Shai Jaschek is a New York City based jazz guitarist, composer, and bandleader whose music combines lyrical melodies, rich harmonic language, and an adventurous rhythmic sensibility. His playing centers on melody, rhythm, and communication between musicians. That sense of interplay is at the heart of his second album, Portrait, out October 9, 2026 on Jazz Bird Records. Featuring bassist Joe Martin and drummer Kush Abadey, the album has been praised for its “remarkably sure sense of melody, a thoughtful approach to rhythm and a striking confidence in the power of the trio…” (Thierry Clemensat, Paris Move).
Jaschek’s relationship with jazz began long before he thought of it as a career. Growing up in Israel, he heard the music through his father, who played recordings by artists such as Joe Pass and Miles Davis at home. Those sounds stayed with him. He began playing guitar at age ten, eventually finding in jazz a musical language that offered both structure and freedom and above all, the possibility of communicating with other musicians in the moment.
That sense of communication continues to define Jaschek’s approach to the guitar. Rather than treating the instrument as the constant focal point, he sees it as one voice within a larger conversation. Described by critics as “precise and assured”, Shai’s playing emphasizes melody and rhythmic feel while responding closely to the musicians around him, creating music in which the character of the ensemble matters as much as any individual solo. The same sensibility carries into his writing: his compositions can be harmonically and rhythmically sophisticated while remaining accessible, making room for both seasoned jazz listeners and audiences simply drawn to a strong melody or groove.
Jaschek studied at the Jazz Institute at the Rimon School of Music and later at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. During his studies, he had the opportunity to learn from some of Israel’s leading musicians, including trumpeter Avishai Cohen, saxophonist Eli Degibri, and composer Yoni Rechter, and performed with ensembles including the Haifa Big Band and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. He also began leading his own groups, bringing his original compositions to clubs and festivals in Israel and abroad.
Seeking to immerse himself more deeply in jazz, Jaschek eventually moved to New York City, joining the musical community that had long inspired him from afar. He earned his master’s degree in music from Queens College in 2021, where he studied with a faculty that included Antonio Hart, Mike Moreno, David Berkman, and Michael Mossman. He has since established himself in the city’s jazz scene, performing throughout New York as both a bandleader and sideman while continuing to develop his voice as a composer.
Shai’s debut album, First Fall, was released in 2023, introducing his voice as a composer through a collection of original works. His second album, Portrait, builds on that foundation with engaging compositions that gradually reveal their depth and richness. Recorded at EastSide Sound in New York, Portrait brings Jaschek together with bassist Joe Martin and drummer Kush Abadey in a trio setting defined by trust and space. Across pieces including “Birmingham After Dark,” “When the Sun Came Out,” “June 27th,” “May Flowers,” “Stomping with Pitzi,” “Hymn for Peace,” and “Poem,” Jaschek draws on the many musical languages that have shaped him while keeping melody and the collective sound of the band at the center. Portrait will be released October 9, 2026, on Jazz Bird Records.
Short Bio
Shai Jaschek is a New York City–based jazz guitarist, composer, and bandleader whose music combines lyrical melodies, rich harmonic language, and an adventurous rhythmic sensibility. His playing centers on melody, rhythm, and communication, approaching the guitar as one voice within the larger conversation of the band. His second album, Portrait, out October 9, 2026 on Jazz Bird Records, features bassist Joe Martin and drummer Kush Abadey and has been praised for its “remarkably sure sense of melody, a thoughtful approach to rhythm and a striking confidence in the power of the trio” (Thierry Clemensat, Paris Move).
Growing up in Israel, Jaschek was first drawn to jazz through his father’s records, listening to artists including Joe Pass and Miles Davis before beginning guitar at age ten. He later studied at the Rimon School of Music and the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, performing and learning from musicians including Avishai Cohen, Eli Degibri, and Yoni Rechter before moving to New York and earning his master’s degree from Queens College. His 2023 debut, First Fall, introduced his voice as a composer through a collection of original works. With Portrait, Jaschek continues to develop that voice, bringing together swing, groove, New Orleans-inspired rhythms, odd meters, and modern jazz while keeping melody and the collective sound of the band at the center.
