Before hitting Anthology Friday, Grammy-nominated pianist Eldar talks respect, Radiohead and Virtue.
–
Jazz is considered America’s classical music, and it may take a 23-year-old former San Diego resident to keep it alive for the next generation.
His name is Eldar Djangirov, better known as Eldar, and this Russian-born graduate of Francis Parker High School in La Jolla has quickly earned an international rep for both his classical and his jazz recordings.
In fact, he signed a recording contract with Sony Masterworks at the age of 17 to do a classical album and his 2008 album “Re-Imagination” was nominated for the Best Contemporary Jazz album.
To have that impact at that young an age takes a lot of focus and dedication, but to keep the ball rolling – especially in a genre like jazz that rewards originality — requires a willingness to stretch your boundaries and keep exploring new ground.
Eldar, who performs at Anthology on May 7, is ready and able to do that. Whether the audience is ready to go with him is something he thinks about deeply.
“Jazz in 2010 is a misnomer,” he said. “The label limits the music at least where press is concerned. People think that jazz has to sound a certain way for it to be jazz, but the vocabulary has changed – even in the last 10 years.”
To Eldar’s way of thinking, jazz, as he knows it, should be affected by the contemporary world the same way other forms of popular music such as hip-hop or rock are. But not everybody who considers them a jazz fan feels that way.
“Music should effect an edge of what’s around,” he said. “Someone who hears my new album, ‘Virtue,’ will hear a jazz record, but it also has elements of classical, rock and hip-hop because that’s where I’m coming from.”
The title “Virtue” was deliberate and seriously thought out, much like everything Eldar does.
“To me, the word ‘virtue’ means a certain honesty or excellence that reflects personality and character, and that’s what I strive for.”
To that end, he made sure to record with other top younger jazz musicians such as sax giant Joshua Redman, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and sax great Felipe Lamoglia.
However, much of the key to his musical growth in recent years hasn’t necessarily come from the musicians, but the engineers who press play on the tape deck.
“Talking with a lot of sound engineers has been a big influence because they know exactly how things should sound, and that’s been important,” he said.
Eldar was born in Kyrgyzstan in the former Soviet Union, in 1987 and started playing when he was 3, mostly classical. However, at the age of 9, he was discovered by Charles McWhorter, an American jazz supporter who arranged for him to attend a summer camp at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan (where Jewel is also an alum).
Eldar ended up staying in the U.S., first in Kansas City and then in San Diego. He remembers the area fondly, and his parents still live in Rancho Bernardo.
However, when asked a provincial question such as “What in this city inspires you musically?” he demurs, preferring to answer in the big picture.
“I’ve performed in hundreds of cities all over the world for audiences between 30 and 3000 people and all the meeting and talking with the people … all those elements affect the music.”
Back to the music: Eldar’s piano style is considered hard bop and is heavily influenced by pianists like Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson and Thelonious Monk. Still, he also is fond of Bjork and Radiohead.
Still, he admits that it is hard sometimes to remain current with music “because a lot of what I hear doesn’t sound like music.”
That’s not something he wants to say, because he realizes that in order to keep jazz relevant, he must attract folks in his age bracket. Therefore, Eldar can’t sound like his elders.
Still, it goes back to the fundamental argument facing the artist: Do you play jazz to please folks who fell in love with the music 50 years ago, or do you accept the music that has come along since then.
He’s hoping that rather than having to, say, record jazz versions of popular hits, there is a way to get the folks into indie music that jazz – especially since he agrees with the idea that the bebop he really loves – is the original indie music.
By David Moye
–
WHAT: Eldar
WHEN: Friday, May 7th, 2010, 7:30pm
TICKETS: $10 - $35 BUY TICKETS
MORE INFO: Artist Profile
He was 9 years old when he was discovered, not-quite 18 when he signed his first recording contract, and at 23 is considered one of the brightest stars in the jazz piano galaxy. Eldar sure has come a long way since his days as a Russian protege from outback of Kyrgyzstan.
If you’re a “fan” of Frogger Dogger’s Facebook Page, you can win free tickets to catch this rising star at San Diego’s most elegant music club, Anthology on India Street in Little Italy. Go to Frogger Dogger’s Facebook Page and click the “Like” button, then send the Dogger your name and e-mail address to tickets@froggerdogger.com. That automatically puts you in the running for two free tickets to Eldar’s Anthology show this Friday, May 7, at the club.
Free tickets are just one of the perks for being a Frogger Dogger fan. We’ll be giving away several pairs of tickets to San Diego County venues each month. Any fan of the Dogger’s Facebook Page qualifies, but you need to send that e-mail to let us know you’re interested. The deadline for Eldar tickets is noon Thursday, May 6, and we’ll notify the winners by 3 p.m. Your name will then be added to the Guest List the night of the show.
The Dogger also is offering readers ticket discounts to select shows around the county, so click on the Dogger’s Fan Page and become a Dogger. As a Facebook fan of Frogger Dogger you’ll be notified when new stories are up to read, and news on ticket giveaways and discounts.
Once you’re a fan, check your Facebook news feed daily or log on to froggerdogger.com and keep an eye out for more stories and more discounts and free tickets. See a Frogger Freebies you’re interested in? Simple, just send an e-mail and you’re entered. Remember, only fans of the Dogger’s Facebook Page qualify for freebies.
Former local returns home
By JIM TRAGESER | North County Times
The guy’s lived all over the world —- Kyrgyzstan, Kansas City, Mo., Los Angeles, New York City.
But for jazz pianist Eldar Djangirov (playing Oct. 17 with his trio at Anthology), coming to San Diego is probably as close to homecoming as it gets. He spent two years here, attending Francis Parker School, a performing arts magnet school. And his parents still live in the same house in Rancho Bernardo (and will be in the crowd Oct. 17).
While family and memories are obviously important ties to the area, Eldar (he performs and records under his first name only) said the weather is also something he misses about San Diego.
“I’ve been missing it for a few years now!” he said by phone Oct. 13 from his New York City home. “Living in New York City, you go through four seasons and you get the most extreme of the four seasons. It’s getting colder now.”
His latest CD, “Virtue” —- his ninth —- has him hopping.
“I’ve been traveling a lot, especially with the new record release —- it’s been quite intense. … It’s been pretty tremendous traveling, but I’ve been enjoying it.
“I just got back from Tokyo yesterday. I played two shows with my band earlier in the month, then (bassist) Ron Carter asked me to stay.”
Eldar said “Virtue” is the album he’s most proud of so far, and said it represents the pinnacle of his career to date. (It might be pointed out, however, that’s he’s only 22.)
“I think this release marks a certain chapter that in many ways I’ve most proud of.”
He said he managed to accomplish several things he felt that he hadn’t done with previous recordings, at least not to the level he wanted: “The presentation of the music; the composition of the music. The group chemistry —- putting this band together, writing the music specifically for these musicians, knowing their logic. The language we developed as a band after I wrote the material.”
To get this album the way he wanted it, Eldar said he took a different approach.
“The preparation for this record took two years of conscious effort. … When you want to push yourself, when you want to challenge yourself, when you want to create a langauge, it takes research.
“That’s why I consider this a culmination.”
Growing up in Kyrgyzstan, Eldar said, he was turned on to music by his parents.
“My dad has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, so he would travel all the time for different projects. What he did was collect jazz records over a period of three decades.
“One of the things I remember capturing my ear was listening to Oscar Peterson. That was the first introduction, consciously, where I said to myself, ‘I really enjoy this.’”
“When I started playing, my mother was the typical Russian piano teacher in many ways —- but she was very supportive, and gave me a solid foundation.”
Eldar said his mother had to prompt him, like most kids, to practice when he began playing at age 5. But as he got older, he began to love playing more and more.
“I can’t say that at 5 years old that I knew this is what I wanted to do. It was so gradual. It was never whether I wanted to play or not play; it was something … that decision was almost made for me.”
Eldar
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17
Where: Anthology, 1337 India St., San Diego
Tickets: $23
Info: 619-595-0300 or anthologysd.com
Web: eldarjazz.com
–
Click here for the original article in the North County Times.
Beginning with his tenure in the John Coltrane Quartet, with which he toured and recorded from early 1960 until late 1965, this four-time Grammy Award-winner developed a uniquely rhythmic piano style that deftly combined finesse and heady intensity.
“It’s important to stay creative, and sometimes you put yourself in these positions with different musical personalities,” said Tyner, whose Tuesday and Wednesday shows at Anthology mark his first area club dates since he played North Park’s long-defunct International Blend in the early 1980s.
Read more here.
LONGTIME JOHN COLTRANE COLLABORATOR/JAZZ PIANIST TO PERFORM WITH CHRISTIAN SCOTT
SAN DIEGO, CALIF., Nov. 13 – McCoy Tyner, longtime member of John Coltrane’s The Coltrane Quartet, will unleash his distinctive jazz piano stylings on audiences at Anthology on Nov. 25 and 26. Also playing with the jazz legend is an artist carrying on the torch for a younger generation, jazz trumpeter Christian Scott.
Philadelphia native Tyner picked up a love for jazz at an early age from influences including his neighbor and fellow jazz pianist Bud Powell (Powell is considered to be one of the architects of the bebop sound, along with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie).
Coltrane used one of Tyner’s compositions, “The Believer,” in 1958 before Tyner joined Coltrane’s quartet in 1960. The foursome toured nearly nonstop from 1961 to 1965 and recorded several classic albums. Tyner also released numerous influential solo albums, including 1962’s “Inception” that showcased his work as a composer, and played on many of the acclaimed Blue Note Records albums of the 1960s.
Carrying on the jazz tradition for a new generation is New Orleans-bred jazz trumpeter Christian Scott, who graduated from the Berklee School of Music in 2004. Currently leading a jazz ensemble in his name, Scott is known for his knack for creating “warm, fuzzy” sounds that seem unlikely to be issued from a trumpet. His second album, “Anthem,” released last year, was inspired by Hurricane Katrina’s effects on his hometown.
Show details:
McCoy Tyner and Christian Scott will perform on Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. ($46) and on Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. ($46) and 9:30 p.m. ($38). VIP and general admission tickets also available.
Tickets are available at the Anthology Box Office, by calling 619.595.0300 and at www.AnthologySD.com.
Anthology is located at 1337 India Street (between A and Ash Streets).
ABOUT ANTHOLOGY
Anthology is San Diego’s internationally acclaimed, award-winning music venue and fine dining restaurant. Anthology provides an intimate, up-close-and-personal live-music experience unlike any other venue in the world.
Located in the vibrant neighborhood of Little Italy in downtown San Diego, Anthology comes to life in the spirit of a 1940s supper club—with a decidedly swank and modern spin—to deliver a harmonious gathering of food, music and world-class ambience. On the stage, Anthology plays host to local, regional and international recording artists in jazz, rock, blues, Latin, singer-songwriter and world music in a performing space that boasts a state-of-the-art sound system and incomparable acoustics.
Anthology’s New American cuisine is crafted by Chef de Cuisine Kevin Ables and inspired by consulting chef and award-winning culinary superstar Bradley Ogden. In just over a year, Anthology has garnered such acclaim as “Best New Jazz Club” by CityBeat, “Best Restaurant Design” by Riviera Magazine and “Best Live Music Venue” by CitySearch.
For a complete listing of upcoming events, with more details about and tickets and artists, and to find more information about private party events, visit www.AnthologySD.com.
