Christian Sands High Wire Trio to kick off 'Art of Jazz at the Philharmonic' series Feb. 2 at Kleinhans Music Hall

Grammy-winner to pay tribute to legendary jazz pianist Erroll Garner

The Christian Sands High Wire Trio, led by Grammy-winning pianist Sands, will kick off the new “Art of Jazz at the Philharmonic” series at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, in the Mary Seaton Room at Kleinhans Music Hall. The trio will perform a special tribute to the legendary jazz pianist Erroll Garner – beloved for “Concert By the Sea,” one of the top-selling albums in jazz history – and his classic ballad “Misty.”

Not yet 30 years old, Sands is one of the most heralded jazz musicians of his generation. He is a six-time Grammy nominee (and 2016 winner for Best Improvised Jazz Solo) with the Christian McBride Trio. As a leader, Sands has soared to the top of the international jazz world with his performances and acclaimed recordings for the Mack Avenue label.

As creative ambassador for the Erroll Garner Project, Sands’ High Wire Trio illuminates Garner’s indelible cultural legacy and brings his music to new generations of fans.

The concert will be the premier performance for the “Art of Jazz at the Philharmonic” series. With the recent closure of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery for expansion, the museum’s long-running “Art of Jazz” series will find a temporary new home in the Mary Seaton Room at Kleinhans Music Hall.

Produced by series founder Bruce Eaton, the rechristened “Art of Jazz at the Philharmonic” series is internationally renowned for presenting an array of the world’s premier jazz artists, and has been heralded as “the most successful music series of its kind in Western New York history” (Buffalo News).

Eaton said, “Kleinhans has a rich jazz history going back to the 1940s and 1950s when it was a regular stop on the ‘Jazz at the Philharmonic’ tours that brought artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Lester Young, Oscar Peterson and Charlie Parker to Buffalo. It’s exciting to be able add a new chapter to this distinguished legacy.”

Commenting on the series, Kleinhans Music Hall Director Daniel Hart said, “We are very pleased to be able to give this outstanding jazz series a home at Kleinhans while the Albright-Knox Art Gallery is under construction. The jazz audience is enthusiastic and dedicated, so we welcome them with open arms. I am personally looking forward to the concerts. Additionally, it is always nice to work in partnership with our colleagues at the museum; their Deputy Director Joe-Lin Hill has made this a very easy transition.”

The series will continue with:

•Ethan Iverson & Tom Harrell Duo, 3 p.m. Sunday, March 15, with a 2 p.m. pre-concert conversation on “The Legacy of Norman Granz”

•Catherine Russell, 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26, with a 2 p.m. pre-concert conversation titled, “Take Me Back to Harlem”

Tickets to the “Art of Jazz at the Philharmonic” series at Kleinhans Music Hall are currently on sale. Pricing is $34 for the general public and $29 for all BPO subscribers and Albright-Knox members, plus fees. A three-concert subscription package is also available, priced at $92 for the general public and $74 for all BPO subscribers and Albright-Knox members, plus fees.

Seating in the Mary Seaton Room at Kleinhans is general admission. The venue is located at 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo. For more information or to purchase tickets or a subscription, call 716-885-5000, visit kleinhansbuffalo.org, or stop by the Kleinhans box office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, or 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

The “Art of Jazz at the Philharmonic” series is produced by Eaton with associate producer Tony Zambito. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery and JazzBuffalo.org serve as promotional partners for the series.