Carmen Sandim Sextet

By the time Brazil native Carmen Sandim was seventeen, she had already won national competitions in both Brazilian jazz and classical piano. After graduating from the Berklee College of Music, she went on to win several awards for the compositional work she did for television and radio. So it's no...

By Jon Solomon

February 15, 2011

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By the time Brazil native Carmen Sandim was seventeen, she had already won national competitions in both Brazilian jazz and classical piano. After graduating from the Berklee College of Music, she went on to win several awards for the compositional work she did for television and radio. So it's no surprise that Sandim, now based in Boulder and teaching music, knows a thing or two about crafting a great song. Brand New, which was recorded live at Dazzle (where she'll celebrate the CD's release on Sunday, February 20), showcases ten outstanding works — some sprawling, others intricate — that draw primarily from jazz but also incorporate influences from Western classical and Brazil. Parts of the opening track, "Sampa," one of the album's many highlights, hint at later-era Pat Metheny Group. These songs also work as vehicles for some fine soloing from trumpeter Ron Miles, guitarist Matt Fuller and saxophonist Danny Meyer.

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