Shinya Arasuna

Jazz guitarist Shinya Arasuna was born in Hiroshima Japan. He started playing piano first at the age 4. He's been playing guitar since the age 12. When he heard Wes Montgomery's Incredible Jazz Guitar, he was really inspired by Wes's music. He started playing Jazz Guitar immediately. He began his professional career in Hiroshima when he was a University student. He performed as part of the house band at some of the most notable jazz clubs in Hiroshima, such as Lush Life and Bird. He also had the honor of performing with the legendary saxophone player Suetoshi Shimizu. In addtion, he performed at Flower Festival which is one of the most famous festival in Hiroshima.

In 2009, he moved to Tokyo and began performing regularly at Manhattan Asagaya, one of the city’s most historic jazz clubs. As a sideman, he has played at many renowned jazz venues, including Pit Inn Shinjuku, Independence, After Hours, and Rakuya, among others.

In addition to performing, he has worked as a guitarist and composer on numerous recordings. One of his standout projects was “Hawai Yasuragi Cafe,” which topped the iTunes chart for an extended period. He composed all the songs and played guitar on this record.

Another notable project as a guitarist and composer is l’avion, which has released four albums. One of their records, Fancy, released in 2012, featured Grammy Award-winning Brazilian percussionist Nanny Assis.

In 2011, l’avion was a finalist at the Kichijoji Music Festival, and in 2012, they performed on TVK Kanagawa. They regularly performed at Asagaya Jazz Street, one of the most historic jazz festivals in Japan. They also performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Kawasaki, Tokyo Designers Week 2013, and Niigata Jazz Street, among others.

In 2016, he moved to New York City, where he performed with distinguished musicians such as Lawrence Lo Leathers, Steve Cardenas, Stan Killian, and Rico Jones, to name a few. He has played at some of the most prominent venues in NYC, including Flatiron Room, Pianos, Tomi Jazz, Basik, Wilky, Queens Brewery, Red Pavilion, and Rockwood Music Hall.

Awards

Kichijoji Music Festival Finalist

Tags