From Blues Revue, by Joseph Jordan

New Kid on the Blues Block

There's huge charm and big music pouring out of an extremely young man from Sebastopol in Sonoma County. Keyboardist (no vocals yet) Sasha Smith is a fourteen year-old talent like nothing heard around these parts for years. This great white hope already has a sparkling, self-produced indy blues CD available named Straight Up and a can't-miss brighter-than-bright future ahead of him.

Sasha's familiarity and obvious comfort with both blues and jazz forms, combined with his stunning and individual style, rival that of musicians many, many years his senior. This incredibly-talented yet marvelously humble teenager has already come to the attention of such blues greats as Buddy Guy, Charles Brown, Nick Gravenities, Nathan Cavalieri, Johnny Otis, Robert Jr. Lockwood and his adopted godfather, pianist Johnnie Johnson.

Sasha's career is cared for and lovingly overseen by his bass-playing, co-producing dad, Claude. Like the best of prodigies, this musician's extraordinary talent allows the listener to overlook his diminutive stature and extremely youthful appearance and marvel at his formidable and compelling gifts. Be the first on your blues block to check out this impressive youngblood. The wave of the future is starting to crest.

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