Pianist Nick Sanders is a truly fresh musical voice, wholly original yet clearly shaped by the masters he has studied and embraced. His unique sound is profound, soulful and rich, resonating with the moody isolation that characterizes so much of modern life, yet also with our deep yearning for human connection. Nameless Neighbors, his critically acclaimed debut recording for Sunnyside Records, (featuring Henry Fraser - bass and Connor Baker - drums) produced by Fred Hersch, captures his sound brilliantly. His second Sunnyside release, You Are A Creature was released in February 2015.
Sanders’ New Orleans upbringing insured an eclectic ear and musical sensibility. He began playing music before the age of four and was a quick study on the drums, able to almost instantly learn the second-line beat. He tackled the piano in second grade and began to show remarkable promise as a classical performer, winning numerous regional and national competitions....
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Pianist Nick Sanders is a truly fresh musical voice, wholly original yet clearly shaped by the masters he has studied and embraced. His unique sound is profound, soulful and rich, resonating with the moody isolation that characterizes so much of modern life, yet also with our deep yearning for human connection. Nameless Neighbors, his critically acclaimed debut recording for Sunnyside Records, (featuring Henry Fraser - bass and Connor Baker - drums) produced by Fred Hersch, captures his sound brilliantly. His second Sunnyside release, You Are A Creature was released in February 2015.
Sanders’ New Orleans upbringing insured an eclectic ear and musical sensibility. He began playing music before the age of four and was a quick study on the drums, able to almost instantly learn the second-line beat. He tackled the piano in second grade and began to show remarkable promise as a classical performer, winning numerous regional and national competitions.
Sanders studied classical piano at the famed New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) before moving to the jazz program after encouragement from pianists Michael Pellera and Danilo Perez. In 2006 Sanders earned a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music. In 2012 he finished his master of music degree there after studying with the college’s exceptional staff including Perez, Jason Moran, John McNeil, Ran Blake, Cecil McBee and his now mentor, Fred Hersch.
In 2010, 2011 and 2012, Nick won the Marion and Eubie Blake International Piano Award for performance excellence of traditional American music.
Sanders currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.
“Sanders proved to be a two-handed whiz at the keyboard, able to sustain complex contrapuntal lines and spin dramatic variations while maintaining the musical momentum. His sound was warm and embracing, but plenty of lightning flashed through his cloudscapes, as he nudged his bandmates with crisp trills, ringing octaves and edgy harmonic choices. Sanders’ command of dynamics also heightened the musical drama, as he filled the room at a whisper, and conjured thunder without swamping the rich overtones of his instrument.”
The New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 2013
“As a soloist, Sanders is a mad genius—hauntingly melodic and utterly unpredictable. Just when you think you’ve mapped his trajectory, he’s gone in a new direction, spinning off fresh, unconventional phrases.”
Downbeat, February 2015
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