Christian Sands Trio

About

Musical Style: Holiday The holiday season looks very different for Christian Sands the New Haven, Connecticut native. There are changes and transitions that we all face in life but that seem to be thrown into starker relief around the holidays: family and friends lost or gained, relationships ended or initiated, another twelve months of experience to shape our continued evolution. All those factors come to the fore on Christmas Stories (Mack Avenue Records), Sands’ first album of holiday songs old and new. While the acclaimed pianist and two-time Grammy® nominee inevitably view Christmas as a time of nostalgia, reflection and reunion, he also recognizes it as a time for renewal and looking ahead. At the same time as we’re looking back on the year just ending, we’re also beginning to wonder at the new year about to begin and the fresh slate of opportunities that it presents. “For me, Christmas really is all about family,” Sands says. “Especially as an artist that travels a lot, Christmas is a time when I get to see people that I might not have seen for the entire year – not just my immediate family but friends and loved ones. It’s a time of mixed emotions, all the hustle and bustle mixed with moments of remembrance for people that are no longer with us. Old relationships are gone, new relationships have started, you get a rare opportunity to sit still and reflect and think about the new realities that the new year might bring.” Christmas Stories brings Sands together with members of his extended musical family: at the heart of the album is his working quartet, with guitarist Marvin Sewell, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and the pianist’s actual brother, Ryan Sands, on drums. In the holiday spirit, they’re joined by a number of special guests: saxophonist Jimmy Greene and vibraphonist Stefon Harris, both mentors to Sands, along with a pair of newer acquaintances, percussionist Keita Ogawa and guitarist Max Light. The celebratory album is a spirited mix of cherished memories and new inspirations, blending timeworn traditions with unexpected surprises. The way that Sands weaves together strands from the past into a vibrant new tapestry is evident from the outset on Christmas Stories. The album begins with one of the holiday’s most well-worn chestnuts – “Jingle Bells” – transformed into a raucous blues built on the regifted swing of Miles Davis’ “All Blues.” Jimmy Greene’s fireplace-warm tenor tone is a perfect fit for the classic “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”