Now Playing On The Jazz Cafe- Akuma

SAXOPHONIST AND COMPOSER ERIC DARIUS IS ON A MISSION.

 

Eric Darius to preform at Yoshi's Oakland Thursday February 13 Th 2014

8pm & 10pm
$27 advance / $32 day of show
Premier seating + Meet and Greet $55

PREMIER SEATING + MEET and GREET tickets: Yoshi's will provide seating in the first two rows for the performance. The Meet and Greet (approx. 20 mins) will be one hour before the performance (7PM) and will take place in the club.

Yoshi's Oakland
510 Embarcadero West
Jack London Square
Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510.238.9200

SAXOPHONIST AND COMPOSER ERIC DARIUS IS ON A MISSION.

“I want my music to be a vehicle for change and to transcend boundaries from age to race. I believe my music can make a difference in the world,” states the commanding and strikingly handsome 20-something musician, composer, and performer, known for his dynamic and exhilarating live shows. Darius’ explosive arrival on the contemporary jazz scene at age 17 caused a frenzy. This was not a surprise as the ambitious saxophonist, who has shared the stage with everyone from Prince, Carlos Santana, Wynton Marsalis, Wyclef Jean, George Benson, and Brian McKnight, had just released an auspicious recording debut and several years prior had already made an appearance at the famed Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Garnering accolades from critics, musicians and fans alike, there seemed to be a consensus that this young man was bringing a sense of history but yet a youthful and forward-thinking approach to the genre. Eric Darius, who has scored a #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Charts and several top ten hits, has steadily proven to be anything but your typical ‘smooth jazz guy.’ The savvy business school grad whose iPod features a mix of everyone from John Coltrane and Bob Marley to Jay-Z , the Rolling Stones and Alicia Keys, confesses, “Contemporary jazz is the genre that has embraced my music, but I see myself as a musician first. I play every style of music from Jazz, R&B, Pop, Reggae, Hip-hop, Rock to Gospel. As I continue to evolve and grow musically, it’s the journey to explore new things that keeps me excited and hungry to do what I do.”

“Contemporary jazz is the genre that has embraced my music, but I see myself as a musician first".

Eric Darius released his latest album and Shanachie Entertainment debut, On A Mission, in the summer of 2010. Danny Weiss, VP of Jazz A&R for Shanachie states, “If you think of jazz as a wonderful tree whose trunk is its great tradition and whose branches are the never ending innovations of its young disciples, then Eric Darius is the newest branch of that tree. He can swing like the masters and funk like a hip-hopper; truly the blossoming of tomorrow's jazz.” The seeds have been sown and Eric Darius unearths his talents not only as a saxophonist but equally important, as a composer and co-producer onOn A Mission. The saxman ,who first started experimenting with writing at age thirteen, cites Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock as among his biggest compositional influences. Darius acknowledges that music has always been an outlet for him to express his emotions and experiences. The Tampa-based musician says, “Stevie Wonder is incredible and I love the way his music can’t be categorized.  The same is true for Herbie Hancock. With Herbie, his whole music catalog varies from album to album and even to this day, he continues to evolve as an artist and is not afraid to take chances, artistically.”

The highest praise maestro, Duke Ellington bestowed on people or music he loved was the phrase ‘beyond category.’ Expanding on this concept, Eric Darius sets out to make an album of purely good music fusing all of the music that has inspired him along the way. A particular mission of Eric’s was to capture the same energy and vibe of his live shows in this studio recording.

“In the past I have tried to tailor my recordings to fit a certain sound or style that fits within the boundaries of what contemporary jazz is ‘supposed to be,’” explains Darius. “This time around, I scrapped all the rules and said ‘I want to make music my way that best defines me as an artist. Eric Darius’ approach to playing is muscular, visceral, imaginative, technically proficient and soulfully free-spirited. It is evident that he is in his element when his reed presses his lips. The joy he derives from playing is evidenced on many songs on his latest release. “I think one of the staples of what I do is my live show; it is young and energetic! I wanted to bring this element to On A Mission. There is often a big disconnect from people’s live shows and studio albums. I want people to be able to close their eyes and feel like we are playing right in front of them,” exclaims Darius.

"I want to make music my way that best defines me as an artist"

Hailing from a musical family (his father from Haiti and mother from Jamaica) and raised in Tampa where he still lives, Eric Darius realized his calling for music at an early age. “ I remember being nine and hearing a saxophonist play at my church. I instantly loved the sound…I remember being blown away by the soul and emotion of the instrument. It was as if I could almost hear the words and lyrics with each note being played…it was at that point that I fell in love with the instrument. The saxophone has a way of reaching people in a way that no other instrument does. It is the closest to the human voice.” Darius is one of those musicians who was fortunate to benefit from music programs in the school system.  He shares, “It is important to me that these types of music programs remain available for children today. One of my goals is to expose young kids to music with substance and to help make them aware that music can be an outlet for their emotions…that it can be a positive influence in their lives. I believe that music is a vital part of every child's complete education. I would not be here had it not been for the opportunities I had in school early on."

By age eleven—after only playing for one year—Eric was chosen to be in Sonny LaRosa and America's Youngest Jazz Band, which consisted of young musicians, ages 5-12. The group toured the country and even played at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Throughout Eric’s young but already dynamic career, he’s had the tremendous opportunity to travel and perform worldwide with numerous groups. Even as a college student, he had the fortune to travel internationally with the South Florida Jazztet (The University of South Florida is where he studied both Music Performance and Business). The much in demand saxmans’ worldwide gigs include Japan, Indonesia, London, France, Italy, among numerous other countries.

Darius concludes, “As a young person into jazz, it is important for me that the music stays alive and remains relevant in today’s music scene. I am trying to bridge the gap and create music that appeals to all age demographics, especially the high school and college kids. I am bringing them music that they can relate to. I strive to make music that is always true to myself, and hopefully that will reach people. The greatest joy to me is connecting with people through my music. ” His friend and mentor, Dave Koz, may have summed it up best…”Eric’s energy and musicality are undeniable. He’s fusing Jazz with Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, and Rock for a new sound that’s exciting and truly innovative!”

Eric Darius’ mission continues….

Mike Phillips

I love the sound of a Saxophone. Mike Phillips plays the Sax so brilliantly. Mike Phillips is a talented and underrated Jazz Saxophonist. Mike Phillips has put out some amazing CD’s. His debut CD “You Reached Mike Phillips” shows his gifted sax playing and energy, it is so powerful. Mike keeps getting better. His second album “Uncommon Denominator” makes you want to take along drive or sit back and listen to this remarkable ability. Mike Phillips just keeps bringing his incredible talent to his fans. His third album “M.P.3” is a mixture of Jazz, Hip Hop and R&B. This CD has something for all musical taste. What I like about Mike Phillips is how he keeps his music fresh, it doesn’t sound the same. I don’t understand why Mike Phillips is not as popular as a Boney James. I think he sounds better. Listen to songs from Mike Phillips on Streetwise Radio. Also listen to Streetwise Radio on Pandora, iTunes, MyGen365, Athena365 and Live365.

LM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-qyf9vRBuA&list=PL3E12E12598318DF6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9AoQkuTIDQ&list=PL3E12E12598318DF6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ykvbXPO-I&playnext=1&list=PL3E12E12598318DF6&feature=results_video

HULON
CD title: After Hours
Genre:  Smooth Jazz

HULON After Hours Truly living up to its provocative title, Hulon’s 2010 independently released debut First Impressions spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Jazz Chart (peaking at #25). Its debut single “Sax on the Beach” reached #16 on the SmoothJazz.com Top 50 Indie Chart and was featured on the noted jazz website AllAboutJazz.com, in addition to receiving national and international airplay at terrestrial and online radio.
Collaborating once again with mentor, composer, producer and fellow saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa, the Panama City, Florida based tenor saxman gets even more personal and intimate with his growing audience on his highly anticipated, musically eclectic follow-up After Hours. World renowned for his years with The Rippingtons, The Sax Pack and numerous hit solo albums over the past 20 years, Kashiwa again brought in some of contemporary jazz’s most powerful and dynamic players to take Hulon’s musical game on the new collection to the next level; Dave Hooper (drums), Allen Hinds (guitar), Melvin Davis (bass) and Bill Heller (keyboards) all played key roles as well on First Impressions. The new 11 track set includes a vocal and instrumental version of the Heatwave classic “Always and Forever” and eight originals penned by Kashiwa that play to Hulon’s strengths as a soulful balladeer and a grooving R&B/funk player, with a few dashes of cool and swinging traditional jazz in the mix. Highlights include the sensual late night romance “You’re Beautiful,” the whimsical mid tempo light funk tune “Takin’ My Time,” the tropical chill of “Sticky Trickuation,” the sly, “Pink Panther”-esque “Speak Easy” (featuring shuffling drum, bass and finger snap rhythm) and the high octane horn-driven jam and first single from the new release,“Do You Feel Me.” Yet there’s lot more to Hulon’s dynamic emergence onto the urban jazz scene than simple chart stats and the support of some of the genre’s best players. At its heart, it’s the story of a musical dream long deferred and unique connections between the spiritual and emotional healing power of music and the physical healing that Dr. Hulon E. Crayton does as a rheumatologist and founder of The Arthritis and Infusion Center, which specializes in the treatment of Rheumatological diseases as well as sports related injuries. The title of one of the tracks on After Hours, the tropical flavored groove tune, “Second Opinion” is a playful ode to his longtime profession. Over the past few years, Hulon has experienced the unique double blessing of performing for some of his patients, feeling joy and fulfillment as those who once could not even walk actually got up and danced and sang along—all thanks to him! Hulon has been practicing since 1986 and is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and of the American Board of Rheumatology. He has a Master’s in Hospital Administration and has served in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserve, obtaining the rank of Captain. In an effort to give back to the community, Hulon and his wife Dinah created the Crayton Foundation to assist in providing minorities with a feasible way to attain the funding needed to attend college; they have given numerous scholarships to students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare related fields. The foundation gave the first ever scholarship at Florida State University for African American students. The Milwaukee born and raised Hulon was originally inspired to play the alto sax by his college roommate when he was an undergrad at Lincoln University in Missouri. He taught himself the instrument and it became a favorite hobby for a time, used as recreation and stress relief as Hulon played along to his favorite recordings. He put the horn aside for years as he went to medical school at the University of Wisconsin, started his first practice, got married and began raising a family. Hulon’s interest was rekindled when all three of his children showed an interest in music and served as first chair on their respective instruments in middle school. He had loaned his daughter his old sax and she wouldn’t give it back, so he bought a tenor at a local pawn shop (after moving to Florida) and that became his main voice as he began to pursue music professionally. He started playing informally with some local musicians (enjoying cigars and martinis along the way) and then was hired to play at a festival by a promoter who heard him performing one Sunday at church; this prompted Hulon to start a band with a fellow doctor friend. Cleverly dubbing themselves On Call, the band began performing at numerous private functions, local Panama City jazz hotspots like the Boatyard, Firefly, Bonefish and large scale affairs at the Grand Panama Hotel. His incredible friendship and musical association with Jeff Kashiwa began when Hulon was in the audience at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival one year when the famed saxman was onstage playing the EWI, or Electronic Woodwind Instrument. “He started introducing this cool looking instrument and I shouted out from the crowd that I’ve gotta get me one of those,” says Hulon. “Jeff responded from the stage, ‘Not only will I sell this to you, I will also teach you how to play it!’ After the show I met him and asked if he was serious. He gave me his address, I sent him a check and he sold me his EWI. He was down in Orlando with the Rippingtons two months later and I went to see him. He took me up to his hotel room and taught me how to play EWI. At a later gig in Atlanta, he invited me backstage to meet the Rippingtons. We started doing lessons on Skype, and about a year later, Jeff was playing at a fundraiser for the Anchorage Children’s Home, which takes care of disadvantaged youth, and my band opened for him. I was nervous at first but later in the show, when he invited me to play onstage with him and we traded solos while walking parallel up the aisle in the audience, I felt like this was a musical high I could get used to!” Hulon’s later idea to hire the veteran saxman to compose a jingle for his practice inspired Kashiwa to write an extended version called “Dr. Goodfoot,” which ultimately became the first track they recorded on First Impressions. The title is a nod to James Brown’s classic “Get on the Good Foot.” Once Hulon received the blessing of his wife Dinah and the encouragement of his children, he enlisted Kashiwa to help him develop a full length album project—beginning with four demos that Kashiwa had sent him after “Dr. Goodfoot.” “The experience was surreal,” Hulon says, “as if I were suddenly on this fast track. A few years earlier, I wasn’t even playing the horn, and here I was in a studio recording with a world renowned saxophonist who believed in my potential as an artist. He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. “Even as he was producing me,” he adds, “he was my teacher and mentor, telling me what I needed to do, helping make me a better player. The cool thing about Jeff is that he always has a goal for me inside his mind. He won’t always tell me what it is, but when I hit it, he tells me and then raising the bar. With constructive criticism, he knows how to get the best out of me. The experience became even more intense as we worked on After Hours. I am feeling more confident about myself as a player and artist than ever and am able to nail a song much faster. The first time we ever recorded, it took me eight hours to do the first song and four days to do three songs. This time we got almost the whole album done in three days—all thanks to Jeff’s encouragement and gentle push at the right times.” Believing that “versatility is survivability,” Hulon (with Kashiwa’s guidance) breaks the mold of the typical urban jazz output these days by offering a wide variety of styles and grooves behind his rich emotional tenor melodies. That’s not surprising considering the wide variety of genres he listens to on his iPod—from hip hop and country to orchestral and classical music. Yet beyond simply providing musical pleasure to the genre’s adult audiences, he says, “I want to be inspiring to children and a good role model to them the way I have strived to be with my own kids. I’m really enjoying this journey every step of the way. As with medicine, I get great personal joy and satisfaction having people appreciate what I do. My time in the office is devoted to physical healing. But when I’m recording or playing live onstage, that’s when the spiritual healing begins.”

Web: www.mileshighproductions.com

Chip chip@mileshighproductions.com