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Earl Zindars

Chicago-born Earl Zindars graduated from DePaul University and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Music Composition from Northwestern University. He studied with Dr. Leon Stein and Walingford Riegger, and earned a Fulbright Scholarship to attend Oxford University, where he studied with Edmund Rubbra. Postgraduate work was at Columbia University with Dr. Otto Leuning. Fellowships include Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, and the Huntington Hartford Foundation. Earl received numerous commissions and awards throughout his career, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Institute of Arts and Letters. He was also the recipient of Broadcast Music, Inc.'s "Jazz Pioneer Award", given in recognition of his "long and outstanding contributions to the world of jazz." 

His long association with the legendary pianist Bill Evans produced several recordings on Evans's albums. Evans particularly favored "Elsa" and "How My Heart Sings", which evolved into jazz standards over the pianist's long recording career. In recognition of Evans's connection with "How My Heart Sings" and the title's evocative nature, Peter Pettinger used it as the name of his acclaimed 1998 biography of Bill Evans

Earl's tunes have also been featured on the albums of numerous other artists including Cannonball Adderly, Donald Byrd, Eddie Daniels, Philly Joe Jones, Dino Saluzzi, and Tony Williams, and each year this discography continues to grow. Notable recent additions include How My Heart Sings, a CD brought forward by pianist Bill Cunliffe, and dedicated exclusively to the music of Earl Zindars. Upon release, the CD enjoyed several weeks ranked among Jazz Week's top ten. Most recently, Italian pianist Luciano Troja brings us At Home with Zindars (2010). Drawing on personal visits at home with the Zindars family, Troja's sensitive interpretations reveal a more personal side of Earl's life and music.

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Interview

Luciano Troja: Second Earl Zindars Tribute

Luciano Troja: Second Earl Zindars Tribute

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Fans of pianist Bill Evans know that one of his favorite composers was Earl Zindars. The American songwriter's work recorded by Evans includes Elsa, How My Heart Sings, Mother of Earl, Lullaby for Helene, Quiet Light and Sareen Jurer. Today, one of the most exquisite interpreters of Zindars' music is Italian pianist Luciano Troja (above). Luciano recorded his first Zindars tribute album—At Home With Zindars—in 2010, which I mentioned in a 2018 post (here). Now he has issued his second ...

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Video / DVD

Earl Zindars and Bill Evans

Earl Zindars and Bill Evans

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

To fully understand the music of pianist Bill Evans, it's essential to know the works of composer Earl Zindars. Evans recorded several of Zindars's songs, including Elsa, How My Heart Sings, Mother of Earl, Lullaby for Helene, Quiet Light and Sareen Jurer and the two were close friends. Today, Zindars' pieces sound like the spirit of Evans's soul. Zindars was born in Chicago and studied classical music, eventually becoming an orchestral composer. Zindars and Evans met in the service in ...

"A composer of highly developed craft...an outstanding song composer" - Bill Evans

"One of our most outstanding composers of modern music." - Stan Kenton

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