Striking the Balance

Among the exotic new crop of talented young artists, Jazz is experiencing a curious resurgence on an instrument that remains one of the most iconic and distinctive in Jazz: the vibraphone. One of it’s new standard-bearers is Sasha Berliner, the Los Angeles based musician whose has quickly secured her place within the contemporary landscape of Jazz.

Winner of the 2020 Downbeat Critics’ Poll “Rising Star – Vibraphone” category and voted one of the top ten vibraphonists in Downbeat Reader’s Polls every year since 2021, Berliner released her first album at 16, and since has managed to exceed expectations with stunning recordings like Azalea, Onyx and Fantôme, while collaborating with major artists like Tyshawn Sorey, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, and Cecile Mclorin Salvant.

Mercurial and physically demanding, the vibraphone can seem indifferent towards those seeking to mold their musical identity on the instrument. Shaping notes and chords like mechanics tune Ferraris, Berliner appears oblivious to this challenge. Curious, whimsical, gifted beyond her years, Berliner thrives in a variety of musical contexts, providing audiences with thrilling examples of her mastery while adding intrigue and ingenuity to every project she’s involved with.

All instruments need champions, artists willing to bend the rules, or reshape them entirely, while fashioning an entirely new paradigm for how they’re perceived musically. With her curious mind, diligence aptitude, expansive range and sparkling ambition, Berliner is such a champion, processing a unique level of mastery to continue pursuing what has already been a brilliant and prolific career.