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Christian Sands Trio
Jazz Coterie concert series presents Steinway Artist and 5X Grammy-nominated pianist Christian Sands with Jonathon Muir-Cotton on bass and Ryan Sands on drums.
“He’s a highly eloquent pianist who can swing in his sleep.”
Christian Sands may only be 34 years old, but he’s been playing piano for three decades and has five Grammy Award nominations under his belt. Sands’ stylistic range includes stride piano, swing, be-bop, progressive jazz, fusion, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. This young Steinway Artis is taking his place as a leader and an emerging force, bringing a fresh look at the entire language of jazz. Wynton Marsalis named him a “jazz star of the future.”
“With a talent like Sands at the keys, anything is possible.”
A deeply rich and soulful feeling can be heard in Christian’s music, characterized by his infectious energy and spirit. It was that same spirit that caught the attention of Grammy award winning bassist, Christian McBride, who asked Sands — then 20 years old — to sit in at the Village Vanguard with his big band, Inside Straight. That appearance led to Sands becoming a member of bassist Christian McBride’s Trio, with whom he performed, recorded, and toured for six years. Their 2013 album release, Out Here, received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.
“Such hot-dogging virtuosity that the only proper response was to gasp or holler.”
From a very early age, 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 started playing professionally at the age of 10, and studied at the Neighborhood Music School and the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven, CT. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. For his participation on the MSM Kenya Revisited album, Sands received his first Grammy Nomination for Best Latin Piano Solo.
“[Sands] expresses himself freely at every turn…he fashions a tune at once accessible and ambitious.”
In 2016, Christian Sands was signed to the prestigious Mack Avenue Records label. His debut album REACH, released in 2017, held the No. 1 spot on Billboard magazine’s Jazz Albums Chart for four weeks. And from his more recent release Be Water he procured a Grammy nomination for his composition “Be Water II.”
Sands has shared the stage with many jazz luminaries including Wynton Marsalis, Diane Reeves, Randy Brecker, Russell Malone, Terrance Blanchard, and Louis Hayes, to name a few.
“An exquisite understanding of writing material that speaks on its own and equally feeds the fires of improvisation.”
The power and prowess of his playing has taken him from some of the most notable festivals such as Newport Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Detroit Jazz Festival; to New York’s celebrated clubs including Village Vanguard, Jazz Standard, Blue Note, and Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center; to renowned concert halls around the world.