New Haven native Christian Sands has five Grammy Award nominations under his belt, including best Latin jazz piano solo. Wynton Marsalis named him a “jazz star of the future,” and Sands spent six years as the pianist in Christian McBride’s trio and Inside Straight Quartet. Sands’ stylistic range includes stride piano, swing, be-bop, progressive jazz, fusion, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. In 2016, he was signed to the prestigious Mack Avenue Records label. His debut CD, “REACH,” was released in 2017, holding down the No. 1 spot on Billboard magazine’s Jazz Albums Chart for four weeks. This young Steinway Artis is taking his place as a leader and an emerging jazz force.