“EYES WIDE OPEN” Reviews
"Vocalist Sachal Vasandani bridges the jazz and pop worlds with "Eyes Wide Open," his superb debut of distinctive originals and intelligent makeovers that teem with fresh vitality".
- Billboard Magazine
"It’s not often that a male singer makes a noteworthy recorded debut, so when it happens, it’s worth checking in... On first listen, ‘‘Eyes Wide Open’’ impresses with restraint; Vasandani favors control over ornamentation, and many of the songs own the refined nocturnal hush that comes from unhurried exposition and impeccable piano-trio arrangements. Vasandani’s keen intimacy with his core group... shows throughout, and the guest contributions...are just as fluid and easy".
-The Boston Globe
"Mr. Vasandani is a bright young jazz-pop singer with charisma to spare, as he demonstrates on “Eyes Wide Open” (Mack Avenue), his self-assured recent debut."
- The New York Times
"(he) has a supple voice, warm and communicative enough to court the Norah Jones crossover crowd, while remaining pliable enough not to alienate diehard jazz fans. Besides his own tunes, Vasandani shows a keen ear and open mind for material.... Vasandani shows a wealth of promise"
--The Philadelphia Daily News
"An impressive and highly original new voice on the jazz scene, Sachal Vasandani etches emotional ambivalence with a rich, deep voice that surfs the vivid nuances of jazz while flirting with pop and blues. His preference for exploring the shadowy realms of ambiguity results in gorgeously muted colors on his new album, Eyes Wide Open (Mack Avenue). His three originals grapple with doubts about faith, forgiveness, and the future, while his striking cover of the ballad "I Could Have Told You" sifts through layers of heartache..."
- Minneapolis City Pages
"Vasandani is the total package—good looks, polished stage presence, easy rapport with the audience, and just enough swagger to exude confidence well short of arrogance. But it isn’t just the wrapping—vocally Vasandani delivers, be it ballad (“You Won’t Forget Me”) or blues (“Strange Things Happening), original (”Storybook Fiction”) or classic (“Anything Goes”). And while his style is as sophisticated and erudite as a veteran jazzman, his warm baritone and respect for the lyric create immediate accessibility and intimacy—a combination that should pull in fans of Harry Connick and even Norah Jones as quickly as fans of Kurt Elling or Shirley Horn. "
-Jazz Police
“Precious few new artists.. are capable of quickening the pulse...It’s a sophisticated but not esoteric palette of tunes, and Vasandani’s treatments bind them together without any strain of conceit"-
-Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Sachal Vasandani, the unsung hero of this summer's Freihofer's Jazz Festival… a song stylist who has produced one of the best discs of the year. He's well versed in the "Great American Songbook" but unlike many emulators he's savvy enough to pepper his repertoire with a new generation of standards. On his own material, like "Please Mr. Ogilvy," he shows a biting wit that's often masked by the soothing nature of his music.”
-Glenn Falls Post-Star
"..An awesome young male singer who (has) the chops, the smarts, and the charisma...to forge a genre of his own that combines jazz with elements of folk and pop"
-New York Sun
about
upcoming tour dates
May.21.2012
Jul.01.2012
Jul.02.2012
Jul.19.2012
