
Sasha Berliner
At only 20 years old, the vibraphonist is blazing a path for herself as someone to watch. Having already shared the stage with Ravi Coltrane, Ambrose Akinmusire, Matt Wilson, Billy Hart, Victor Wooten and Tyshawn Sorey and having performed at a number of festivals, including the Atlanta Jazz Festival, NYC Winter Jazz Fest and the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, the San Francisco native and current student at The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York is ready to make her big splash with Azalea, set for a September 2019 release. Seton Hawkins wrote in Hot House magazine: “As a versatile drummer and gifted vibraphone player, Sasha wields a technique and musical sense that portends a thrilling career. In her original music, she deserves significant praise.” And she just won the LetterOne RISING STARS Jazz Award. Not only is Berliner a prodigious vibraphonist, she is also outspoken in the fight for equality in jazz. She publicly advocates for the We Have Voice organization, vowing to create a non-tolerance and accountability policy for discrimination or harassment based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and violence and abuse, in the performing arts. Her essay on sexism in the jazz industry, “An Open Letter to Ethan Iverson (And the Rest of the Jazz Patriarchy),” was shared on the PBS News Hour and discussed in tandem with the Winter Jazz Fest discussion panel on sexism, featuring activist Angela Davis. (Photo by John Rogers)
By Bill Milkowski (Credit: PASTE)