Sandra Aran has been gracing the stage for over 30 years. As a Mexican/American artist who has dedicated her musical life to the study of Jazz and Latin music, her music reflects her migration to and from her native Mexico and the U.S. A graduate of Berklee College of Music and the National School of Music of Mexico - Sandra brings commitment and passion to every song in her repertoire. Whether she is singing in English, Spanish or Portuguese, Sandra coaxes her audience into a musical journey that is universal. This evening she is accompanied by a musical cohort of theBay Areas finest musicians to perform songs that have spoken to her since childhood. Influenced by her family, cultural surroundings and fellow musicians, Sandra brings her "favorite things" tonight hoping that they might become yours too!
Performing with Sandra are:
Michael O’Neill - Saxophones - a mainstay on the San Francisco Bay Area jazz scene. He has led several steady, high-profile gigs including a 13 year engagement at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, a 7 year stint at Cetrella on the coast, and a 6 year steady gig at the Sofitel on the San Francisco peninsula. He has performed at many Jazz Festivals including the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and the San Jose Jazz Festival. He has played and/or recorded with Idris Muhammad, Joe Locke, Geoffrey Keezer, Michael Wolff, Rodney Jones, Kenny Washington, Jackie Ryan, Tony Lindsay, Akira Tana, Michael Bluestein, Nicolas Bearde, Smith Dobson Sr., and many others. He performs frequently at Yoshi’s and all the major venues in the Bay Area.
John R. Burr - Piano- a musician of wide ranging and diverse style. A sought-after accompanist and arranger on the Bay Area music scene, regularly appearing with Jackie Ryan, Kenny Washington, Nicolas Bearde and Laurie Lewis. The Philadelphia Weekly said, “Pianist extraordinaire John R. Burr has the most sparkling style since former Allman Brother-turned-Rolling Stone hired hand Chuck Leavell.” Discology wrote, “John R. Burr ranks with the best of the elegant jazzers.”
Dan Feizli - Bass - a bassist and recording engineer / producer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Experienced on both upright and electric basses, Dan is a versatile performer in styles of music ranging from jazz and latin to pop and rock. He has performed in concert with such notable artists as James Moody, Raul Midon, and Mickey Hart, toured nationally and internationally with artists including Julio Iglesias, Nicole Yarling and Raul DiBlasio, and played in the pit orchestras for musical theatre productions including Hamilton, The Lion King and Billy Elliot.
Brian Rice - Percussion - a Bay Area percussionist, performer, educator and recording artist who specializes in the music of the world, and in particular of Brazil and Cuba. Brian teaches Brazilian and Cuban ensembles at UC Davis and teaches privately at his studio in Emeryville. In demand as a performer, Brian has played across the US, Europe, and Brazil including venues like Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Savana Music Festival, WOMAD festival, Edinburg Fringe Fest, Montreal Jazz Festival, and NPR Tiny Desk Concerts to name a few.
Tickets at Sandra Aran Quintet