Taylor Eigsti
308 plays
9,290 views
9,290 views
Listening to the opening moments of Resonance, the Bop City debut of piano whirlwind Taylor Eigsti, is scary enough -- those incendiary octaves that ignite "Got a Match" into a postbop firestorm.
Taylor Eigsti (pronounced Ikes-dee) is still, at least by some standards, a kid, and still a nice guy who likes to do guy-type things. By day he mills through mobs of fellow students at the University of Southern California; although he's a jazz studies major, he admits that his jones for football may have helped lure him toward Trojan country. "Football is my second love," he says, maybe a little embarrassed. "I've always had that dream of playing college ball, or even in the NFL."
He's got a girlfriend, he's got buddies he hangs out with, his grades are solid. He's a normal person for his age, in all ways but one
He is, already, one of the most exciting jazz pianists on the planet. Not young jazz pianists -- we're talking about the whole tribe. Lick for lick, voicing to voicing, Eigsti can stand up to and trade fours with just about anyone alive at the ivories.
The evidence is all over Resonance, on which Taylor, bassist John Shifflett, and drummer Jason Lewis whisper, stroll, strut, and blow through a set of familiar and original tunes. Each arrangement leaves plenty of room to stretch; as a result, all three hit extraordinary levels of interplay. Whether tearing it up on "Oleo," building intricate harmonic reflections on "Somewhere," or taking a fresh look at "Angel Eyes" through a prism of 7/4 rhythm, this trio makes it clear that, to quote Mercer Ellington, "Things Ain't What They Used To Be."Band/artist history
Nineteen-year old Taylor Eigsti began playing the piano at the age of four and made his professional debut at the age of eight when he was invited to be the opening act for jazz legend David Benoit. Since then, he has received much acclaim for both his technical proficiency and mature, intuitive style of playing.
He has appeared on stage with such well-known and respected artists as Dave Brubeck, James Moody, Bobby Hutcherson, Kevin Mahogany, Bill Watrous, Frederica von Stade, Diane Schuur, Alan Broadbent, Red Holloway, Jeff Chambers, Ira Sullivan, Rufus Reid, Ed Shaughnessy, Shelly Berg, among others. Taylor has also given performed for many important political figures, including former President Bill Clinton, Senator Bill Bradley, and former Colorado Governor Roy Romer. Currently, he performs with his trio, which includes drummer Jason Lewis and bassist John Shifflet, as well as with the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.
Recently, Taylor was signed to Bop City Records, who will re-release his trio's latest CD, "Resonance", in stores everywhere June 17, 2003. He has released three other CDs as a leader: Tay's Groove (2000), Live at Filoli (2001), and Taylor's Dream (2001, DIW Records).
A Presidential Scholar at the University of Southern California, Taylor began his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies this fall, studying with Shelly Berg. He has also served on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop since 1999 and has taught at the San Jose State Jazz Workshop, "Jazz Goes to College" for the past five years.
Inspired by his sister Shannon, a jazz and rock pianist who died of cancer when he was only three, Taylor has dedicated himself to using his talent. His future pursuits include writing music for television and film, continuing to travel, perform and record jazz, as well as writing for other genres of music.Have you performed in front of an audience?The Brubeck Bros. schedule is on bopcity.com
Your musical influences
At first, the musicians whose stories Eigsti could hear and relate to were contemporary: Spyro Gyra, Fattburger. All that changed when he first heard Art Tatum. This blew the door off the hinges, and Eigsti began to devour the catalog of mainstream jazz pianists -- Oscar Peterson, Phineas Newborne, Gene Harris, younger acolytes like Benny Green -- and the musicians who played with them.What equipment do you use?
Yamaha PianosAll comments (1)
308 plays
9,290 views
9,290 views
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katie
@katiealvarez
Great sound on "Juliette," it's got a real down-home vibe to it. There's nothing like jamming on a good blues tune to take the edge off. Keep up thegood work.