Eldar Djangirov
| Eldar | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Eldar E. Djangirov |
| Born | January 28, 1987 Kyrgyzstan |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Website | eldarjazz.com |
Eldar E. Djangirov, most commonly known only as Eldar, is a jazz pianist. He was born on January 28, 1987 in Kyrgyzstan (ex-Soviet Union) and then moved to Kansas, United States. He currently resides in New York City.
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[edit] Early years
He began playing the piano when he was three years old, learning from his Armenian parents. The first thing he remembers learning was C Jam Blues. He later took classical lessons and was "discovered" at age 9 by the late New York City jazz aficionado Charles McWhorter, who saw him play at a festival in Siberia. The family moved to Kansas City, drawn there in large part by the city's jazz history. During his Kansas City years, even before reaching his teens, Eldar already started building a reputation as a true child prodigy, appearing on Marian McPartland's award-winning NPR show, Piano Jazz, when he was only 12 years old, being the youngest performer to ever appear on her show. Eldar attended Interlochen Center for the Arts in his young teenage years. Eldar attended St. Elizabeth's grade school and the Barstow School in Kansas City, Missouri. Eventually, the family moved to San Diego where he attended the Francis W. Parker School (San Diego), and then to the Los Angeles area where he attended University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music.
[edit] Grammy history
- Career Wins: 0
- Career Nominations: 1[1]
| Eldar Grammy History | |||||
| Year | Category | Genre | Title | Label | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Best Contemporary Jazz Album | Jazz | Re-imagination | Sony | Nominated |
[edit] Discography
Eldar has five albums (four released by Sony Classical), his debut album Handprints in 2003, Eldar in March 2005, his album Live at the Blue Note in May 2006, re-imagination in June 2007, Virtue in August 2009 and his latest album, Three Stories, in April 2011 on Sony Masterworks.
[edit] Handprints
- Caravan
- Bemsha Swing
- Cantaloupe Island
- Body & Soul
- Handprints
- When the Lights Are Low
- Capricious
- We Will Meet Again
- Freddie Freeloader
- Perplexity
- Matrix
[edit] Eldar
Release Date: March 22, 2005/Sony Classical Records
- Sweet Georgia Brown
- Nature Boy
- Moanin'
- Point of View
- Raindrops
- Lady Wicks
- Maiden Voyage
- 'Round Midnight
- Ask Me Now
- Watermelon Island
- Fly Me to the Moon
[edit] Live at the Blue Note
Release Date: May 30, 2006/Sony Classical Records
- What Is This Thing Called Love
- Someday
- You Don't Know What Love Is (featuring Chris Botti)
- Daily Living
- Dat Dere
- Besame Mucho
- Straight, No Chaser (featuring Roy Hargrove)
- Sincerely
- Chronicle
- Take The A Train
[edit] Re-Imagination
Release Date: June 5, 2007/Sony Classical Records
- I Remember When
- Interlude #1
- Prairie Village
- Out of Nowhere
- Interlude #2
- Back Home
- Place St. Henri
- Tears
- South Bixel
- Dream Song
- Polaris
[edit] Virtue
Release Date: August 25, 2009/Sony Classical Records
- Exposition
- Insensitive
- Blues Sketch in Clave
- Iris
- The Exorcist
- Lullaby Fantasia
- Blackjack
- Long Passage
- Estate
- Daily Living
- Vanilla Sky
[edit] Three Stories
Release Date: April 4, 2011/Sony Masterworks
- I Should Care
- Prelude In C# Major
- Darn That Dream
- Windows
- Etude Op. 2 No. 1
- In Walked Bud
- Three Stories
- So Damn Lucky
- Embraceable You
- Russian Lullaby
- Air on a G String
- Impromptu
- Rhapsody in Blue
- Donna Lee
[edit] Playing style
Eldar's playing style is characterized by prodigious technique and musicality. He plays mostly in the post bop style, but has other influences that predate the post bop sound.
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- NPR story - Featuring Performances
- JazzPolice.com Review: Eldar Live at the Blue Note
- Kennedy Center Eldar playing at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage at the Age of 14.
- Sony BMG Masterworks Eldar Podcasts
- [1] Three Stories album review
- [2] All About Jazz "Three Stories" review
- [3] "Virtue" review
- [4] Eldar San Diego Symphony Concert
[edit] Notes
- ^ Culturekiosque (Retrieved March 2, 2011)
[edit] References
- Holden, Stephen. "Leaving Them All in the Dust", New York Times, June 18, 2005. Retrieved 2008-06-06. "Eldar, whose last name is Djangirov, combines Art Tatum's superhuman velocity with echoes of Oscar Peterson's grandeur"
