Sandy Asirvatham

writer, musician, creativity addict

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; "><h4>Award-winning writer and category-defying musician Sandy Asirvatham (<em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">ah-sur-VAH-thum</em>) has been a creative force in Baltimore for over a decade. A professional journalist since the late 1980s, Asirvatham has written for a huge range of publications in the arts, business and philanthropy. A spirit of eclecticism has also infused her career as a singer, jazz pianist, and songwriter/composer. In 2007 Asirvatham released her<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sandyasirvatham" target="_blank" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(139, 176, 242); text-decoration: none; ">&nbsp;debut CD,&nbsp;<em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Memoir</em></a>, of ten originals and two covers. Her mysteriously catchy songs, unique approach to melody and harmony, and idiosyncratic band arrangements were noticed right away. Journalist W. Royal Stokes named it the best jazz debut of the year in his annual Village Voice list.</h4><h4><br>As WRNR dj Michael Buckley once put it, “When it comes to crossing invisible musical boundaries, Sandy Asirvatham is an innovator.” Crossing or just plain ignoring boundaries is at the heart of Asirvatham’s current project: a radical revision of Pink Floyd’s classic&nbsp;<em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Dark Side of the Moon&nbsp;</em>album, for which she is chief musical arranger. Called&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mobtownmoon.com/" target="_blank" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(139, 176, 242); text-decoration: none; ">MOBTOWN MOON</a>, it will be released in time for the original record’s 40th anniversary in 2013. Her co-creator is the widely praised, Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter<a href="http://www.ellencherry.com/" target="_blank" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(139, 176, 242); text-decoration: none; ">ellen cherry</a>. Her collaborators will include many of Baltimore’s finest rock, jazz, classical, and spoken word artists. On board to date are Tom Hall and the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, the Cris Jacobs Band (formerly of The Bridge), jazz bass clarinetist Todd Marcus, guitarist Scott Smith of Naked Blue, singer and keyboardist Brian Simms of the Junkyard Saints and Milkshake, bassoonist Bryan Young of the Poulenc Trio, bass-baritone vocalist Vincent Dion-Stringer, and many others. The first tracks will hit the airwaves in spring 2012.</h4><h4><br>Asirvatham has played her original songs and intriguing reinventions of jazz standards and rock/pop classics at notable clubs (An die Music, Jazzway 6004; The 8×10 in Baltimore, The Bitter End in NYC; and 49 West in Annapolis) and major cultural events and institutions (Artscape in Baltimore and the Smithsonian American Arts Museum in D.C.). With the experimental/free improvisation collective KREation (Kevin Robinson Ensemble), Asirvatham has played The Shrine in Harlem, Puppets Jazz in Brooklyn, NY, The Underground on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.</h4><h4><br>Asirvatham’s music has been compared with that of Joni Mitchell, Nellie McKay, Michael Franks and Randy Newman. Astute listeners may hear shades of Radiohead, Nick Drake and Steely Dan. She exhibits a sly sense of humor as she explores the full range of human emotion from dark to light.<br>Continuing in the style of provocation and thoughtful personal reflection she began in&nbsp;<em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Underwhelmed</em>, her award-winning column for Baltimore CityPaper (1997-2002), Asirvatham recently cranked out the 450-page manuscript of a memoir entitled&nbsp;<em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Songs Can Save Your Life</em>. She is currently revising it and seeking a literary agent.</h4></span>

About Me

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