Be Water – Christian Sands

Be Water is the third album by pianist and composer Christian Sands for Mack Avenue Records. Released in 2020, it was conceived as a conceptual study on the properties of mutation, strength, and the serenity of water.

The record organically expands the piano-trio format by adding a horn ensemble featuring Marcus Strickland, Sean Jones, and Steve Davis, the guitars of Marvin Sewell, and a string quartet arranged by Miho Hazama on the track "Be Water II"—a composition that earned a Grammy nomination.

The repertoire blends Sands' original compositions with a spiritual jazz interpretation of Steve Winwood's folk-rock classic "Can't Find My Way Home." Structurally, the tracks alternate between contemporary swing, progressive-tinged funk, and passages of striking acoustic impressionism.

The album represents a milestone in Sands' discography, cementing his evolution from classic post-bop virtuosity to a compositional maturity that integrates samples, sound effects, and chamber arrangements into the language of modern jazz.