October 2005

Singer Sachal Vasandani ’00
Listen to "Jump for Joy " mp3 (requires audio plugin)

Vasandani

"Sachal Vasandani's singing reveals emotion and intellect," says Wynton Marsalis, the renowned trumpet virtuoso and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. "He’s versed in the blues, standards and modern jazz."

Vasandani, a Chicago native, earned bachelor’s degrees in jazz, classical music and economics at Michigan and was the International Association of Schools of Jazz’s official representative in 1998. Downbeat Magazine named Vasandani its College Vocalist of the Year in 1999. (For more information, see www.sachalvasandani.com .)

After graduation Vasandani moved to New York City, applying the economics side of his education to work as an investment banker on Wall Street. But after a year he quit to begin his career as a singer. In 2001 he formed Vasandani, a quartet that includes piano, bass and drums. He credits his parents’ broad taste in music, especially their fondness for jazz greats ranging from Ellington to Jarrett, with fostering his interest in a musical career. He began singing jazz in high school and went on from there. Asked how his parents view his career switch, he says they "have always been supportive and encouraging and still are."

In September 2004, Vasandani was a semi-finalist in the 2004 Thelonious Monk Institute Competition and embarked on his second tour of Europe, where he was touted as having "one of the best male voices in the world."

Vasandani’s debut solo album is due out soon. Meanwhile, he continuously works in diverse settings: singer/songwriter rooms (Zinc Bar); concert halls (Lincoln Center); jazz clubs (Jazz Standard) and cabaret rooms (Pops for Champagne). "I want to be able to sing multiple styles and genres," Vasandani says. "The common thread between the various types of music I enjoy is my perception of an artists' genuineness and a strong mood. Communication, honesty and the freedom to explore are very important to me."

DISCOGRAPHY
Vasandani, Land and Sea, 2005.
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra / J@LC Essentially Ellington, 2005.
Pyeng Threadgill, Sweet Home, the Music of Robert Johnson, 2004.
Vasandani, Bring on the Sirens, 2003.
Univ. of Michigan Jazz Ensemble, Low-Down, 2000.
Roberto Aymes, Home Again, 1998.

Send this to a friend

Send us feedback

Read feedback

Send us alumni notes

Read alumni notes