Shanti Jayasinha's Biography

Trumpet, Flügelhorn , Composer and Educator

Shanti studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was featured soloist with Kenny Wheeler on the CD ‘Walk Softly’. In the 80s paul toured with Tim Garland’s ‘Points on the Curve’ band, played with the Guildhall big band at Ronnie Scott’s with Randy Brecker, played with Jason Rebello, Cleveland Watkiss and Courtney Pine, and discovered Afro-Cuban music with Roberto Pla.

At the start of the 90s he also played trumpet with the Brand New Heavies, joined Mike Westbrook’s big band, John Mayer’s Indo-Jazz Fusions and Lindsay Cooper’s ‘Sahara Dust’ and toured with them in Europe. He became heavily involved in Latin and Brazilian music, playing with almost all the bands on the scene, including a nationwide tour with ‘Sexteto Café’, a long association with Roberto Pla and with Conjunto Sabroso, for whom he became MD and sometime arranger, also backing many visiting artists from Puerto Rico and the USA in the UK and Europe. He formed Nóis with Mônica Vasconcelos, among others, and contributed several tracks to the repertoire.

With the Grand Union Orchestra, he became a workshop leader, and took part in many large projects featuring world and jazz musicians, as well as a plethora of local community and youth groups. He began playing Klezmer with Russian clarinettist Gregori Schechter and Stewart Curtis’ K Groove. He also joined John Etheridge’s Zappatistas, and appeared with the Don Lusher Big Band and Brian Abrahams’ District 6.

In the second half on the 90s he joined Alex Wilson’s band and recorded with Bobby Watson on Alex’s first CD, also playing alongside Bobby at the RFH during the BBC Jazz Awards. He travelled to Cuba in 1999 and played in concert with many of the Buena Vista Social Club, including Ruben Gonzales and Cachaito, also appearing with Frank Emilio Flyn’s ‘Los Amigos’. Frank Emilio subsequently invited him to perform with him during his solo concert at the Barbican, and with ‘Los Amigos' in Germany.

After 2000 he joined Karen Tweed’s ‘May Monday’, featuring Finnish and Swedish folk musicians, with whom he performed all over the UK and gave some masterclasses in Limerick University. He recorded with folk singer Bill Jones and appeared with her at Cambridge Folk Festival and the BBC folk awards. He continued his association with Alex Wilson, touring the UK and Germany, supporting the Afro-Cuban Allstars. He also had a residency with 5 Cubans and Venezuelans in a club in Leicester Square every week for 6 months.

2001-2003 completed several Jazz Services tours in a trio with Pete Jacobsen and Clare Foster, as well as Claridade Brazilian band, whose CD he recorded and produced. He travelled to Rio De Janeiro and São Paulo and sat in with Grammy nominated Banda Mantiqueira, forming a friendship with top Brazilian trumpeter Walmir Gil, who subsequently played on ‘Round Trip’. In New York he hung out at Smalls for the late night jam sessions, and also met and sat in with Cuban trumpeter Chocolate Armenteros.

In 2004 he formed the group ShantiJazzWorld and composed music for it and played gigs around the UK, mainly in regional Jazz Clubs. He joined Jason Yarde’s ‘Acoustic Bombastic’. He was involved in the development of the ABRSM trumpet Grades, also playing on the CDs. He supported the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis at the Barbican with Alex Wilson.

In 2005 played in the Klaipeda Jazz Festival, Lithuania, with Manteca (DVD available). For the ABRSM he led several workshops for teachers who wanted to teach their students the Jazz syllabus and began teaching at CYM. He played in Donna Summer’s band, taught on courses with Scott Stroman, played in an LPO improvising group at the Festival Hall, and supported Wayne Shorter.

In 2006 ShantiJazzWorld continued to tour, Shanti guested in the Felix and Bb jazz clubs in Berlin, also formed a duo with Steve Lodder, playing at several festivals. He played with Clare Foster and Ryo Kawasaki in Nomme Jazz Festival, Estonia and took up the principal trumpet chair in ‘Porgy and Bess’ at the Savoy Theatre.

2007 saw more festival work with Manteca and Alex Wilson, recording on Gilad Atzmon’s ‘Refuge’, playing trumpet and ‘cello with Jason Yarde at Glasgow International Jazz Festival, taking part in the premiere of Jonathen Cohen’s ‘Little Gidding’ at TS Elliot festival, Little Gidding, and releasing the CD ‘Round Trip’.

In 2008 Paul’s band has played at the Pizza Express and Canary Wharf Jazz Festival, he has recorded with Kuljit Bhamra, played as sideman for both Dominic Alldis and Mariko Koike at the Pizza on the Park, appeared at Ronnie Scotts with Alex Wilson and played in the Kelvin Christiane quintet. He has formed a world jazz trio with John Crawford and Andres Ticino, and has appeared in ‘Jersey Boys’ and ‘Gone With The Wind’ in the West End.

2009 has seen Shanti freelancing and playing plenty of jazz gigs, teaching at CYM, judging the solo and ensemble brass competitions at the Colchester Institute, playing in 'Jersey Boys' in the West End, playing with 'Friendly Fires' and 'Matt Bianco', touring with his band 'ShantiJazzWorld' with support from Jazz Services, teaching at Marlborough Summer School, and on the Global Music Foundation seminars in Saarwellingen (Germany) and Certaldo (Italy).

In 2010 Shanti has been working with Jason Yarde's Acoutastic Bombastic, Manteca, Dan Reinstein, Salsa Celtica (15th Anniversary Tour), Grand Union Orchestra, Mônica Vasconcelos, Alex Wilson (Compass Suite and tutor at Aldeburgh Young Artists Programme and for Black History Month at Essex Primary in Newham), Matt Bianco in Indonesia and Bulgaria, Snowboy and the Latin Section in France. He was invited to play at Avui Jazz in Valencia, the Bb Club in Berlin, Marlborough Jazz Festival. He also taught at Marlborough Summer School and toured the UK with Darius and the History of the Big Bands.

In 2011 Shanti ran a course of jazz workshops at Cardinal Vaughan School in Holland Park, London, played at Ronnie Scotts with King Salsa, found himself soloing in front of the BBC Concert and Grand Union Orchestras at the Hackney Empire, running a music project at Essex Primary School, touring with Matt Bianco, Salsa Celtica and Alex Wilson, and running a jazz course at Marlborough Summer School. He has joined a new jazz orchestra "Bansangu Orchestra" and finished the year off touring with pop sensation "Friendly Fires".

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