Christian Sands Trio – live in Paris – Recorded November 9, 2022 – Radio France Musique –
Continuing our look at new voices and new faces, Christian Sands and his trio comprising of Phil Norris on bass and Ryan Sands on drums, doing a live gig at Duc des Lombards in Paris and recorded by Radio France Musique just this past November.
American Radio, along with all the other things they’ve abandoned has not been the place to make new discoveries of anything lately. Jazz has certainly been one of them. And as much as we hear Jazz has been dead for a while, we keep getting confounded that it’s alive and well and being appreciated – just not here. You could say Christian Sands is keeper of the flame and letting us all know the spirit and joy have never gone away. But like so many other aspects of American art, it’s found an appreciative audience in other places; other countries. Jazz isn’t the only genre that’s found itself out of the mainstream. Different parts of Rock as well as Classical and Literature have found themselves being accepted and encouraged somewhere else. And lest you think I’m making it all up, I have first-hand proof. That is sad.
But I’m not here to piss and moan about the state of the Arts in America – I’m here to celebrate a new and vibrant voice in Jazz. One that I’m grateful is around and blossoming. Christian Sands is one of those voices. He is one of the examples that Jazz is far from dead – believes education is the key – part of a movement that is thankfully growing and has a lot of fight left in it.
Here’s an excerpt of a piece writting about Christian Sands in AllAboutJazz from 2021:
“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.”
Further evidence all is not lost – All is taking a breather.
Dive in and find out.
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