I remember growing up in a time when every girl wanted to be Little Orphan Annie and so the rest of us had to listen to each one of them sing “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” through her nose.  I have also met many very nice young ladies who consider themselves to be singers but probably ought to just keep it a hobby.  Sasha Masakowski, I am happy to say, is the exception - she is really, really good. Her first release, “Musical Playground,” is a well-produced recording of jazz and latin standards.

Sasha is the daughter of guitarist Steve Masakowski (Astral Project, University of New Orleans), who is featured prominently on the record alongside guitarist Alberto Medina, bassists Nathan Lambertson and Martin Masakowski (her bro), drummers Charles Brewer and Paul Thibodeaux, vibes/pianist James Westfall, and saxophonist Rex Gregory.

A graduate of the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts now studying at the University of New Orleans, Sasha and her voice have the freshness and clarity of youth while also delivering the chromatic control of maturity. The song selection is great, and you can sense her ease and comfort with these multi-lingual titles:

1. Russian Lullaby
2. E Preciso Perdoar
3. All or Nothng at All
4. Poem for #15
5. Afro Blue
6. Interplay
7. Tierra Humeda
8. Gentle Piece
9. Summertime
10. My Romance

The quality of this record is worth mentioning.  Engineered by the very musical Tim Stambaugh (Word-of-Mouth Studios in Algiers, LA) and mastered by the ears of of saxophonist Ed Petersen, the sonic quality has the richness and good stereophonic placement of instruments you are looking for on an easy Sunday morning with a cup of coffee.

The instrumental solos, especially the vibes of James Westfall, intertwined with the story song lyrics of “Poem for #15“ create my favorite track. It is thoughtful, magical story about life and aging and expectations.

I first heard her band, also named “Musical Playground,” at the 2008 French Quarter Festival in front of the historic mint building on the corner of Decatur and Esplanade. The guys in her band were other UNO students who apparently know their instruments extremely well. I highly recommend you go to see her at least once.  Her schedule can be found on Sasha Masakowski’s MySpace Page.

You can buy this CD online at CD Baby or in town at Snug Harbor or the Louisiana Music Factory.

Or you can download these delightful MP3’s from iTunes:

or Amazon.com