Sasha Berliner

Sasha Berliner
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $11,000

About the Artist

Sasha Berliner is a musician, composer, producer, and band leader from San Francisco, CA currently residing in Brooklyn, NY. Her debut album, “Azalea” (2019), was nominated for Jazz Times 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 takes on a trans-genre, politically charged, jazz-alternative sound, employing digital effects, synths, audio speech samples, and strings in the soundscape. Sasha was named the 2020 Downbeat Critics’ Poll winner of the “Rising Star - Vibraphone” category. She was both the first woman  and youngest individual in the poll’s history to be granted the win. She was subsequently named one of the top ten vibraphonists for the 2021 and 2022 Downbeat Reader’s Polls. Sasha’s sophomore album, “Onyx”, will be released on JMI Recordings in 2022. A fiery, dense, winding, yet thoughtful 43 minute musical development that gestated in just four days, the album features all-star musicians Marcus Gilmore, Burniss Travis II, James Francies, Thana Alexa, and Jaleel Shaw.