The Guitar Player's Resource
Recruiting a high caliber group of musicians to back him on his CD Tell A Story, guitarist E. Shawn Qaissaunee's original compositions emphasize songwriting and musical interaction within the group. With Chico Huff on bass, and Tom Palmer on drums, the second half of the CD is recorded in a trio format, and as such features a number of excellent bass and guitar solo passages (listen to the harmonic explorations in "Top View" for evidence). Qaissaunee invites guests such as keyboard whiz Jeff Knoettner and saxophonist Eric Powell to join him on the first half of the CD, reducing the six-string appeal somewhat, but creating a broader sonic palette for the music. All in all, a well-crafted jazz outing top to bottom, with Qaissaunee's warm, emotional guitar tone serving as the glue that binds the collection together.
First formally introduced to music through piano lessons in elementary school and the saxophone in fifth grade, Shawn started playing guitar as a freshman in high school. He later attended Berklee College of Music as a Jazz Composition/Music Education major, and he has been teaching and playing professionally for about seven years. Shawn's influences are diverse, from Pat Martino and Wes Montgomery to James Brown and the Ohio Players. He continues to strive each day to grow musically and spiritually.
In the future, Qaissaunee is hoping to bring his music to a larger audience by way of music festivals, theaters, clubs, word of mouth and the Internet.
E. Shawn Qaissaunee
United States
Web site: www.geocities.com/qmard