About The Band
Sued Nandayapa Bergmann Saunders play original music and interact fearlessly. They like to make
things up. Each member brings considerable experience as an improviser, a composer, a producer, and a
traveler. The group first played together during the summer of 2018. Their self-titled first album was
released on Ropeadope Sur in fall 2019 and they celebrated with a series of concerts in Mexico and
Texas, during which they recorded their second album, You Took Me. Quarantined by the pandemic,
each member hunkered down in their respective home studios. Combining countless individual
recordings- an unusual process for an improv-focused jazz band-their third album, While It Lasts, took
shape. In the fall of 2022, the group finally reunited in-person for a new series of concerts and recording
sessions, culminating in their fourth release, Mad Dream. In early 2024, the group convened yet again to
create their newest Ropeadope Sur album, The Valley. With group interaction and the compositional
ingenuity having reached new heights, the group could sift through hours and hours of studio
performances, eventually producing this heartfelt and exquisite new recording.
Natalio Sued plays tenor saxophone, clarinet and flute. In venues big and small, Sued joins world-class
improvisers in creating never-to-be-repeated musical moments. Sued also works with long-standing
ensembles that explore a diversity of genres, styles, and ways of working, encompassing the freedom of
instant composition (as with The Ambush Part) and the disciplined reinterpretation of jazz classics (as
with All Ellington). Sued also explores his Argentinian background (Antimufa, Del Abasto), his fascination
for rock (Opositor), saxtrio jazz (Native Speaker) and contemporary music (Solaris Saxophone Quartet).
Recent collaborations with composers’ groups include Tiltan, Winter-Storm, and the Valentín Garvie
quintet. Along the way Natalio has shared the stage with internationally famous musicians such as
Michael Moore, The Concertgebouw Jazz Orchestra, Michael Vatcher, Guillermo Celano, Clemens van
der Feen, Lars Dietrich, Sanne Van Hek, Hernan Hecht, Luis Perdomo, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Thomas.W.
Anderson, Jesse van Ruller, Paula Shocron, Rudi Mahal, and Frank Mobus, among others.
One of the most versatile drummers of the Mexican jazz scene, Nandayapa has played with different national and international jazz ensembles featuring Remi Álvarez, Iraida Noriega, Mark Aanderud, Agustín Bernal, Roberto Verastegui, Aaron Cruz, A Love Electric, Gilad Hekselman, Joe Morris, Cyro Baptista, Kenny Wollensen, Tim Ries, and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, among others. In the rock genre he’s been touring and recording with Saul Hernández (Caifanes) and worked with producers such as Don Was (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones). With his different projects he has performed in Spain, France, China, Taiwan, Korea, the United States, Colombia, South Africa and the Mexican Republic. Gustavo Nandayapa studied at the Amsterdam Conservatory with Jost Lijbaart, Arnold Dooyerveerd and Victor Oskam. Currently Gustavo is an exclusive artist of Bosphorus Cymbals.
Andrew Bergmann writes and produces music, plays bass, and serves as Assistant Professor of Music
Production, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
From 2015 to 2023 Andrew taught at the University of Texas at San Antonio, directing the music
technology area. Andrew also co-created and served as faculty director for MuTeFest, UTSA's yearly
music technology festival.
Andrew grew up in Massachusetts and has lived, traveled, and performed across Europe and North
America. In addition to Sued Nandayapa Bergmann Saunders, Andrew co-directs projects such as the
San Antonio Ambient Orchestra, Ghorar Deem Express, and Troglodytes. Andrew has also played
acoustic and electric bass on recent releases by Azul Barrientos, Aaron Prado, Viatorum, Cory Wong,
Derick Penrod, Wesley S Uchiyama-Penix and Chris Guerrero while producing recent releases by Aaron
Walker and Dan Carillo.
Guitarist, composer and educator Bruce Saunders is a Professor at Berklee College of Music where he
has taught since 1993. He is also currently teaching at Berklee’s online school, the University of Texas at
Austin and Austin Community College and formerly taught private lessons at NYU and the New School.
After receiving his Masters degree in jazz/classical guitar from the University of North Texas in 1986 he
moved to New York city and has since recorded, performed and toured with some of the worlds best
musicians. A partial list would include: Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Bill Stewart, Peter Erskine, Kenny
Werner, Mark Murphy, John Riley, Ben Monder, Curtis Fowlkes, George Garzone, Leon Parker, David
Berkman, Gerald Cleaver, Steve Cardenas, Donny McCaslin, Scott Colley and many others. He has
performed at many renowned New York jazz venues including Birdland, The Blue Note, Smalls, Fat Cat,
The Jazz Standard, The Knitting Factory, Barbes, Detour, Smoke, Tonic and many others.
He has developed two popular courses for BerkleeOnline (Berklee’s online university): Jazz Guitar and
Jazz Guitar 201. He has conducted clinics and concerts in countries as diverse as Colombia, Portugal,
Mexico, Spain and Japan as well as throughout the United States. He has six CDs as a leader and has
played on approximately 45 other recordings. His newest recordings are "Drift," released on the Strange
Planet Records label in January 2013 and "Art & Science" released in 2015 on Red Records (see
discography). He is the author of six jazz guitar method books published by Mel Bay Publications.
