Eldar, the talented (and so damn young) pianist who has made popular appearances here at the Rochester International Jazz Festival in past years will be coming to town on Friday, September 25th, when The Eldar Djangirov Trio kicks off the Fall series of Exodus to Jazz gigs, brought to you by Jose DaCosta. Leader-pianist Eldar Djangirov comes here with bassist Armando Gola and drummer Ludwig Afonso, the trio will perform two shows 8:00 and 10:00 pm in the Radisson Riverside Hotel’s Frontier Hall. Eldar is a great addition to the list of talented pianists that DaCosta has brought to the ETJ stage over the years. He returns to Rochester to promote his recently released CD entitled Virtue.

Known for keyboard pyrotechnics and his complete immersion in the bebop tradition, Eldar has established himself as a contemporary jazz pianist, receiving accolades from many legendary jazz masters (including Dr. Billy Taylor, Marian McPartland, Dave Brubeck, Michael Brecker, Wynton Marsalis and Herbie Hancock). The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that Eldar is “...a musician with the aesthetic maturity of a well-traveled jazz veteran…from the torrential, two-handed cascades of Oscar Peterson to the lush, rarefied harmonic language of Herbie Hancock ... startling technical command and improbable improvisational flair...." Did I mention that he is just 22 years old?

The Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside is located at 120 East Main St., Rochester New York, 14604. Tickets (reserved seating - $25; general admission - $20) are available through TicketWeb.com (search for “Eldar Djangirov” or “Exodus To Jazz”). General admission tickets can be purchased for $20 at the door on the night of the show; student tickets are $ 10.00 with a current ID. The Ticketing / Will Call desk will open at 7:00 PM on show night. For more information visit ExodusToJazz.com after September 8th, or call (585) 733-7685.

Check out Anna Reguero's article on Eldar in the September 20th Democrat & Chronicle.