Shasta Jade

Shasta Jade is the creative union of Francine Scala [vocals] and Donna Grantis [guitar] who together craft intelligent, purposeful music rich in soul and intense in feeling. The music of Shasta Jade is steeped in the traditions of jazz, rock and rhythm and blues and, although imbued with elements of these genres, is distinctly unique in its artistic quality.

As an emerging act, Shasta Jade is based on a strong experiential background of musical training and theoretical knowledge. To this end, Francine and Donna have each refined their skills through independent study, principally in jazz performance programs at Humber College [Toronto] and McGill University [Montreal], though prior to this, through private study with respected local instructors. This solid foundation has allowed Shasta Jade to function independently as a musical unit, writing, performing, recording and producing original material in both studio and live settings. Such is evidenced in listening to their recently completed self-titled demo release and as well through experiencing their visceral live performance, reviewed in Canada’s ChartAttack magazine as “a great show which mixes talent with undeniable sexuality…

Shasta Jade had the entire audience eating out of it’s collective hand.” [Jason Hailman: June, 2002]. Taken together, Shasta Jade is a grounded and cohesive creative instrument made up of musicians dedicated to their art form and who as one blend influence with impulse to create hip, groove based, guitar driven, in-your-face, urban soul music. It is in this place of creation that Shasta Jade resides and from which it will broaden its scope, turning attention to performing and to reaching a wider and more diverse audience.