The Jazz Beat Sessions by Shan Arsenault

Music) Riley, Jerry Granelli, Terry Hattie, Alfie Zappacosta, Dutch Mason, Kirk MacDonald, Lorne Lofsky, Skip Beckwith, Don Palmer, Chris Mitchell, Joe Sealy, Francois Houle, Han Bennink and the Paul Cram Sextet. He has toured throughout Canada and the U.S. and performed in many of Canada's Jazz Festivals, including the prestigious Montreal International Jazz Festival in 1995. In 1997 Shan was nominated for an ECMA for his last recording "The Spin" in the category of "Best Jazz Artist."

More recently, Shan is committed to performing as a band leader as well as writing and recording his own material. Other current projects include playing with the Paul Cram Sextet and teaching a full studio of aspiring guitarists.

Presently, Shan is composing songs for his next recording that is scheduled for release in 2007.

"...mastery of the instrument...a wonderful guitarist icon in the making...refreshing new writing...sophistication and grace."

- Edward Blanco, JazzReview.com

"An astonishingly gifted soloist, Arsenault makes his busy linearity sound effortless and naturalistic, as opposed to busy and congested...A strong release, mainstream guitar aficionados are going to find a wealth of pleasure in this artist's work." - Troy Collins, Cadence magazine

"Canada has given the Jazz Guitar Community some wonderful players over the years. Ed Bickert, Lorne Lofsky, ...and others, have all graced the musical landscape both domestically and internationally as popular representatives of great Jazz Guitar playing. Now a new name can be added to this illustrious list of Canadian Jazz Guitar talent: Shan Arsenault...Intense solos, sinuous technique, thoughtful comping, and well crafted catchy tunes speak volumes of Arsenault’s sensibility as an improviser and composer...A style that is void of guitaristic clichés and improvisational formulas...what the art of improvisation is truly all about.

- Lyle Robinson, Jazz Guitar Life

"...Shan Arsenault on guitar shows off his facility and ideation in fine style...beautifully executed...(Arsenault) solos masterfully in his turn at bat...a hip addition to the jazzophiles collection." 4 Stars

- John Gilbert, eJazzNews.com

"Halifax guitarist Shan Arsenault is an original. His style of playing can only be compared to himself - which is the mark of someone who thinks jazz like poets think images or painters think hues."

- Stephen Pedersen, Halifax Chronicle Herald

More about the musicians:

Jamie Gatti -

On one hand, bassist Jamie Gatti is a virtuoso, flying over his gigantic instrument as if it were but a tiny fiddle. On the other, he is one of the hardest working musicians around - running from gig to gig, shifting on a dime from celtic to jazz to pop often in the same night. He was a member of the RCMP Band in Ottawa for several years and has been the Barra MacNeils' bassist for over 5 years. Gatti has performed alongside many jazz musicians including: Chet Baker, Teddy Wilson, Red Norvo, Red Rodney, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Barney Kessel. He's a regular session player at the CBC studios, and he plays bass on pretty much every album recorded in Nova Scotia.

Dave Burton -

David Burton has toured the world as a drummer and studio player backing up such Canadian superstars as Rita Macneil, Natalie Macmaster, Alanya Myles, Kenny Tobias, Ian Thomas, Alfie Zappacosta, Symphony Nova Scotia, Lennie Gallant etc. Stylistically he has played rock, fusion, jazz, country, classical, Latin, reggae and more. He has worked as a composer, producer, musical director and studio musician and as a result has many writing and recording projects to his credit.

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