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 ELDAR One Name Says It All by Mike Metheny There are a handful of jazz greats known by a single name. Bird, 'Trane. Miles, Monk. As a new century begins, there's a young pianist here in Kansas City who has a chance at similar notoriety. He is only 14... And his name is: Eldar.
"My dad had a very big collection of jazz records with all kinds of players," Eldar says. "There were saxophone players, trumpet players... and lots of piano players. From the day I was born I was listening to those records. There was always music -- jazz music -- in our house." The saga of Eldar's journey from his native Kyrgyzstan to KC has also become part of local lore. The late jazz enthusiast Charles McWhorter happened to hear Eldar (then nine) at a jazz festival in Siberia -- yes, Siberia -- and suggested that he come to the States to study at Interlochen in Michigan. McWhorter also had a hand in recommending Kansas City as a new home for the Djangirovs. So, in 1998, when Eldar was eleven, the Djangirov family -- including Emil and Eldar's mother, Tanya -- picked up and left the former Soviet Union with a very specific destination in mind. "What I'm trying to do is just keep playing. That's what my goal is. I want to know more about music and more about everything." "The main reason we picked Kansas City is that we'd learned from books, and also from word-of-mouth, that Kansas City was one of the cities for jazz in America. We also knew about Charlie Parker and Count Basie and all the other great Kansas City players... like Jay McShann. I am very glad I have met him. That was really quite amazing! He is one of the original Kansas City jazz legends." The timing of Eldar's move to Kansas City couldn't have been better. No sooner had the Djangirovs arrived than word began to spread of a gifted young pianist whose startling renditions of Bill Evans transcriptions were far beyond his years. Drummer Tommy Ruskin was a part of those early appearances. "When Eldar first arrived (in Kansas City), he would come to our Saturday afternoon jam sessions at Fedora. He still does, as a matter of fact. Of course, we were all impressed back then. But I've noticed that his talent has continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Every time I hear him he sounds better and better." As the buzz about Eldar has increased, so have opportunities to perform, both here and elsewhere. Eldar has appeared in Jefferson City, Topeka, Kenosha (Wisconsin), Roswell and Santa Fe (New Mexico), Palm Springs, Los Angeles and San Francisco (California), Moscow (Idaho), where he won first place in the jazz piano competition at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and a favorite haunt for the past four summers, the aforementioned Interlochen Center for the Arts. "I enjoy going to Interlochen because it's a chance to learn a lot of different things, to get more experience playing in big bands, and to take private lessons. Plus, it's just a very beautiful place." There has also been some high profile national exposure, including the 2000 Grammy Awards telecast in which Eldar had the chance to announce to a worldwide audience that he was from Kansas City. ("We played 'Straight, No Chaser," Eldar says of the short set featuring several promising young jazz musicians like himself. "Being on the Grammys was a very 'different' kind of performance...") And that same week Eldar once again found himself on national television, this time as the guest of Dr. Billy Taylor on CBS' "Sunday Morning." "That was really exciting, too. CBS had sent their cameras to Interlochen where I was studying at the time -- that was when they first had the idea of putting me on Dr. Taylor's show -- and then, when I came back to Kansas City, they filmed me here, playing, going to school, and in an interview with Dr. Taylor. He's a very nice guy. And also a really big name! He's played with everybody." But if such wide television exposure hasn't been enough, there was also an invitation from pianist/radio host Marian McPartland that led to a coveted guest spot on McPartland's long-running show, "Piano Jazz." Again, the enthusiastic teen comes out when Eldar recalls that experience. "That was really something else! She wrote me a letter -- that's how we got started -- and invited me to New York to be on her show. It was very exciting for me." Despite the rush of attention, accolades and ongoing notoriety Eldar has enjoyed since his arrival in America, he is still totally immersed in the work at hand, practicing a minimum of three hours a day ("I make new arrangements for myself and for the trio, and I try to learn new tunes..."). And, when the subject of "fame" at such an early age is introduced, he quickly disregards it. "I don't see myself as 'famous.' I really don't. What I'm trying to do is just keep playing. That's what my goal is. I want to know more about music and more about everything. I want to just ignore all that other talk." For those who have been anxiously awaiting recorded documentation of Eldar's advanced and still-developing skills, a new CD has finally been released. It was recorded at Bill Crain's BRC Audio Productions here in Kansas City and features two of KC's finest, Gerald Spaits on bass and Todd Strait on drums. Is Eldar happy with the results? His soft-spoken modesty is both articulate and realistic. "The people will have to decide. It's up to them now. But I did enjoy the experience of recording, playing by myself, and playing with Gerald and Todd." If this stunning debut is a sign of things to come, then it seems like only a matter of time before others will be referring to Eldar as "the Tiger Woods of Jazz," as JAM did last issue. All Eldar can do when reminded of that is dismiss it with good humor. "I don't think that's accurate at all! For one thing, he makes more money than I do... a LOT more money!" For now, however, it's back to school -- just like any other 14-year old kid. This fall Eldar will begin the ninth grade at Rockhurst High where his favorite subject (besides music) will continue to be math. "It is said that playing music has a lot in common with math. At least that's what I've heard. For me it's true. There's something precise about each of them. Something exact. That's why I enjoy them both so much." And, of course, being a young jazz musician combined with the many social opportunities high school has to offer could put this neo-bebopper in a prime position for a current flame. Or so one might think. "No. No girlfriend. Not yet," Eldar says. "But, I will work on that." What People Are Saying About Eldar Djangirov... "Eldar is a phenomenally talented young man. My work with him on the Grammy telecast and 'CBS Sunday Morning' was beyond category. His teacher, Kim Park, has shaped him into a world class jazz talent. I wish him and his wonderful family all of the best in their future endeavors." -- David Basse, bandleader, singer, radio host "Eldar's incredible musical performances (in the studio) didn't surprise me that much because I was somewhat familiar with his talent. But I was surprised with his mature demeanor in the studio environment, especially considering that it was his first CD project. You would have thought he was a fifty-year-old studio dog! Not only is Eldar a musical prodigy, he is also a confident and decisive band leader. And he is also a very polite, nice young man." -- Bill Crain, owner/engineer, BRC Audio Productions "I taught Eldar how to teach himself." -- Saxophonist, pianist & educator Kim Park "I have been playing with Eldar for over two years now and am still amazed at the progress he has made in that time. He has gone from a kid with amazing technique and recall to a seasoned performer at the age of 14. Eldar not only performs well but he composes, arranges and puts together the sets when we play concerts. He organized his CD pretty much on his own and knew exactly what he wanted to do for his first recording. With all his talent he still behaves like a regular 14-year-old. A lot of credit should go to his parents Tanya and Emil for not only nurturing his talent but keeping him normal. I look forward to playing with Eldar in the future and can't wait to see what he will do next." -- Bassist Gerald Spaits "Eldar is unbelievably talented. And his command of the piano is immediately obvious to everyone. But what amazes me is his rate of growth as a musician. From rehearsal to rehearsal last winter, I noticed how his ears became more open, his musical "risk-taking" more secure, and his arranging sense more interesting and mature. And that's just the music. The other, equally important side is how well he deals with the audiences. He's got that covered too!" -- Drummer Todd Strait "In my position at the Folly Theater, I am fortunate to observe many great jazz artists in action. At the sound checks preceding each concert, one of my favorite things is to watch the pianists sit down at the Folly's Steinway to check out our instrument and begin revealing 'what they've got.' As the piano notes sound for the first time, on rare occasions I feel a real sense of electricity in the air, when what I hear literally gives me goose bumps. I remember having this feeling when Jay McShann sat down and the piano just came alive. Another time this occurred was with Chick Corea. I must admit I had the same feeling last May with Eldar Djangirov. He truly has awesome potential. Given time to develop and mature, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Eldar has an extraordinary jazz career ahead of him." -- Doug Tatum, Executive Director of the Folly Theater. "Eldar is an 'Old Soul,' as we say. He has a great future ahead of him and already plays beyond his years. I only hope that he continues to enjoy his youth, continues to study the music and the legacy, and expands his musical vocabulary. And I hope he considers coming to UMKC for a year or two! -- Bobby Watson, Director of Jazz Studies, UMKC "What Eldar has is some kind of gift. You don't just learn the stuff he's playin' when you're ten or 15 years old. I can't think of nobody I've known playing like that at that age. It's amazing... and it's the damnedest thing I've ever heard!" -- 93-year old Claude "Fiddler" Williams, who appeared with Eldar last May at a memorable Folly Theater concert. RETURN TO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2001 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved. |
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