The Xavier University Jazz Series proudly presents multi-Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Christian Sands in concert on Sunday, February 28, at 3:00 p.m.
Sands is known for his wide range of jazz performance styles, including stride, swing, bebop, progressive, fusion, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. Jet Magazine named him a future rising star and, in 2015, he was featured in Vanity Fair’s Jazz Youth-Quake. His Cincinnati concert will include a performance of “Southern Song,” his moving tribute to Black History Month. The piece was inspired by a poem of the same title, by the late poet Margaret Walker....
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The Xavier University Jazz Series proudly presents multi-Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Christian Sands in concert on Sunday, February 28, at 3:00 p.m.
Sands is known for his wide range of jazz performance styles, including stride, swing, bebop, progressive, fusion, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. Jet Magazine named him a future rising star and, in 2015, he was featured in Vanity Fair’s Jazz Youth-Quake. His Cincinnati concert will include a performance of “Southern Song,” his moving tribute to Black History Month. The piece was inspired by a poem of the same title, by the late poet Margaret Walker.
“I had read her book, ‘Jubilee,’ and became a fan of her work,” Sands said. “Doing some research on her, I came across ‘Southern Song’ and fell in love with the piece. My mother is from the Georgia, and being close with that side of my family, my grandmother in particular, and hearing stories of their upbringing, Ms. Walker's piece stayed in my spirit. The words are strong and resemble what many African Americans can relate to.”
Sands, who is a Steinway Recording Artist, has been nominated three times for a Grammy Award. As a teenager, he performed on the 2006 and 2007 Grammy Awards, including a duet with jazz great Oscar Peterson. In 2012, he was also an American Pianists Association Jazz Fellowship Awards Finalist. He has performed throughout the world, often sharing the stage with such jazz luminaries as trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, vocalist Esperanza Spalding, bassist Ben Williams, composer and pianist Jason Moran and many more.
“For someone so young, Christian Sands has an amazing understanding of the styles he is playing in,” said Polina Bespalko, director of the Xavier University Jazz Series. “He brings so much freshness and individuality to everything he does. He is a true phenomenon.”
In addition to his concert at Xavier University, Sands will also teach a master class at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) on Saturday, March 27, courtesy of Jazz Alive, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancement of jazz.
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