Cal Performances Presents
Saturday, October , , pm Wheeler Auditorium Taylor Eigsti Quartet
Taylor Eigsti piano Julian Lage guitar Harish Raghavan bass Aaron McLendon drums
Cal Performances’ – Season is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank.
4 CAL PERFORMANCES About the Artist
Taylor Eigsti
Th e -year-old pianist, composer and bandleader, Holloway and Kevin Mahogany. He also made his Taylor Eigsti has been on the jazz scene since he mark in the classical fi eld, performing with singers was a pre-teen. With four CDs on micro-indies al- Frederica von Stade and Sylvia McNair, as well as ready to his credit, and an array of live performanc- with numerous symphony orchestras. Other art- es on his résumé with such jazz luminaries as Dave ists that Mr. Eigsti has worked with include Patti Brubeck, James Moody and Ernestine Anderson, Austin, Johnny Frigo, Keter Betts, Peter Bernstein, Mr. Eigsti is no rookie to the music. Alan Broadbent, Anton Schwartz, Kitty Margolis Mr. Eigsti has been aff orded the chance to share and Madeline Eastman. his music with a very wide audience, having twice On Lucky to Be Me, his Concord Records de- been a guest on Marian McPartland’s award-win- but, Mr. Eigsti features four original compositions ning NPR program Piano Jazz and performing on alongside brand-new takes on well-known songs, a live recording with her at the Tanglewood from jazz standards to pop to the Great American Jazz Festival. He has gained signifi cant exposure Songbook. Alternating between two world-class for his work on his latest album, Lucky to Be Me, rhythm teams, Mr. Eigsti is joined by his close since its March release, including peaking at friend and collaborator, -year-old jazz guitar on the National Jazz Radio Airplay charts after sensation Julian Lage, on several tracks, includ- being on the chart for weeks, and ending the ing “Woke Up Th is Morning,” the theme song year as the th most played jazz album on radio. to HBO’s Th e Sopranos. Other selections include Mr. Eigsti was the subject of a half-hour feature “Promenade,” taken from the fi rst movement of on the BETJ channel that aired several times this Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Björk’s winter, and was also featured in many of the “Top “I’ve Seen It All” from the fi lm Dancer in the Best CDs of ” lists compiled by JazzWeek. Dark, in which the innovative singer stars. In November , Mr. Eigsti was featured on “Cross-genre pollination seems to be the norm the cover of Jazziz magazine, one month after he today, and I enjoy assimilating other genres, us- was selected in the Down Beat Critics’ Poll ing the mechanisms and integrity of jazz,” says in the “Rising Star Piano” category. Th e following Mr. Eigsti.” I have listened to all the older sources, month, Mr. Eigsti was nominated for two Grammy like Charlie Parker, Phineas Newborn and Oscar Awards—one for Best Jazz Solo Performance for Peterson, and derive many infl uences from them. his improvisation on “Freedom Jazz Dance” and But I’m also infl uenced as much by players from another for Best Instrumental Composition, for a younger generation, such as Brad Mehldau and his song “Argument.” Geoff Keezer. I think the younger musicians have Acclaimed for his impeccable and adventur- a responsibility to move the music forward, and ous technique, open attitude and mature, intuitive seeing younger people bringing so many new ele- style, Mr. Eigsti started at a very early age, becom- ments into jazz really inspires me.” ing devoted to the piano after the death of his sis- About Lucky to Be Me’s title track, written by ter, Shannon, a talented pianist who succumbed to Leonard Bernstein, Mr. Eigsti says, “I usually end cancer when he was just three. He began playing my shows with it as a ballad encore.” He pauses and a year later, and at eight, he opened for his friend adds, “I’ve been through a lot of extreme emotions and mentor, jazz pianist David Benoit. At , in my life—the highest and the lowest—and Lucky Mr. Eigsti shared the stage with Diane Schuur and to Be Me reminds me that, despite everything else, also opened for Diana Krall and Al Jarreau. At , I have music. And that makes me an incredibly for- he sat in with Dave Brubeck, who commented that tunate person.” “Taylor is the most amazing talent I’ve come across. Mr. Eigsti is managed by acclaimed jazz man- Remember him.” During his high school years in ager Mary Ann Topper, most notable for making northern California, Mr. Eigsti worked with such stars of Diana Krall, Jane Monheit and Joshua respected jazz artists as Bobby Hutcherson, Red Redman, among others.
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