Thursday, February 20, 2020

ELDAR DJANGIROV - RHAPSODIZE


On his new recording, Rhapsodize (his 11th album and the follow up to World Tour Vol. 1), pianist/composer Eldar Djangirov can be reflective and introspective in one moment (listen to “Airport” or “Willow Weep For Me”), utterly intense and fierce the next (check out “A Night In Tunisia”, “Anthemic” or “Burn”), or embody all of these characteristics simultaneously (check out the title track, “Rhapsodize”). The constants that permeate everything Eldar does in life and music are ironclad intent, an absolute devotion to detail, and a devout adherence to excellence. Rhapsodize, available everywhere February 21 (on Twelve Tone Resonance), serves to further solidify Eldar as one the most extraordinary musicians of his generation.

Eldar and the piano are one; a human being and this orchestral instrument, fully exploring at every turn, reveling in the joy of self expression and discovery, and of creating with his nonpareil sidemen, bassist Raviv Markovitz and drummer Jimmy Macbride, in tandem and lockstep with their leader. Markovitz’s musicality and hearty tone provide solid ground for the band to operate effortlessly, while Macbride comes to table with a sophisticated understanding of the jazz tradition, demonstrating the art of providing exactly what is needed for the music, along with many delightful surprises interwoven throughout. Individually they are impressive, as a trio they are no less than stirring.

The compositions and arrangements on Rhapsodize encapsulate and accentuate Eldar’s astonishing facility and creativity, framed in the context of a 21st century piano trio. The pianist/composer describes Rhapsodize as, “music made with honest intent; the compositions and arrangements presented here are from my heart.” Throughout his career, and now with Rhapsodize, Eldar has nourished his talent, pushing himself, and in turn the piano, to heights that are a joy and an inspiration to behold.  

More on Rhapsodize with Eldar:
A Night in Tunisia — a new take on an old jazz standard. I loved hearing Dizzy do this song. This is a fresh take on this tune with some cool twists in the interlude before settling into a bebop rendition of the song.

Airport — I spent a lot of time at airports. An airport is full of commotion and different feelings. There have been several phases in my life where being in an airport felt “at home.” It’s a limbo state of being, where you can run away from yourself for a moment. This song takes a simple motif that is often heard at airports (an interval of 5ths that is sometimes used as a reminder). There is a narrative told in the song. It's also a reflection and meditation.

Anthemic — This song has a repeating “anthemic” riff that happens in the left hand coupled with a melody line.  There are many hills and valleys, both harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic.  It’s a tricky song for each instrument, yet it's fun to play. The ending is laced with tension during the coda vamp to evoke urgency.

Willow Weep For Me — a meditation on an old standard to search for inner peace.

Burn — there’s a common saying in jazz when someone plays well: “it’s burnin’.” The sub-genre for this song could be labeled as hard bop. Thus, this composition pays respects to the hard bop tradition.

Black Hole Sun — this is a cover of a Soundgarden song from 1994 that has arguably gone on to become a new standard for this generation.

Variations on a Bach Prelude — an arrangement of mine of the C# major prelude by JS Bach. It’s a little bit like splitting the brain: the left-hand highlights the harmonic foundation while the right-hand switches between the written score and improvisation. Initially, this was a solo piano exercise of independence. I then decided to perform it with the trio to add a new dimension to the arrangement.

In July — I wrote this song in July. The title is simple, but beneath the surface are bittersweet feelings, and a feeling of perseverance. Many people deal with trauma, and this is a reminder that you are still here.

Rhapsodize — this has a groove to it that is always fun to play. The structure of the song is a combination of highly arranged material as well as open sections that allow the trio to build. The composition has a rhapsodic feel.

Devotion — devotion has many meanings to different people. The desire is to associate devotion with love, independence, kindness, and generosity.

Blackjack — I originally recorded this song in 2009 on my album Virtue, and this is a fresh new take that explores so many different skillsets of the trio.

Born on January 28, 1987, Eldar Djangirov (pronounced john-‘gear-ov) came to the U.S. from the former Soviet Union when he was ten. Shortly after, he began performing in his hometown of Kansas City, as well as at The Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. He quickly moved up the ranks and was featured on NPR’s Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland at the age of twelve. He released two albums independently before attending the University of Southern California on a full scholarship. 

When Eldar signed with Sony at 17, the young pianist was already well known for his prodigious pyrotechnics and precocious knowledge of the bebop tradition. He recorded his major-label self-titled debut in 2004 featuring the great bassist John Patitucci, and Michael Brecker on tenor sax. In 2006 he followed up with the critically acclaimed, Live at the Blue Note, with guest appearances by Roy Hargrove and Chris Botti. Eldar was nominated for a Grammy in 2008 for his album Re-imagination.

Eldar released Virtue in 2010 featuring guest appearances by Joshua Redman and Nicholas Payton, and receiving high praise from Bill Meredith in Jazziz, “with the release of Virtue, Eldar may have sealed his role in future jazz history.” Around this time he also released his fifth album, and his first solo piano album, entitled Three Stories, which prompted Dan Bilawsky to report on AllAboutJazz that, “Djangirov gets to the heart of every song,” and Karl Stark to say in The Philadelphia Inquirer that, “something special goes on here . . . In Djangirov’s hands, the piano is a dramatic personage.” Ever prolific, Eldar released two projects in 2013; his album Breakthrough, a dynamic trio outing featuring longtime bandmates Armando Gola (bass) and Ludwig Afonso (drums), with special guests Joe Locke and Chris Potter, and Bach/Brahms/Prokofiev, a classical piano album that showcases his unique interpretations. Eldar released the live album World Tour Vol. 1 (a compilation of performances from around the world, including concerts in Tokyo, Philadelphia, Montreal, Atlanta, Washington D.C., San Diego, Oakland, etc. Rhapsodize, a tour-de-force trio recording featuring Raviv Markovitz on bass and Jimmy Macbride on drums. His recent solo piano album, Letter to Liz, has reached over 85K streams in less than a month (January 2020).

Throughout his career Eldar has had the good fortune to meet and work with many masters of this music including Dr. Billy Taylor, Michael Brecker, Marian McPartland, Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Harvey Mason, Chris Botti, Joe Locke, Ron Carter, Pat Martino, Roy Hargrove and many others. Through these opportunities and other wonderful musical experiences, Eldar continues to explore new frontiers through composing and performing, enabling him to realize his unique musical vision.



No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...