A sophisticated jazz pianist, Christian Sands emerged in the 2000s displaying his deep understanding of the post-bop and swing traditions. A protégé of the late Dr. Billy Taylor, Sands drew early accolades for his performances at the 2006 and 2007 Grammy Awards, as well as similar appearances alongside Taylor at the Kennedy Center. Following early solo albums and work as a member of Christian McBride's band, the pianist came into his own with his 2017 Mack Avenue debut, Reach, and its 2018 follow-up, Facing Dragons.
Sands was born in 1989 in New Haven, Connecticut, where he first started playing piano at age three, and by age five he was composing. As a teenager, he attended both the Neighborhood Music School and the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven. He was also a regular participant in the Jazz in July music camp at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he first met his mentor, pianist Billy Taylor. After high school, Sands further honed his skills at the Manhattan School of Music, where he graduated with his bachelor's and master's degrees. Since leaving school, he has performed with a bevy of luminaries, including Lou Donaldson, Kirk Whalum, Phil Woods, James Moody, and Wycliffe Gordon.
As a solo artist, Sands debuted with Footprints at age 12 in 2002. He followed up with 2004's Harmonia and 2008's Risin', the latter of which featured trumpeter Josh Evans. There were also high-profile appearances at the 2006 and 2007 Grammys, including a duet with legendary pianist Oscar Peterson. Sands gained wider recognition performing as a guest of Taylor at the pianist's 2006 and 2007 Jazz at Kennedy Center series. He then joined bassist Christian McBride's outfit, contributing to albums like 2013's Out Here and People Music. He also recorded with bassist Ben Williams, and appeared with the Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, led by Bobby Sanabria, on the Grammy-nominated Kenya Revisited Live.
In 2014, Sands was a finalist in the American Pianists Association Jazz Fellowship Awards. Three years later, he released Reach, his debut album for Mack Avenue Records. Featured on the record were guest appearances by guitarist Gilad Hekselman, bassist McBride, and saxophonist Marcus Strickland. The following year, he returned on Mack Avenue with Facing Dragons, which featured his core rhythm section of bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Jerome Jennings, as well as contributions by Strickland and trumpeter Keyon Harrold. Coming off a two-year residency living in Shanghai, Sands released Be Water, which found him drawing inspiration from martial arts icon Bruce Lee.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/christian-sands-mn0002086938/biography
Review:
A lot plays into the success of an artist's reach, with content and presentation obviously ranking high on the list. But above all, an artist has to be willing to extend a hand if they expect listeners to do the same. Many simply reach for the musical stars without really considering the need to reach out to potential audiences through the music. Pianist Christian Sands doesn't fall into that trap. His reach—both up and out—is long and wide, exemplified on this aptly named date.
Despite any potential allusions in the previous paragraph or the titular ideal, Reach doesn't pander to populist tastes or compromise in anyway. It simply has quality material performed at an extremely high level that can appeal to a wide variety of listeners, ranging from the jazz curious to the jazz cognoscenti. If you've found your way to this site and this review, chances are there's something that appeals to you here, whether you fancy yourself a modernist, a traditionalist, a blues adherent, a neo-soul devotee, a post-bop fan, a Latin jazz lover, or something else entirely. Sands manages to craft unique statements that touch on all of the aforementioned topics, often blending or countervailing one with the other within a single song, and once your ear is hooked, that's it.
Reach opens with "Armando's Song," a nod to the great Chick Corea that seems to be cut from the same cloth—or, perhaps, the same vocabulary—as Corea's "Armando's Rhumba." Sands, however, isn't one to plagiarize, and the propulsive swing roller coaster that follows the theme proves that point. A rush of optimism blotting out the face of hate follows that eye-opening number. "Song Of The Rainbow People" speaks to the need for unity and togetherness, both in name and sound. There are hints of gray skies in the mix, but the sun burns the clouds away.
Those opening invitations expose listeners to the tightly-formed trio that's the backbone of this album—Sands, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Marcus Baylor—and the three tracks that immediately follow demonstrate how that group reacts to new voices in the mix. Marcus Strickland first spurs the band on with his tenor saxophone on the driven "Pointing West." Then he puts his tenor and bass clarinet to good use on an electro-dusted chill ride dubbed "Freefall." Both numbers find the core band expanding its outlook and adapting to the presence of their guest. The same thing can be said to happen when percussionist Cristian Rivera drops in to add some Latin sizzle to the festive "¡Óyeme!."
The second half of the album is just as inclusive in all respects. "Bud's Tune" pares things back to a trio configuration as Sands salutes bebop pioneer Bud Powell; "Reaching For The Sun" walks on a pseudo-Brazilian groove, carries hints of Corea and Pat Metheny in its DNA, gives Sands a chance to dazzle with his glistening glances, and brings guitarist Gilad Hekselman into the picture for the first of his three consecutive appearances; a cover of "Use Me" retains its Bill Withers-born soulfulness while taking on a new skulking-turned-swinging-turned-skulking rhythmic shape and opening up some space for Christian McBride to bow the truth; and "Gangstalude" injects a hip-hop attitude and foundation into the program. Then Sands ends with what's, perhaps, the biggest surprise of all: a heartfelt performance of "Somewhere Out There" from An American Tail (Amblin Entertainment/Sullivan Bluth Studios, 1986). It opens lyrically and loyally before taking flight in reflective-cum-resounding fashion. It's the last chapter in this tale of many tones, serving as the final indication of Sands' willingness to embrace diversity in sound and scope. Everything and everyone seems to be within his reach.
By Dan Bilawsky
April 19, 2017
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reach-christian-sands-mack-avenue-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php
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Christian Sands, un sofisticado pianista de jazz, surgió en la década de 2000 mostrando su profundo conocimiento de las tradiciones post-bop y swing. Protegido por el difunto Dr. Billy Taylor, Sands recibió los primeros elogios por sus actuaciones en los premios Grammy de 2006 y 2007, así como por sus apariciones junto a Taylor en el Kennedy Center. Tras sus primeros álbumes en solitario y su trabajo como miembro de la banda de Christian McBride, el pianista se dio a conocer con su debut en Mack Avenue en 2017, Reach, y su continuación en 2018, Facing Dragons.
Sands nació en 1989 en New Haven, Connecticut, donde empezó a tocar el piano a los tres años, y a los cinco ya componía. De adolescente, asistió tanto a la Neighborhood Music School como al Educational Center for the Arts de New Haven. También participó regularmente en el campamento de música Jazz in July de la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst, donde conoció a su mentor, el pianista Billy Taylor. Después del instituto, Sands siguió perfeccionando sus habilidades en la Manhattan School of Music, donde se graduó con una licenciatura y un máster. Desde que dejó la escuela, ha actuado con un grupo de luminarias, como Lou Donaldson, Kirk Whalum, Phil Woods, James Moody y Wycliffe Gordon.
Como artista en solitario, Sands debutó con Footprints a los 12 años en 2002. Siguió con Harmonia, de 2004, y Risin', de 2008, este último con la participación del trompetista Josh Evans. También tuvo apariciones destacadas en los Grammys de 2006 y 2007, incluyendo un dúo con el legendario pianista Oscar Peterson. Sands obtuvo un mayor reconocimiento actuando como invitado de Taylor en la serie Jazz at Kennedy Center de 2006 y 2007 del pianista. Luego se unió al conjunto del bajista Christian McBride, contribuyendo a álbumes como Out Here y People Music de 2013. También grabó con el bajista Ben Williams, y apareció con la Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, dirigida por Bobby Sanabria, en el disco Kenya Revisited Live, nominado al Grammy.
En 2014, Sands fue finalista en los premios Jazz Fellowship de la American Pianists Association. Tres años después, publicó Reach, su álbum de debut para Mack Avenue Records. En el disco aparecían como invitados el guitarrista Gilad Hekselman, el bajista McBride y el saxofonista Marcus Strickland. Al año siguiente, regresó a Mack Avenue con Facing Dragons, que incluía su sección rítmica principal, formada por el bajista Yasushi Nakamura y el baterista Jerome Jennings, así como contribuciones de Strickland y el trompetista Keyon Harrold. Tras una residencia de dos años en Shanghai, Sands publicó Be Water, en el que se inspiró en el icono de las artes marciales Bruce Lee.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/christian-sands-mn0002086938/biography
Reseña:
Hay muchas cosas que influyen en el éxito de un artista, y el contenido y la presentación ocupan obviamente un lugar destacado en la lista. Pero, sobre todo, un artista tiene que estar dispuesto a tender la mano si espera que los oyentes hagan lo mismo. Muchos se limitan a alcanzar a las estrellas musicales sin considerar realmente la necesidad de llegar al público potencial a través de la música. El pianista Christian Sands no cae en esa trampa. Su alcance -tanto hacia arriba como hacia afuera- es largo y amplio, ejemplificado en esta fecha tan acertada.
A pesar de las posibles alusiones en el párrafo anterior o el ideal del título, Reach no alcahuetea los gustos populistas ni hace concesiones de ningún tipo. Simplemente tiene material de calidad interpretado a un nivel extremadamente alto que puede atraer a una amplia variedad de oyentes, desde los curiosos del jazz hasta los cognoscentes del jazz. Si has llegado a este sitio y a esta reseña, lo más probable es que haya algo que te atraiga aquí, tanto si te consideras un modernista, un tradicionalista, un adepto del blues, un devoto del neo-soul, un fanático del post-bop, un amante del jazz latino o algo totalmente distinto. Sands se las arregla para elaborar declaraciones únicas que tocan todos los temas mencionados, a menudo mezclando o contrarrestando unos con otros dentro de una misma canción, y una vez que tu oído se engancha, eso es todo.
Reach se abre con "Armando's Song", un guiño al gran Chick Corea que parece estar cortado de la misma tela -o, quizás, del mismo vocabulario- que "Armando's Rhumba" de Corea. Sin embargo, Sands no es de los que plagian, y la propulsiva montaña rusa de swing que sigue al tema lo demuestra. Un torrente de optimismo que borra la cara del odio sigue a ese número revelador. "Song Of The Rainbow People" habla de la necesidad de unidad y unión, tanto en el nombre como en el sonido. Hay indicios de cielos grises en la mezcla, pero el sol quema las nubes.
Esas invitaciones iniciales exponen a los oyentes al trío estrechamente formado que es la columna vertebral de este álbum -Sands, el bajista Yasushi Nakamura, y el baterista Marcus Baylor- y las tres pistas que siguen inmediatamente demuestran cómo ese grupo reacciona a las nuevas voces en la mezcla. Marcus Strickland espolea primero a la banda con su saxo tenor en la impulsiva "Pointing West". A continuación, pone su clarinete tenor y bajo a buen uso en un paseo chill electro-descongelado apodado "Freefall". En ambos números, la banda principal amplía su perspectiva y se adapta a la presencia de su invitado. Lo mismo puede decirse cuando el percusionista Cristian Rivera entra para añadir un poco de chispa latina a la festiva "¡Óyeme!".
La segunda mitad del álbum es igual de inclusiva en todos los sentidos. "Bud's Tune" se reduce a una configuración de trío mientras Sands saluda al pionero del bebop Bud Powell; "Reaching For The Sun" camina sobre un groove pseudo-brasileño, lleva en su ADN toques de Corea y Pat Metheny, da a Sands la oportunidad de deslumbrar con sus relucientes miradas, y trae al guitarrista Gilad Hekselman en la primera de sus tres apariciones consecutivas; una versión de "Use Me" conserva su soulfulness nacido de Bill Withers al tiempo que adquiere una nueva forma rítmica que se convierte en un balanceo que se convierte en un balanceo y que abre un poco de espacio para que Christian McBride incline la verdad; y "Gangstalude" inyecta una actitud y una base de hip-hop en el programa. Luego Sands termina con la que es, quizás, la mayor sorpresa de todas: una sentida interpretación de "Somewhere Out There" de An American Tail (Amblin Entertainment/Sullivan Bluth Studios, 1986). Se abre de forma lírica y leal antes de alzar el vuelo de forma reflexiva y sonora. Es el último capítulo de esta historia de muchos tonos, que sirve como indicación final de la voluntad de Sands de abrazar la diversidad en el sonido y el alcance. Todo y todos parecen estar a su alcance.
Por Dan Bilawsky
19 de abril de 2017
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reach-christian-sands-mack-avenue-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php
www.christiansandsjazz.com ...
Tracklist:
1 - Armando's Song -
2 - Song Of The Rainbow People -
3 - Pointing West -
4 - Freefall -
5 - !Oyeme! -
6 - Bud's Tune -
7 - Reaching For The Sun -
8 - Use Me -
9 - Gangstalude -
10 - Somewhere Out There -
Credits:
Acoustic Bass – Christian McBride (tracks: 8), Yasushi Nakamura (2)
Bass Clarinet – Marcus Strickland (tracks: 4)
Drums – Marcus Baylor
Guitar – Gilad Hekselman (tracks: 7 to 9)
Percussion – Cristian Rivera (tracks: 5)
Piano, Liner Notes, Arranged By – Christian Sands
Producer – Al Pryor, Christian McBride
Tenor Saxophone – Marcus Strickland (tracks: 3, 4)
Written-By – Barry Mann (tracks: 10), Bill Withers (tracks: 8), Christian Sands (tracks: 1 to 7, 9), Cynthia Weil (tracks: 10), James Horner (tracks: 10)
Label: Mack Avenue Records – MAC1117
Released: 20 May 2017
Genre: Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/Christian-Sands-Reach/release/10562662
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