Christian Sands Trio

About

At 37, pianist and composer Christian Sands is inarguably one of the leading pianists of his generation. A former prodigy who has more than lived up to his early promise, he has amassed a body of work as a leader that rivals established veterans twice his age. His performances in the Joe Henderson Lab with his trio focus on his heartfelt takes on holiday classics. Widely known as part of Christian McBride’s hard-swinging Inside Straight band and Trio, the GRAMMY-nominated virtuoso began his formal training at age four and started composing at five, eventually becoming a protégé of the great Dr. Billy Taylor. The Connecticut-born Sands made his recording debut as a leader at 12 with his 2002 trio album Footprints . He led three further sessions and performed on the Latin GRAMMY-nominated Kenya Revisited Live with the Manhattan School of Music’s Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra under the direction of drummer Bobby Sanabria — all before graduating and joining McBride’s band. Sands earned GRAMMY consideration for his contribution to McBride’s 2013 trio release Out Here and released his spectacular Mack Avenue Records debut with 2017’s Reach . His latest recording for the label, 2024’s Embracing Dawn , is an uplifting statement on loss and resilience, featuring harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret and SFJAZZ Collective vibraphonist Warren Wolf.