Many artists who’ve played the Tiny Desk have come on the strength of their children. Most recently, Marvin Sapp told us, “My kids said that I had to do this.” In Sasha Keable‘s case, it was her dad who introduced her to the Tiny Desk way back when Tom Jones played in 2009. Despite Keables’ early goals, she faced a series of music industry setbacks that could have led her to quit. However, her Tiny Desk performance stands as a testament to her resilience, a victory lap in a race that’s only just begun.
I discovered Keable through 2019’s MAN EP; it instantly took me back to when I first heard Amy Winehouse. The music was raw and her delivery was brash, but the effortless power and range separated her from anything I was listening to. I invited her to the Tiny Desk a few months later, then COVID-19 hit, curbing the opportunity. In 2021, the British-Colombian singer-songwriter released Intermission, but last year, everything seemed to click with a long string of singles that connected her with audiences across the pond and in the United States, including Beyoncé, who dropped her name in a GQ magazine interview.
Keable flew over from South London, enlisting the Slim Wav-led Band of Brothas to arrange a medley of bangers from her upcoming EP, act right, as her dad proudly watched on.
SET LIST
- “FEEL SOMETHING”
- “Tai Chi”
- “act right”
- “can’t stop”
- “Take Your Time”
- “move it along”
- “Hold Up”
- “WHY”
MUSICIANS
- Sasha Keable: lead vocals
- Slim Wav: keys, musical direction
- Sharod Virtuoso: guitar
- EJ MoBetta: bass
- Jordan Hemby: drums
- Spiff Sinatra: trumpet
- Larry “Laj” Smith: saxophone
- Morgan Lett: background vocals
- Chelseá Mabson: background vocals
- Chriz Vaughn: background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Bobby Carter
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern
- Audio Engineer: Andie Huether
- Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Photographer: Elizabeth Gillis
- Tiny Desk Team: Josh Newell, Felix Contreras
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton