 Eldar On October 29th, the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis welcomes back one of its youngest headliners, a monster pianist known simply as Eldar. His debut here three years ago at age 18 was stunning, and his star has only climbed higher in the jazz sky ever since. Sometimes success finds a young artist too early. Such was the potential danger when Kyrgyzstan prodigy Eldar Djangirov took an interest in the piano at age three, began serious studies while still in elementary school, and caught the ear of Dr. Billy Taylor at 11. After appearing with Taylor on CBS Sunday Morning, Eldar and his family relocated to Kansas City where he could pursue his interest in jazz through studies with local musicians and at Interlochen. Still in his early teens, he went on to win top prizes at the 2001 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and the 2002 Peter Nero Piano Competition; in 2004 he appeared on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, her youngest guest ever. Yet the story continues. Pianist Benny Green notes, "Eldar's talent is undeniable; he possesses remarkable ease in his technical fluency, coupled with a free-flowing sense of harmonic coloration." Comparisons with jazz greats abound, as Eldar seemingly channels the touch of Bill Evans, the power and swing of Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, the magnificent harmonics of McCoy Tyner, and the invention of Herbie Hancock with “vigor, stylistic range and dazzling speed” (New York Times). After hearing Eldar, jazz great Benny Carter said, "He's one of the most outstanding artists I've heard in a long, long time." Noted Billy Taylor, "…Eldar Djangirov's playing shows brilliancy, complexity, and discipline… he's serious about his music, he's thoughtful about what he does and he's a regular kid."
After two independent releases (Eldar, 2001 and Handprints, 2003), Eldar signed with Sony Classical in 2004, releasing another Eldar featuring John Patitucci and Michael Brecker. Next came Live at the Blue Note with Roy Hargrove and Chris Botti, earning four stars from Downbeat and the review, “Few musicians on any axe swing like Eldar...his groove is intense and overwhelming. It’s not the flash and fire that should stir interest in Eldar. It’s what he does when the razzle-dazzle dies down and we sense substance within and beyond his pyrotechnics.” The New York Times also noted his “formidable technique wedded to a mature grasp of musical structure.” In 2008, his third Sony release, Re-Imagination, received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, topped for the award by Herbie Hancock’s River. Here Eldar moves away from strictly acoustic arrangements with electronics and the programming of DJ Logic. Noted Paula Edelstein (JazzUSA.com), “With the release of Re-imagination... jazz pianist Eldar documents his transition from youthful prodigy to a creative artist with something to say.” Returning from a Blue Note engagement in Tokyo and west coast appearances at the San Francisco and Earshot Jazz Festivals, Eldar is expected to bring his current trio, bassist Armando Gola and drummer Justin Brown. Armando Gola has performed bass duties with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Martin Bejerano, and currently tours with Dafnis Preito. Drummer Justin Brown was a member of the 2002 Grammy High School Jazz Combo, was selected for the inaugural edition of the Brubeck Institute Quintet, attended Juilliard, and has performed with Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa, and Kenny Garrett. Eldar and his trio will perform two sets at the Dakota on October 29th at 7 and 9:30 pm.
The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis, www.dakotacooks.com. From Minneapolis, Eldar heads back west to Catalina’s in Los Angeles.
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Twin Cities, MN 
Thursday, 08 January 2009
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