Jazz pianist Christian Sands returns to the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, this time in person following a virtual performance in February.
The Oct. 27 performance at Eisenhower Auditorium is his second following the release of his third album, 2020’s “Be Water.” However, the Grammy Award-nominated artist is no stranger to the area. He also performed as part of the 2019 Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour.
For audience members who caught his February streamed performance, Sands says to expect a very different experience.
“For the streamed version, I was performing in a studio in Brooklyn, New York. There was no piano there, so one big difference will be I’m not playing keyboard, but I am playing piano this time,” he says. “But also it’s with different musicians, so it’s a different energy. It’s a different vibe… You have some amazing musicians performing with me and we’re just going to have some fun. Being on stage is such a different feeling than being in a studio and being streamed.
“This is going to be very different, very intimate, even though the hall is very large.”
That intimate experience with the audience and being on the road for tour are some of the key sources of Sands’ artistic inspiration, so a nearly two-year hiatus for the pandemic was a bit of a struggle. However, Sands has been staying as busy as possible, keeping his musical talents tuned in preparation for the return to live performances.
“I’d make a comparison of musicians to athletes,” he says. “We are very much athletes and if you don’t hit the gym and if you don’t practice… then you’re going to be rusty. You’re not going to be ready to perform, especially performing for an hour or two hours, because you’re not used to doing it.”
In addition to Sands’ personal practice, he’s also focused on artist collaborations, teaching and an interview series in partnership with the Monterey Jazz Festival, which can be found on the Monterey Jazz Festival YouTube channel. Still, even with all his projects, he’s glad to be back to that inspiring in-person experience.
“The energy is very different. Being in front of people, being a part of a live audience is such an amazing experience and it’s something that you can’t really substitute. It’s such a fulfilling experience. It’s such a full experience. I like to compare performing live in front of an audience to having a really great meal. It’s full of sustenance, full of nutrients. It’s full of an amazing, amazing good time as opposed to microwaved food,” he says with a laugh.
The atmosphere at his shows, he describes, is full of love and openness, with the musicians taking the audience along on a journey, and musicians and audience members feeding off one another’s energies. The experience is also one he says will appeal to both those discovering the art of jazz for the first time, as well as long-time fans.
“For people that have never been [to a jazz concert], you’re going to be in for a treat,” he says. “Bring an open mind, bring an open heart. It is the people’s music… We’re inspired by people, ourselves included, and we’re inspired by the human story… So, for new audience members, be ready for an experience.
“For old audience members, be ready to experience something new again, because every show is different. Every show is new. For every musician that’s on stage, we give something and we experience something new. We explore. Be ready for exploration, be ready for drama, be ready for laughter, be ready for tears, be ready for a really, really, really good show.
It’s a show, he says, for a wide audience.
“Bring a friend, bring a family member, bring a date, bring a child,” he says.
Christian Sands’ performs at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at Eisenhower Auditorium.. Tickets are $15 for University Park students, $28 for those ages 18 and younger, and $38 for adults. Tickets are available online at cpa.psu.edu/events/christiansandsOct27, by phone at 814-863-0255 or in person at Eisenhower Auditorium, noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
