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.
