Christian Sands grew up in New England and took up piano when he was six years old. Now 36, he’s recorded with Christian McBride, Gregory Porter, and many others. His latest album is Embracing Dawn and he’ll be performing Saturday July 12 at the Charles River Jazz Festival in Allston. Al Davis spoke with Sands ahead of the festival.
Al Davis: Good to see you, man! Well it should be nice at the Charles River Jazz Festival on Saturday. Tell our audience a little bit about yourself.
Christian Sands: Well, music is me. I know that’s a very general thing to say, but I’ve been performing professionally at this point since I was six years old. I am someone who believes in the power of music and emotion. Anybody that’s seen my show before, they understand what that means and anybody that hasn’t seen it, come on down, I’ll show it to you.
Al Davis: I haven’t seen your show, so I’m looking forward to it myself! Did you come from a musical background?
Christian Sands: My mother, she took piano lessons for a moment as a child, you know, just for church, to play some hymns. My father took up piano and saxophone when he was in high school, but they were avid music lovers. From Charlie Pride, to Mozart, to Duke Ellington.
Al Davis: When I hear your music, I hear a spiritual influence from gospel music, some rock involved with that as well. Tell me how you combined all that together.
Christian Sands: I think it’s just me being born in the 90s, you know? We had so much access to music. You’d have hip-hop, you’d have R&B, salsa, Brazilian music, you know. I was born in an era where all of that was not too hard to find. And I was in rock bands growing up, because as a young musician, you want to play with your friends and they’re interested in Megadeth and AC/DC and all these things. As long as it’s good and as long as it moves me, that’s what I’m going to play and that’s why I’m gonna listen to. So what you hear is who I am, in sound.
Al Davis: Now, I think the most recent one, “Embracing Dawn”, that’s kind of different from what I’ve heard in the past from you. Tell us a little bit about that record.
Christian Sands: Well, Embracing Dawn, I feel like is my most personal project in a sense where I was really rediscovering myself with the compositions, and the story that’s attached to the album. You know, it was my healing journey, and the only way I knew how to deal with it was to make music about it, right? I want to be a safe space for people. When they really want to rediscover themselves, that’s what this album is for.
Al Davis: So at the Charles River Jazz Festival on Saturday, what can we expect to hear from you?
Christian Sands: Expect energy, expect emotion, expect an adventure! I have an amazing lineup with me: Max Light on the guitar. Definitely the next person in the history of great guitarists. Yasushi Nakamura on the bass. If anybody’s seen me or had on any of my records, he is someone who is so vital to my sound. And we’re using a new drummer, Tyson Jackson. It’s going to be acoustic mainly, but with little hints of electronics because... born in the 90s. I gotta bring some electricity somewhere, you know?
Al Davis: I like the electricity. I like that! Well I’m very much looking forward to Saturday afternoon in Allston’s Herter Park. One more thing: what message would you give to young people today getting into jazz for the first time?
Christian Sands: Ooh... Explore, explore, explore. Go as deep as you possibly can with the music, with the art, with yourself. Music is a wonderful place to help identify yourself, and you can find yourself through different places. You can quote something from Otis Redding and you can pull something from James Brown, because they’re in your musical identity. Explore as much as you possibly can.
Christian Sands performs at the free Charles River Jazz Festival on Saturday July 12. Tickets are free with registration.
