Baritone saxophonist Shirantha Beddage (pronounced Shurr-ANN-tha BED-da-gay) is a nationally recognized performer, composer and educator. He has performed extensively across the United States and Canada with his quartet, and he currently performs and records with numerous Toronto musicians such as Nancy Walker, Alex Dean and Bruce Cassidy. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (D.M.A.) in Jazz Studies from the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, New York), a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from William Paterson University (New Jersey) and a Bachelor of Music degree from Toronto’s Humber College, where he now serves as head of Theory and Harmony in the Music department.
Shirantha Beddage’s exciting new CD, Identity (2012) is available now on Addo Records. His quartet, featuring Dave Restivo (piano), Mike Downes (bass), and Mark Kelso (drums), is heavily featured on a variety of Shirantha’s original compositions, reflecting a complex mix of emotional states and moods. The record also features special guests Nathan Eklund (trumpet) and Larnell Lewis (drums). Shirantha’s first album, Roots and Branches (2007), featuring his original compositions, is distributed internationally through Jazz Excursion Records and Itunes.