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Christian Sands

Christian Sands is an emerging jazz force. A recent Steinway Artist, he possesses pianistic technique in abundance, but it perfectly matches his conception. His use of understatement accomplishes a much deeper musical goal. He takes a fresh look at the entire language of jazz: stride, swing, bebop, progressive, fusion, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. He says, “My music is about teaching the way of jazz and keeping it alive. Born May 22, 1989, Christian possessed an insatiable appetite for music. He was enrolled in music classes at age 4 and wrote his first composition at age 5. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Manhattan School of Music.

His meteoric rise in the jazz world already includes two appearances at the 2006 and 2007 Grammy Awards, including an outrageous, highly publicized duet with legendary pianist Oscar Peterson. At the young age of 20 he received two GRAMMY Nominations for Best Latin JazzPiano Solo, and Best Latin Jazz Album for his performance on Bobby Sanabria’s “Kenya Revisited” featuring Candido Camero. He is the protégé of Dr. Billy and has been featured on several performances with him at Washington DC’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Following in his mentor’s foot steps he encourages, inspired and advocates for the preservation and history of Jazz. He teaches and promotes to young people as well as mature audiences the passion and richness jazz offers.

He has shared the stage with jazz luminaries such as Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, Vibraphonist Stefan Harris, Lou Donaldson, Avery Sharpe, James Moody, Saxophonist Bill Evans, Russell Malone, Rufus Reid, Chip Jackson, Terrance Blanchard, International Drummer Alex Riel, Louis Hayes, Patti Austin, and Wycliffe Gordon to name a few.

But most recently he is a member of renowned jazz bassist Christian McBride trio and quintet group Inside Straight. The prowess of his playing takes him from Gilmore Jazz Festival in Kalamazoo, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in Delaware, Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Festival, New York’s celebrated jazz clubs Village Vanguard, Jazz Standard and Dizzy Club Coca Cola to International jazz clubs in Russia, Italy, Japan, Corsiva, France, Belgium, Denmark and Germany.

As a pianist, he possesses an extensive vocabulary of patterns, textures and structures, which allow him to play in almost any style. On his four inimitable CDs, Footprints (which was recorded when he was 12), Harmonia, Risin’, and Furioso (released in Japan 2009) he demonstrates his skills as a composer, arranger, and producer. He provides a soulful melodic touch on S. Epatha Merkerson’s documentary “Contradictions of Fairhope” soundtrack recorded with Bassist Christian McBride. To be certain he has a firm grasp on the jazz culture he was named as one of Jazz future rising stars in “Jet Magazine” by Wynton Marsalis. Coming soon he will appear on Christian McBride’s newest trio album to be release in 2013. Playing his own music, he invents and re-invents himself with sonorities which define each moment, rhythms which impel the music forward, structures which are surprising and fascinating — and never for a moment un-musical.

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4
Album Review

Christian Sands: Christmas Stories

Read "Christmas Stories" reviewed by Dave Linn


Early on, Christian Sands had a passion for music. He was enrolled in music classes at age four and wrote his first composition at age five. He started playing professionally at the age of ten and studied at the Center for the Arts in New Haven, Connecticut before receiving his Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. A protégé of Dr. Billy Taylor, Sands released his debut album at the age of 12 and came ...

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Play This!

Christian Sands: Can't Find My Way Home

Read "Christian Sands: Can't Find My Way Home" reviewed by Michael Ricci


Released three years ago, Christian Sands' remake of Steve Winwood's timeless classic “Can't Find My Way Home" may have flown under the radar (at the time) but Sands completely makes this song his own and with astonishing results. His trio includes Yasushi Nakamura and Clarence Penn. ...

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Interview

Christian Sands: Renaissance Man

Read "Christian Sands: Renaissance Man" reviewed by R.J. DeLuke


Christian Sands is more than a jazz pianist, though he excels at it and it is central to his art. After all he started playing at about the age of two and first performed in public at age nine. Sands is a prolific composer. He has written music for television. He wants to do movie scores. He plans to work with visual artists and fashion designers, blending in his music to themed projects. “There's so ...

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Album Review

Dan Wilson: Vessels Of Wood And Earth

Read "Vessels Of Wood And Earth" reviewed by Chris May


Dan Wilson's Vessels Of Wood And Earth starts well. Just over a minute into track one, the guitarist launches into a lightning-speed solo which sounds a little like Wes Montgomery channeling Charlie Parker on speed. On track two, Stevie Wonder's well named “Bird Of Beauty," he rings the changes, exchanging Montgomery and Parker for Pat Metheny and sobriety, while pianist Christian Sands swaps his piano for a Lyle Mays-esque synthesizer program. Unfortunately, this early promise is not ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Christian Sands, Gary Burton, Chris Cheek and More

Read "Christian Sands, Gary Burton, Chris Cheek and More" reviewed by Joe Dimino


The young and electric pianist Christian Sands opens this week's edition of Neon Jazz. During the rest of the show we showcases new albums by Ricardo Grilli, Homero Alvarez and Dafnis Prieto. The talents of veteran cats is also included with the likes of Gary Burton, Edward Simon and Chris Cheek. Enjoy the show! Playlist Christian Sands “Crash" Be Water (Mack Avenue) 00:00 Host talks 6:20 Billy Taylor “Bird Brain" The Very Best Of 1945-1949 (Master Classics) 8:22 ...

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Album Review

Christian Sands: Be Water

Read "Be Water" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


A small opus which rises from within, “Intro," unassuming title and all, begins Be Water, a true wealth of music which pianist Christian Sands has designed to flow not only like the awe-inspiring, fear-inducing title element, but like mercy, freely and without boundary. And so it does. For next is “Sonar," a romping festival of feisty performances from Sands and his core trio of bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Clarence Penn which is meant to assure each other ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Lee Morgan, Kyle Nasser & More

Read "Lee Morgan, Kyle Nasser & More" reviewed by Joe Dimino


The young and very talented Christian Sands leads off this week's episode of Neon Jazz with music from his 2018 CD Facing Dragons. We then segue into his mentor Dr. Billy Taylor and profile Massachusetts native saxophonist Kyle Nasser with music from his latest disc Persistent Fancy. The talented group of young cats manufacturing a funk/jazz sound called The Black Tie Brass debuts their latest CD Mostly Covered. And, finally, we play the tune “Flimsy" form the great British outfit ...

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Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Christian Sands & "Remembering Erroll Garner"

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Christian Sands & "Remembering Erroll Garner"

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

It's been a good winter for St. Louis fans of jazz piano. We've got three top-shelf pianists performing here in as many weeks, starting last night with Matthew Shipp at the 560 Music Center; continuing next week with Aaron Diehl at the same venue; and then Christian Sands, who will be performing a program titled “Remembering Erroll Garner" on Saturday, February 8 at The Sheldon Erroll Garner was a major star in jazz from the 1940s until his death at ...

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Performance / Tour

Highlights In Jazz Presents “Remembering Erroll & Randy” Grand Finale on June 20 at BMCC TRIBECA Performing Arts Center

Highlights In Jazz Presents “Remembering Erroll & Randy” Grand Finale on  June 20 at BMCC TRIBECA Performing Arts Center

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

There are plenty of reasons that the annual Highlights In Jazz concert series has been a favorite among in-the-know jazz fans for almost a half century. For starters, producer Jack Kleinsinger can be counted on to deliver concerts that are certain to surprise and delight savvy listeners. The final event of the 2019 season is no exception, as it showcases the compositional genius and enduring legacy of two of the most beloved figures in modern jazz, pianists Erroll Garner and ...

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Concerts

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Christmas Stories

Mack Avenue Records
2023

buy

Vessels Of Wood And...

Brother Mister / Mack Avenue
2021

buy

Be Water

Mack Avenue Records
2020

buy

Reach Further

Mack Avenue Records
2018

buy

Facing Dragons

Mack Avenue Records
2018

buy

Reach

Mack Avenue Records
2017

buy

Videos

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