Evan Shay

Evan Shay is a saxophonist, composer, and producer based in Montreal. He completed a Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance at McGill University, where he was presented with the Graduate Excellence Fellowship Award. While earning his Bachelor of Music, also at McGill, he was awarded the prestigious four-year Seymour Schulich Scholarship, and he earned the top distinction of Outstanding Achievement in Jazz Saxophone.
In 2017, Evan was named one of the “35 Best Canadian Jazz Artists Under 35” by CBC Music. His self titled CD, Lawful Citizen, was included in the “Favourite Fifty of 2017” by Dominionated online music publication. Evan toured Canada and France as a member of the multilingual hip-hop group, Nomadic Massive. He also toured Quebec and Ontario with Lawful Citizen. Previously, he was awarded an Exceptional Artist Award and featured at the National Arts Centre. His jazz quintet placed as Jazz en Rafale finalists for two years.
In 2019, Evan attended the Banff International Workshop In Jazz & Creative Music, directed by Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey. There, he studied with musicians such as HPRIZM, Steve Lehman, and his identity as a producer began to take shape. He would go on to release his first electronic music record NEW NORMAL in October 2020 during the height of the pandemic. Featuring an international cast of musicians, it was created completely remotely over email. Shay’s solo sets comprise of beats being played off of an SP-404 and playing saxophone with effects. It is an extremely dynamic performance, covering jazz, trap music, boom bap, drum & bass, drill, and other genres.