orchestra Panorama Wins 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025
Antigua and Barbuda:
Halcyon Steel Orchestra Panorama Wins- 2010, 2011
Leason feeling the music with lightning hands!
Internationally:
Canada:
Pan Fantasy Steelband Panorama Wins- 2023, 2024, 2025
Other Canadian Steelbands he performed with include: Silhouettes Steel Orchestra
Leason chilling in Canada before performing with Pan Fantasy Steel Orchestra.
London:
Ebony Steelband Panorama Wins- 2022, 2023, 2026
Other UK Steelbands he performed with include Stardust Steel and CSI Steelband Trust.
Leason performing with CSI in London.
Leason has performed with many other bands outside of Panorama and travelled the world performing with bands such as Cane Fire (Latin/Jazz Band) from Toronto, the Pantasy Steel Ensemble, Bunji Garlin and the Asylum Band, Surface (Soca), Horizon the Band (Soca) and the Cecilia Mendez Project (Argentina).
He is currently the official drummer for the National Steel Symphony Orchestra of Trinidad and Tobago since 2018. Leason has also facilitated many workshops from France to Trinidad and Tobago for young and upcoming drummers/ percussionists. He is also a composer with his debut piece ‘Panoramic’ being featured at the National Steel Symphony's Pan on a Higher Note- Echoes through Generations in 2018 and ‘Rhythm of the People’ at the Jazz Fusion 2025.
Leason performing at the 1000 Pans Event in London’s South Bank.
Leason is a dedicated, passionate and accomplished drummer with a demonstrated history of delivering a range of captivating performances that resonate with local, regional and international audiences. He is a very adaptable and collaborative musician with a proven ability to connect with fellow musicians and inspire seamless musical synergy.
