Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to interview 22 virtuoso pianist, Eldar, who also performed live during the interview. Eldar talked about his family’s move from Kyrgyzstan to Kansas City as a child, and how much he learned from that city’s veteran jazz musicians. Eldar also showcased his improvisational and compositional skills with three solo piano pieces, I Should Care, Insensitive and his own Vanilla Sky/Exposition.
Eldar turned out to be one of the nicest, most enthusiastic musicians that I have interviewed to date (especially for someone who had just flown in from Ireland the day before). And as you might expect, his playing was amazing.
Below is a video of his performance of a medley of his tunes Vanilla Sky/Exposition. To hear the entire interview and performance, click here.
Honestly, it took me awhile to like Eldar. Him and Hiromi. I can’t really say what it is, but for awhile, I couldn’t get used to it. Maybe I am more partial to the voicings of other players, but I have to admit that both have grown on me, and Eldar is definitely talented, and I enjoy listening to him. I love his Blue Note recording.