Judge for Sasha

It's been a long time coming for Sasha Maria. The classically trained songstress's jazzy, piano-driven ballads and sultry voice echo Fiona Apple and Norah Jones, but for the past nine years she's mostly been a go-to opener for an array of popular Clear Channel performers. Such gigs have taken her to Duluth and Chicago, allowing her to share bills with the likes of the Jonas Brothers and Josh Kelley while gaining steady recognition for her own intimate performances along the way. Now Sasha is finally taking the big step into the limelight with the release of her eponymous debut full-length, which has been five years in the making. —Jeff Gage, City Pages