Christian Sands, Steinway Recording Artist is an emerging jazz force. 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. Christian possessed an insatiable appetite for music. He was enrolled
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Christian Sands, Steinway Recording Artist is an emerging jazz force. 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. 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 Masters and Bachelor of Arts Degree from Manhattan School of Music.
His meteoric rise in the jazz world includes three GRAMMY nominations and two live performances at the 2006 and 2007 Grammy Awards, including an outrageous, highly publicized duet with legendary pianist Oscar Peterson. He is the protégé of the late Dr. Billy Taylor. 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, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jason Moran, Geri Allen, Ben Williams, Esperanza Spalding, 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. He is a member of GRAMMY award winners Christian McBride Trio and Ben Williams & Sound Effects. The prowess of his playing takes him from Newport Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Gilmore Jazz Festival in Kalamazoo, to New York’s celebrated jazz clubs Birdland, Village Vanguard, Jazz Standard, Blue Note and Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola and 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. 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 and 2015 Vanity Fair’s Jazz Youth-Quake. 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.
He exemplifies the rising musicality and spiritual aspirations of a singularly gifted musical soul. “To whom much is given, much is expected.” Christian Sands doesn’t disappoint.
