Sasha Berliner is a musician, composer, producer, and band leader from San Francisco, CA. A rock drummer turned vibraphonist, Sasha was introduced to the instrument while attending Oakland School for the Arts. She moved to New York City in 2016 to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, studying under acclaimed vibraphonist Stefon Harris. Harris’ influence on Sasha, in particular with regard to harmony, directly aided the development of her unique style.
For her first visit to The Cooler, we're kicking off with a live podcast recording with Irish Women in Jazz, hosted by Jeni McMahon. Hear about Sasha's artistic approach and life as a musician on the New York scene....
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Sasha Berliner is a musician, composer, producer, and band leader from San Francisco, CA. A rock drummer turned vibraphonist, Sasha was introduced to the instrument while attending Oakland School for the Arts. She moved to New York City in 2016 to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, studying under acclaimed vibraphonist Stefon Harris. Harris’ influence on Sasha, in particular with regard to harmony, directly aided the development of her unique style.
For her first visit to The Cooler, we're kicking off with a live podcast recording with Irish Women in Jazz, hosted by Jeni McMahon. Hear about Sasha's artistic approach and life as a musician on the New York scene.
Following the conversation, Sasha will perform a solo set of her own compositions and arrangements, an intimate show of solo vibraphone in the quiet space of The Cooler.
Sasha’s first marquee show on the NYC scene was at NYC Winter Jazz Fest in 2018, followed soon after by Atlanta Jazz Fest and Burlington Jazz Fest. She was the first US recipient of the LetterOne “Rising Stars” Jazz Award in 2019, providing Sasha with an opportunity to tour as a band leader, while also facilitating the creation of her debut album Azalea in 2019.
Azalea was nominated for JazzTimes 2019 Readers’ Poll’s “Best New Release” and has been described as “shimmering and thoughtful” (Kassel, TIDAL), “gleefully exploring various genres and headspaces” (Tremblay, CTEBCM). The record’s politically charged, style-blending, alternative jazz sound employs digital effects, synths, audio speech samples, and strings, bringing together Sasha’s diverse musical background and influences.
The following year, Sasha was named winner of the 2020 Downbeat Critics’ Poll “Rising Star – Vibraphone” category. She was both the first woman, and at 21, the youngest individual in the poll’s history to receive the award. She has been voted one of the top ten vibraphonists in Downbeat Reader’s Polls every year since 2021. Sasha commissioned works for Modern Marimba and the SWR NewJAZZ Meeting as artist-in-residence for fall 2021, which resulted in her suite of live music entitled Tabula Rasa, released on CD in May 2023.
Sasha’s second studio LP, Onyx, features all-star musicians Marcus Gilmore, Burniss Travis II, James Francies, Thana Alexa, and Jaleel Shaw, and was tracked entirely analog to tape. The album was #1 on Jazzwise’s “Charting the Jazz Message” chart, and voted one of the best jazz albums of the year by UK Vibe, Textura, Jazz Vinyl Collector, and the 17th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll.
Sasha has headlined international venues like Newport Jazz Festival, The Blue Note, Montreal Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz Festival. In addition to performing with her own band, she has recorded and performed live with such renowned musicians as Tyshawn Sorey, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, and Cecile Mclorin Salvant. She is an endorsing artist for Marimba One and Vater Drumsticks. Sasha has been a guest lecturer at University of Champaign-Illinois, UC San Diego, Stanford Jazz Workshop, and Berklee College of Music, and is currently a Professor of Jazz and Jazz Composition at UC Irvine.
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