Jazz Articles about Taylor Eigsti

JD Walter: What the World Needs Now

by Pierre Giroux
August 15, 2023

JD Walter beckons listeners into a soulful and captivating journey through modern jazz interpretations of non-jazz material. With his unique vocal stylings and innovative arrangements, he brings a fresh perspective to familiar popular tunes, and several jazz standards, while delivering thought-provoking original compositions. From the very first track--Stevie Wonder's “Golden Lady"--it is evident that Walter's vocal prowess is a force to be reckoned with. He dashes along in full flight and then effortlessly shifts into intricate ...

Walter Smith III: Return To Casual

by Dave Linn
June 2, 2023

Walter Smith III released his debut album, Casually Introducing (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2006), to enthusiastic reviews. On it, he covered Sam Rivers, Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman and wrote the other six tracks, showcasing a mature and varied sense of composition. His playing and arrangements showed him to be a new, young (he was 26 years old) artist on the rise. Over the ensuing years, he released eight other albums, mainly for European labels. These recordings (including one live ...

JD Walter: Dressed in a Song

by Victor L. Schermer
February 28, 2020

JD Walter is a consummate vocalist who has devoted himself over many years to evolving a unique style that is nevertheless ensconced in the jazz tradition. The public relations sheet for this new CD states that “this is his first release since recovering from a life-threatening heart condition and surgeries on his heart and vocal cords." It states that this is a “comeback" record. That is a misnomer. In this recording, he takes the music to new levels of structure, ...

Taylor Eigsti: Daylight at Midnight

by AAJ Italy Staff
February 23, 2011

Taylor Eigsti è uno dei tanti wunderkind che da sempre costellano la storia della musica di ogni genere e di ogni latitudine. All'età di otto anni apriva i concerti di David Benoit, a tredici suonava con Dave Brubeck, a quattordici incideva il primo disco da leader, etc, etc. E così le case discografiche hanno fatto a gara per accaparrarsi i servigi del giovane prodigio. L'ha spuntata la Concord, etichetta che di mercato e di successi se ne intende, lanciandolo definitivamente ...

Taylor Eigsti: Daylight at Midnight

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
October 17, 2010

It's official: pianist Taylor Eigsti has finally outgrown his “prodigy" label.At 26, with two Concord CDs and numerous sideman recordings behind him, Eigsti has finally made the artistic statement he's intended since his career began at the age of 11. Raised on the American songbook, and indoctrinated early into concerns about the continued viability of jazz, Eigsti has always wanted to create new audiences by embracing the favorite material of the iPod generation. In his previous CDs he ...

Taylor Eigsti: The Prodigy, Revisited

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
July 22, 2008

In 2004, I interviewed both Taylor Eigsti and his mother, Nancy, about what it was like to be (and to raise) a prodigy. In the four years since then, Taylor's career has continued its nearly-vertical trajectory, with two Grammy nominations, two prestigious Piano Jazz shows with Marian McPartland, three jazz magazine covers, and multiple Down Beat Magazine critics' poll recognition.

Now, at the ripe old age of 23, Eigsti continues to carve his place in the ...

Taylor Eigsti: Let It Come To You

by Chris May
July 4, 2008

Everyone who hears him seems to agree: Taylor Eigsti is the most exciting progressive-mainstream pianist to come along in a very long time. Pianist Dave Brubeck says, “He's the most amazing talent I've ever come across." Not the most amazing talent Brubeck has come across “in recent years" or “in America," or any such qualification, but the most amazing talent ever, period.

It's all true. Still only 23 years old, Eigsti is like a fresh wind blowing through ...