Christian Sands Trio Saybrook Underbrook Theater Yale 10/13/18

While driving to this show, I heard Christian McBride raving about a young lion pianist on his weekly NPR jazz show, Jazz Night in America. The pianist was Christian Sands, a twenty-something Steinway prodigy from the New Haven area. The Saybrook Underbrook theater is in the basement of Saybrook College on Elm Street, the info said to enter through doorway H. When we reached the destination, we saw signs for the show but needed to coax a student to use his ID to get us through the gate, we needed to coax another student to let us in the door, followed the signs past the billiards room (where the next Bert Kavanaugh was chalking his chops), to an awesome underground lair that was a concert space and recording studio. The show was another success from the Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective, a group of over-achievers that sponsor some great free jazz events around town. Packed house for this piano, drums and bass trio. We sat on the stairs which turned out to be an excellent vantage point to view the lightning fast runs of Sands. The crowd was a mixture of coeds and local jazzbos. Sands had his younger brother Ryan on drums and Josh Allen on standup. The music was fantastic, drawing from Sands recent release. Christian reminded me of Marcus Roberts with a little Keith Jarrett thrown in. An awesome string muted intro to Blind Faith's ( Steve Winwood) Can't Find My Way Home was the highlight. Closed with a round robin I Got Rhythm. Need to praise and complain to the YUJC, great show but don't make me use fuckin Ron Weasly's Magic shopping cart to gain entry.