The Canvas

Artist Information

Biography

Based out of Washington DC, The Canvas plays an eclectic mix of world beat jazz, fusing Latin, jazz, funk, Persian, Arabic and Americana into a cohesive whole unlike anything else around. With Shahin playing flamenco style guitar and both Casper and Brett providing the dynamic rhythm section, The Canvas consistently produces tight, groove driven melodies and intricate arrangements, evoking far away lands and long ago times.

2006 marks the year of The Canvas’ debut album, Random Thoughts on the Spirit World Music label. This exciting CD showcases a blend of musical styles as well as a few guest artist appearances (Rob Holmes and Anthony Wellington of Victor Wooten fame). The Canvas intends to spend the remainder of 2006 touring the Mid-Atlantic region.

Brett, Shahin and Casper met in 2003 and in short order began writing songs and playing to ever increasing crowds in the DC area. In addition to their public performances, The Canvas has performed in a large number of private and corporate events.

For more information, please contact The Canvas at 703.582.4289.

Instrumentation

Shahin (guitar/synthesizers)
Casper (bass)
Brett (drums/percussion)

Discography

Random Thoughts (June 2006)

Official Website

http://www.thecanvas.org/

Audio

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• The Canvas - Random Thoughts [+ Show ]
  

  In this little corner of what passes as my office, though, it's cool and a little smoky, in a Cafe A...In this little corner of what passes as my office, though, it's cool and a little smoky, in a Cafe Americain sort of way. I'm relaxing with a glass of red wine and drifting into another time, another place, reminiscent of a Parisian jazz cafe in the thirties or a tucked-away fifties cool jazz joint in New York. And I'm listening to the debut album by the Canvas, simply titled Random Thoughts. On a casual first listen, it would be easy to dismiss the Canvas as pleasant background music of the kind one might find in an edgier-than-thou restaurant. And in certain regards, that would be true. This is not an album that screams to be noticed: no histrionic guitar solos, no bass runs that meander forever, no in-your-face drum work. Rather, this is a work full of subtle nuances made by a trio working as a cohesive unit. To be sure, Random Thoughts is an unassuming work, and it is that very aspect that makes it so engaging. The trio that comprise the Canvas — Shahin (guitar), Casper (bass) and Brett (drums) — are enamored not with fame, but with the joy of playing music. They don't even use their last names.
  
  And play music they do — building on a basic jazz groove, and evoking at various points, elements of funk, ragas and blues — all coming together in a sound that can only be described as universal. It's not what one would expect to come out of Arlington, Virginia, but then again, Liverpool was an unlikely music hotbed at one time. It has always been my practice to not review an album before at least three listens - the catchy hook wears thin by then. It's the albums that offer something new on each listen — that something you didn't hear before — that catch my attention. I'm on my seventh listen on this one, with no signs of putting it away.

Setlist

Varies

Basic Requirements

Calendar