JAM: June/July 2005 Issue: For the Record

Eldar Djangirov
Eldar
Sony Classical SK 92593

Personnel: Eldar Djangirov, piano and synthesizers; John Pattitucci, acoustic and electric bass; Todd Straight, drums and percussion; Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone

Tracks: Sweet Georgia Brown; Nature Boy; Moanin'; Point of View; Raindrops; Lady Wicks; Maiden Voyage; Round Midnight; Ask Me Now; Watermelon Island; Fly Me to the Moon

Recorded April 6 and 7, 2004, at Sony Music Studios, New York City; Kirk Yano, Engineer; David Lai, Producer

Four years ago I bought a CD of the same title. Same pianist, same drummer. Gerald Spaits on bass. It was a locally produced CD, and I bought it in part out of curiosity. This "child prodigy" people were talking about. The kid who, at 14, was playing at the Folly with (then 93 years old) Claude "Fiddler" Williams.

It was a fun album, if a little one-dimensional. A little creepy, too--this middle-school kid who sounded a lot like Oscar Peterson, keeping up with the likes of Todd Strait and Gerald Spaits. And with an almost 20 years' head start on Eldar, I still can't do that.

I had to wonder if, like Alexander the Great, he'd weep that he had no more lands to conquer.

Now on the brink of being old enough to vote, his first CD with label support provides ample evidence that he's spent the past four years conquering even more territory. Sony may still feel the need to market him as a wunderkind, but the bottom line is that a ton of artists never reach this level at any age.

The former Eldar CD got a honeymoon in my CD player largely because of the novelty of his youth. The present album, bearing a less Alfred E. Newman countenance in the publicity stills, is earning a heavy rotation that has nothing to do with those factors. Eldar is playing on my hi-fi on the same merits as Brad Mehldau, Richie Beirach, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

The album opens with a blistering interpretation of "Sweet Georgia Brown," but this isn't a "chops" album all about showing off how fast his fingers can move. For that matter, the dynamics and interplay of this opening track show an amazing level of maturity.

In an excellent bit of programming, the second track, "Nature Boy," is a ballad, very open, soft, and lyrical, with a gorgeous bass solo by John Pattitucci. Besides learning the lessons of Oscar Peterson, it's evident that Eldar has also been paying attention to the Bill Evans and Lyle Mays lesson books.

"Moanin" takes a medium tempo, blending a dramatic gospel feel with an easy swing.

Four of the tunes on the album were penned by Eldar. "Point of View" runs from Latin rock to straight ahead blowing and is the only track on the album to include Michael Brecker. "Raindrops" takes us back to the ballad, very much in the Metheny/Mays school. "Lady Wicks" is a solo piano arrangement, very dark, with a nod to impressionism. "Watermelon Island" is (as you might guess from the title), in the vein of Herbie Hancock's funk tune referencing a different melon.

Speaking of Hancock, Eldar explores the modal "Maiden Voyage" at a bright tempo and with remarkable interplay and dynamic range. Likewise his finesse on the Monk tunes "Round Midnight" and "Ask Me Now." The album closes out with the standard "Fly Me to the Moon," done as a medium-tempo Latin arrangement.

Eldar shows not only remarkable ability but the artistic sensibility and maturity to keep that ability leashed, which makes it all the more fun when he does release the hounds.

The packaging of his CD essentially hides his last name: it would appear to be Sony's effort to have him simply known as Eldar, in the way you didn't need a last name to know which "Miles" someone meant. Which leaves plenty of lands for the young genius to conquer.

--Rod McBride






	Search our site:		Eldar Djangirov Eldar Sony Classical SK 92593 Personnel: Eldar Djangirov, piano and synthesizers; John Pattitucci, acoustic and electric bass; Todd Straight, drums and percussion; Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone Tracks: Sweet Georgia Brown; Nature Boy; Moanin'; Point of View; Raindrops; Lady Wicks; Maiden Voyage; Round Midnight; Ask Me Now; Watermelon Island; Fly Me to the Moon Recorded April 6 and 7, 2004, at Sony Music Studios, New York City; Kirk Yano, Engineer; David Lai, Producer Four years ago I bought a CD of the same title. Same pianist, same drummer. Gerald Spaits on bass. It was a locally produced CD, and I bought it in part out of curiosity. This "child prodigy" people were talking about. The kid who, at 14, was playing at the Folly with (then 93 years old) Claude "Fiddler" Williams. It was a fun album, if a little one-dimensional. A little creepy, too--this middle-school kid who sounded a lot like Oscar Peterson, keeping up with the likes of Todd Strait and Gerald Spaits. And with an almost 20 years' head start on Eldar, I still can't do that. I had to wonder if, like Alexander the Great, he'd weep that he had no more lands to conquer. Now on the brink of being old enough to vote, his first CD with label support provides ample evidence that he's spent the past four years conquering even more territory. Sony may still feel the need to market him as a wunderkind, but the bottom line is that a ton of artists never reach this level at any age. The former Eldar CD got a honeymoon in my CD player largely because of the novelty of his youth. The present album, bearing a less Alfred E. Newman countenance in the publicity stills, is earning a heavy rotation that has nothing to do with those factors. Eldar is playing on my hi-fi on the same merits as Brad Mehldau, Richie Beirach, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The album opens with a blistering interpretation of "Sweet Georgia Brown," but this isn't a "chops" album all about showing off how fast his fingers can move. For that matter, the dynamics and interplay of this opening track show an amazing level of maturity. In an excellent bit of programming, the second track, "Nature Boy," is a ballad, very open, soft, and lyrical, with a gorgeous bass solo by John Pattitucci. Besides learning the lessons of Oscar Peterson, it's evident that Eldar has also been paying attention to the Bill Evans and Lyle Mays lesson books. "Moanin" takes a medium tempo, blending a dramatic gospel feel with an easy swing. Four of the tunes on the album were penned by Eldar. "Point of View" runs from Latin rock to straight ahead blowing and is the only track on the album to include Michael Brecker. "Raindrops" takes us back to the ballad, very much in the Metheny/Mays school. "Lady Wicks" is a solo piano arrangement, very dark, with a nod to impressionism. "Watermelon Island" is (as you might guess from the title), in the vein of Herbie Hancock's funk tune referencing a different melon. Speaking of Hancock, Eldar explores the modal "Maiden Voyage" at a bright tempo and with remarkable interplay and dynamic range. Likewise his finesse on the Monk tunes "Round Midnight" and "Ask Me Now." The album closes out with the standard "Fly Me to the Moon," done as a medium-tempo Latin arrangement. Eldar shows not only remarkable ability but the artistic sensibility and maturity to keep that ability leashed, which makes it all the more fun when he does release the hounds. The packaging of his CD essentially hides his last name: it would appear to be Sony's effort to have him simply known as Eldar, in the way you didn't need a last name to know which "Miles" someone meant. Which leaves plenty of lands for the young genius to conquer. --Rod McBride RETURN TO JUNE/JULY 2005 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2004. All rights reserved.