Joel Shapira profile picture

Joel Shapira

About Me

Joel Shapira is a top performing jazz and classical guitarist based in the Twin Cities. His educational background includes studies with some of the world's great players and teachers including jazz legends Joe Pass and Tal Farlow. A native of St. Paul, he attended Berklee School of Music in Boston and The Mannes School of Music in New York City where he lived, performed and taught for eight years.Joel performs extensively in the Twin Cities area and beyond in a wide variety of musical settings including clubs, restaurants, private events, regional arts festivals and more. Sunset Park Music, the music business he founded in 1994, provides both jazz and classical music for weddings and private events.Current creative endeavors include the modern jazz quintet POOCH'S PLAYHOUSE. Other projects include frequent collaboration with vocalists Charmin Michelle and Signe Hensel, work with saxophonist and flutist Paul Harper, Vic Volare and the Volare Lounge Orchestra, and pianist Larry McDonough. For three years Joel has been contemporary music leader and instrumental director at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Maplewood MN, a service that features a line-up of great musicians and vocalists weekly. For twelve years he was one third of the highly regarded jazz trio Triplicate. Joel also freelances extensively with a wide variety of singers and musicians.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/29/2006
Band Website: www.joelshapira.com
Band Members: I consider myself fortunate to keep company with many truly outstanding musicians. Over the years I have worked with the Twin Cities finest, including but not limited to (in no particular order):Bruce Heine, Mark Asche, Dave Brattain, Dave Schmalenberger, Charmin Michelle, Paul Harper, Larry McDonough, Phil Hey, Tom Lewis, Nathan Norman, Dave Stanoch, Tom Pieper, Karen Pieper, Greg Keel, Dave Graf, Dean Magraw, Signe Hensel, Vic Volare, Pete Whitman, Alden Ikeda, Kevin Daley, Lee Engele, Steve Yeager, Jay Epstein, Terry Burns, Geoff Jones, Lauren Redpath, Torie Redpath, Doug Little, JT Bates, Chris Bates, John Devine, Haralds Bondaris, Steve Pikal, Kristi Kruse, Nick Haas, Mike Croy, Scott Fultz, Craig Mattarese, Chaz Draper, Ron Evaniuk, Michael O' Brien, Anton Denner, Debbie Duncan, Dennis Spears, Dorothy Doring, Judi Donaghy, Rhonda Laurie, Maud Hixson, Sophia Shorai, Nichola Miller, Katie Gearty, Jason Weismann, Tony DeMarco, Kim Gast, Corey Needleman, Chris Thomson, Joey Van Phillips, Matt Senjem, Jim Bierma, Julie Johnson, Carolyn Boulay and many others.....
Influences: There are SO many people who have inspired me - to name just a few:Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Keith Jarrett, Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Tal Farlow, John McLaughlin, Christopher Parkening, Roland Dyens, Manuel Barruecco, Paul Galbraith, Assad Brothers, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, Elvin Jones, Alexander Scriabin, Jimmy Page, Bill Evans, Elliot Fisk, Sharon Isbin, JS Bach, WA Mozart, Shostokovich, Prokofiev, Mahler, Arvo Part, Vladimir Horowitz, Rachmaninoff, Kenny Burrell, Emily Remler, Kenny Barron, Clifford Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Billy Carrothers, Pink Floyd, Bruce Foreman, Joe Diorio, Jean Sibelius, Chopin, Ravel, Debussy, Satie, Richie Beirach, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter, Red Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Miles, Monk, Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell, Cecil Taylor, Itzhak Perlman, Julian Bream, John Williams, Ivo Pogorelich, Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter, Glenn Gould, Maxin Vengerov, Kevin Eubanks, Lee Morgan, George Benson, Dave Holland, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Robin Trower........to be continued.
Type of Label: Unsigned

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