The stageposts along Toussaint's career have all made
their mark - the Caribbean, New York, and London. From a calypso band in his
teens in St Thomas, Toussaint moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of
Music where fellow students included Branford Marsalis, Greg Osby, and Jeff
Watts.
In 1982, he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. 'I learned more in four years
with Art than I'd have learned in ten had I not got through that audition,' says
Toussaint, who played alongside Mulgrew Miller, Terence Blanchard, Donald
Harrison and Lonnie Plaxico. While in New York, Toussaint also worked with
Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner and Gil Evans, and regularly led the jam session at
New York's Blue Note club. Touring with the Messengers, he always looked forward
to London where he made friends amongst the capital's young musicians. 'I met
Cleveland and Trevor Watkiss, Steve Williamson and Julian Joseph. Being of
Caribbean descent myself, I saw similarities in the blend of musical influences
- jazz, African, calypso and reggae.
In 1987, Toussaint accepted an invitation from the Guildhall School of Music and
Drama to teach improvisation for three months. He's still here. From London,
Toussaint works extensively in Europe and the US with his bands: Nazaire and the
Jean Toussaint Quartet.
In the last few years he has toured Europe with Max Roach, headlined at the
world-famous Sweet Basil in New York, joined Cedar Walton in London and worked
with Horace Silver. With a commission for composition from the Arts Council he
has toured the UK with old friends Mulgrew Miller, Terence Blanchard and
Reginald Veal.
Jean Toussaint has been touring with ShivaNova from the beginning of 2003.
JESSE BANNISTER (saxophone/ Indian saxophone):
Jesse has trained with sitarist Dharambir Singh who is one of the foremost specialists of North Indian classical music in the UK.
