Christian Sands - Reach (MACK AVENUE RECORDS 2017)

With his debut Mack Avenue Records recording, REACH, singularly talented pianist and five-time Grammy® Award nominee Christian Sands is stretching into exciting progressive territory as he breaks new ground traversing from the straight-ahead zone into fresh-sounding music influenced by a range of styles, from Afro-Cuban rhythms to hip-hop beats to dirty blues with an edge. That's impressive for a youngster who is just 27. "The collection here is about reaching new ideas and reaching new music," he says. "I'm reaching from past recordings to bring in the future, which is really all about finding myself. It's a chance to express my experience."

REACH becomes one more milestone in Sands' auspicious career that stretches back to his New Haven, Connecticut upbringing. Beginning music classes and composing his first piece at age five, he quickly became a professional by ten. Sands was well-prepared to attend such prestigious schools as the Neighborhood Music School and the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven (he later received bachelor's and master's degrees from the Manhattan School of Music).

1) Armando's Song  

2) Song Of The Rainbow People  

3) Pointing West  

4) Freefall  

5) Oyeme!

6) Bud's Tune  

7) Reaching For The Sun  

8) Use Me  

9) Gangstalude 

10) Somewhere Out There

Christian Sands - piano

Marcus Strickland - saxophone, bass clarinet

Gilad Hekelsman - guitar

Marcus Baylor - drums

Christian McBride - bass

Yasushi Nakamura - bass