Sasha Stephens

The first Late Night Tales release of 2016 is a very special project by Sasha. Imagine listening to music inspired by Frahm, Richter and Steve Reich, but made by one of the UK’s leading house and techno DJs. Away from the hubbub of the club, the craziness of Ibiza, there’s a contemplative side to everybody. Forget the beats and the sweat and the billowing anthems; this quiet, undulating, at times pastoral piece is less about songs and anthems and more about texture and atmosphere. ‘Scene Delete’ is a side of Sasha you’ve never heard before.

Only Child is the debut album from critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Sasha Sloan. Only Child showcases Sasha's bravery and willingness to put her vulnerabilities on display, with tracks like Lie'", and "House With No Mirrors." Sasha continues to deliver music that weaves her powerful words and beautifully crafted melodies. After emerging in 2017, Sasha Sloan has established herself as a true wordsmith, an artist's artist, who crafts potent melodies filled with poignant lyrics. In 2018 Sasha released her first two EPs, Sad Girl and Loser.

The word opera conjures up images of large casts, a huge orchestra and chorus and massive logistical issues. Not Cooperstown! A jazz opera in nine innings, Cooperstown utilizes five solo singers and a 1950s modern jazz quintet. Based on A. Bartlett Giamatti's essay, "The Green Fields of the Mind," composer Sasha Matson has, with librettist Mark Miller, used baseball as an art form, with the capacity to express the deepest emotional truths about individuals and society. Matson reflects baseball's own specific historical musical attributes in his composition. One is the sound of the stadium organ, which led him to score the music for a "Miles" jazz quintet. This particular grouping of instruments is as capable as any large orchestra of realizing music in all its potential variety.

1975 was a hell of a year for Creed Taylor's Kudu Records. Not only was the mighty, mighty Feels So Good album by Grover Washington, Jr. released, but so was saxophonist Hank Crawford's Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing. It was one of two recordings issued by Crawford for the label in that calendar year. But perhaps the most deeply satisfying and out of character album from that year was the absolute soul-jazz masterpiece Upchurch/Tennyson by Chicago guitar god Phil Upchurch and pianist/vocalist Tennyson Stephens. Where else can you find tracks by Bob James, Charles Stepney, Stevie Wonder, Ralph MacDonald, and Franz Schubert on the same album played by a cast of musicians that includes Steve Gadd, David Sanborn, Hubert Laws, James, Upchruch, Stephens, and a slew of others.