A protégé of jazz pianist and educator Billy Taylor, Christian Sands specializes in post-bop and swing-style jazz. Born on May 22, 1989 in New Haven, Connecticut, Sands quickly took to the piano and released his first album before he turned 13. Endorsement from Taylor, in the form of performance opportunities at high-profile concerts, drew attention to the young talent, and he went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music.
Along the way, Sands teamed up with acclaimed bassist Christian McBride in various configurations, including McBride’s combo Inside Straight and the Christian McBride Trio, which netted Sands a Grammy nomination for his work on the trio’s 2013 album Out Here. He also performed at the Grammy Awards alongside Oscar Peterson, and appeared as Taylor’s guest as part of his Jazz at the Kennedy Center series.
Sands continued to record as a solo artist and band leader, and landed a deal at Mack Avenue Records in the late 2010s, which yielded the albums Reach, Reach Further, and Chasing Dragons. He was offered a two-year residency in Shanghai, China, and delivered the album Be Water in 2020, a collection of songs inspired by Hong Kong martial arts icon Bruce Lee.
