Music was always playing in the house where Sachal Vasandani grew op. His parents didn't just listen to Indian and western classical music, but also to The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Duke Ellington and Keith Jarrett. So it was to be expected he would study music at university; mainly classical music and jazz. The leading jazz magazine DownBeat proclaimed him Collegiate Jazz Vocalist of the Year in 1999, a distinction that made Vasandani decide to move to New York. He reached the semifinal of the Thelonious Monk Competition and was invited to perform with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. His star was rising and he got a regular gig at the Zinc Bar, a well-visited bar, popular stage. Vasandani's success resulted in a contract with Mack Avenue Records. His debut Eyes Wide Open portrays a singer with a deep, warm voice, who records both his own characteristic compositions and familiar classics in a completely personal way.
