Jason Didner and the Drive

Writing song hooks in the car, especially songs about driving, comes naturally to NJ born singer/songwriter Jason Didner. And this was put to the test when his father challenged him to write a song that could be played on his favorite radio show–National Public Radio’s Car Talk. The result: “You Can’t Get There from Here in Jersey,” a country stomper about jughandles, road rage and all that the great Garden State has to offer a motorist. Not only did that song get played on the show, but it was also included in two “best of” compilations that Car Talk gives as premiums for NPR donations.

 Jason wasn’t done there. Driving along NJ’s highways and byways to and from various clients at work has provided him much inspiration as he drove along American Road in Morris Plains and boiled it down to the state of affairs in our country in the past decade. The song, “American Road”, a straight-ahead rocker that could be at home on an Elvis Costello or Bon Jovi album, became the anchor for a self-recorded album that included more of Jason’s musings from many hours in the car.

 For years, Jason supported his songs simply by performing as a solo acoustic act. But then two wonderful things happened: he learned about Parents Who Rock and he later became a dad! Driven by a strong desire for his daughter to see him rock the house, Jason called upon his longtime friend, drummer Ross Kantor, to help him put together a band. Ross answered the call, bringing his own big talent and pure love of music, and introducing multi-instrumentalist Jon Provan to Jason as a bassist. Jon, a father himself, brings a punch to the band’s sound and pleasing vocal harmonies that will delight the band’s audiences of all ages.

 In May 2012, Jason Didner and the Drive rewarded the volunteers and runners at the end of the Race Against Homelessness 5K run in Bloomfield, NJ, marking the trio’s first live performance together. This band looks forward to many appearances in service of a better community and world for our children, one that has a lot of rock’n’roll in it!