Mini Brazilian Beasts (Octave SACD)

A marvel of modern jazz - In her first album recorded in Pure DSD, Brazilian pianist Carmen Sandim is a master of storytelling through her thoughtfully-crafted piano melodies and sophisticated harmonic structures.

Accompanied in expert fashion by Gilad Hekselman on electric and acoustic guitar, Greg Garrison on bass and Colin Stranahan drums, Mini Brazilian Beasts is a marvel of modern jazz that’s warm and bright, and one of Octave’s crispest, clearest DSD recordings to date. The instrumental album opens with its playful title track, moving through the intensity of the emotionally-driven “Disturbia Nervosa” before retreating into the calm serenity of “Eventual Ocean” on solo piano.

Produced by Art Lande and recorded by Colin Bricker and Kevin Lee, the album also features Blue Note Records’ Ron Miles on trumpet in his final recording – a beautifully introspective ballad titled for his middle name, “Glen.” This cohesive album of fresh, original compositions is a must-have for any jazz collector.

Now available as a 24-karat gold CD master in addition to the SACD version and downloads.

The Music
01 - Mini Brazilian Beasts
02 - Samsara's Learning Curve
03 - Disturbia Nervosa
04 - Glen
05 - Jumelandia
06 - Enemy
07 - Cassandra Speaks
08 - Magia Moderna
09 - Eventual Ocean
10 - That's Just The Way It Is, OK?
11 - Humdrum Heroe

About Carmen Sandim
An engaging jazz pianist, Carmen Sandim combines harmonically sophisticated post-bop with traditions from her native Brazil. A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sandim studied music at Boston's Berklee College of Music, working with artists like Luciana Souza, Vuk Kulenovic, Ed Tomassi, and others.

After graduating with her B.M. in Film Scoring, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she composed music for TV, radio, and political ads. She also launched her own music production company, and picked up accolades, including several Addy Awards for compositional excellence. In 2005, she moved to Boulder, Colorado where she earned her M.M. in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy from University of Colorado.

Basing herself there, she began performing, as well as teaching at University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Denver, and Metropolitan State University of Denver. In 2011, she released her debut album, the Art Lande-produced Brand New, which featured Colorado luminary, cornetist Ron Miles, as well as saxophonist Danny Meyer, guitarist Matt Fuller, bassist Jean-Luc Davis, and drummer Josh Moore. In 2016, she won a grant from Pathways to Jazz to record her sophomore album.

Two years later, she returned with the Lande-produced Play Doh. Included on the album were contributions by Kneebody trumpeter Shane Endsley, saxophonist Bruce Williamson, guitarist Khabu Doug Young, and others.