Christian Sands - Be Water (2020)

Christian Sands
Be Water
2020 - Mack Avenue Records: MAC 1170
https://www.mackavenue.com/store/mac1170



* Christian Sands : piano, keyboards (1), voice (1),
. Fender Rhodes electric piano (1-3, 10), Hammond B2 (5)
* Yasushi Nakamura : bass
* Clarence Penn : drums
* Marvin Sewell : guitar (1, 5, 9-10)
* Marcus Strickland : tenor saxophone, bass clarinet (3, 5, 10)
* Sean Jones : trumpet, flugelhorn (3, 10)
* Steve Davis : trombone (3, 10)

+ String Quartet (8):
* Sara Caswell : violin 1
* Tomoko Akaboshi : violin 2
* Benni Von Gutzeit : viola
* Eleanor Norton : cello

http://www.christiansandsjazz.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Sands
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/christian-sands-mn0002086938

Recorded by Todd Whitelock at Samurai Hotel Recording Studio,
Astoria, New York, USA, on September 16, 2019.

Reviews

By Bill Milkowski
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/christian-sands-be-water

Pianist Christian Sands came out of the gate with his proverbial wheels
screeching. A prodigy who cut his first record at the age of 12, he flashed
impressive chops both as a sideman in Christian McBride’s Inside Straight Trio
an on his previous three albums as a leader for Mack Avenue. On Be Water, as
the Zen-like title might suggest, Sands has learned to relax and let his
inherent romanticism come to the fore. That quality is apparent from the outset
on “Intro,” an atmospheric prelude to this very ambitious project, and on the
restful ballad “Still.” Other tunes like “Sonar” and the lovely waltz-time
string quartet piece, “Be Water II,” show a newfound maturity in Sands’ game,
revealing a more patient and poetic side. This is not to suggest that Sands
keeps his abundance of chops totally in check here. His remarkable facility is
showcased on the turbulent burner “Steam,” paced by bassist Yasushi Nakamura’s
deep groove and featuring muscular bashing from drummer Clarence Penn, and also
on the propulsive “Drive,” with an electrifying guitar solo from Marvin
Sewell. An added treat is Sands’ soulful reading of Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find
My Way Home.”

--

By Matt Collar
https://www.allmusic.com/album/be-water-mw0003372559

By Mike Jurkovic
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/be-water-christian-sands-mack-avenue-records

By George W. Harris
https://www.jazzweekly.com/2020/06/christian-sands-be-water/

By Filipe Freitas
https://jazztrail.net/blog/christian-sands-be-water-album-review

By Peter Jones
https://londonjazznews.com/2020/07/31/christian-sands-be-water/
https://jazzineurope.mfmmedia.nl/2020/07/christian-sands-the-art-of-being-water/

By Andrew Hamlin
https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/christian-sands-be-water-mack-avenue/

By James Hale
https://downbeat.com/news/detail/christian-sands-water

By J.D. Considine
https://downbeat.com/news/detail/christian-sands-adaptability

Par France Musique (fr)
https://www.francemusique.fr/jazz/christian-sands-be-water-85293

Por Fernando Bonete (es)
https://eldebatedehoy.es/noticia/zona-jazz/25/07/2020/christian-sands-jimmy-heath/