Christian Sylvester Sands (born May 22, 1989) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist and composer. His third album for

Mack Avenue Records Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and Chairperson, chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company ...

, ''Be Water'', was released in 2020 and received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination in the Best Instrumental Composition category for the song "Be Water II".

Life and career

Sands was born on May 22, 1989. He grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and later moved to the nearby town of Orange, Connecticut, Orange."Get to Know Jazz Fellowship Awards Finalist Christian Sands"
(September 11, 2014). American Pianists Association. He started playing the piano at a very young age, and took lessons from the age of four; he commented that "I grew up with it in the house, in the classroom and on stage so it has always been a huge part of my life". Sands was mentored by pianist Billy Taylor, who allowed the teenager to close one of the sets that Taylor played at the Kennedy Center. Sands went on to study at the Manhattan School of Music.Lutz, Phillip (September 3, 2010
"Help for Those Just Starting Out in the Jazz World"
''The New York Times''. The school's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, led by Bobby Sanabria, recorded the album ''Kenya Revisited Live'' in 2009; it was nominated for a Latin Grammy. After graduating, Sands joined Inside Straight, one of bassist Christian McBride's bands; they have toured internationally. Sands became a Steinway artist in 2012. In 2014, Sands cited as influences McBride, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, and Marcus Roberts, because "They're coming from the tradition of bringing people into the music, but also moving it forward into new directions". In the same year, Sands became an American Pianists Association Jazz Fellowship Awards Finalist. His composition "Be Water II" was nominated for the Best Instrumental Composition

in 2020.

Discography

An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

As leader

As sideman

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sands, Christian 1989 births African-American jazz musicians American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists Jazz musicians from Connecticut Living people Manhattan School of Music alumni Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians Mack Avenue Records artists Storyville Records artists African-American pianists 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians