Taylor Eigsti
Biography
New York-based pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti started playing the piano when he was 4 years old, inspired by his sister Shannon, a jazz and rock pianist. His musical journey since has been filled with many exciting opportunities to grow as a musician, artist, and educator. Eigsti started bandleading at age 12, was quickly labeled a prodigy, and released 4 early albums as a leader before having the opportunity to sign with Concord Records, where he has since released 3 highly acclaimed albums. Eigsti has been recognized by critics internationally for his unique touch and rhythmic control, and his innovative improvisational storytelling.
The past few years have been especially exciting for the 29-year old California native. Eigsti released "Lucky to Be Me" in 2006, which was nominated for two GRAMMY awards for Best Instrumental Compostion and Best Instrumental Jazz Solo.
Building on the momentum of the previous record, Eigsti was featured on the cover of both Keyboard Magazine and Jazziz Magazine, and was featured in his own BET Television special. Eigsti then released "Let it Come to You"(Concord) 2008, quickly garnering many four-star reviews from such publications as Downbeat Magazine and All Music Guide, and went to #2 in National Jazz Radio Airplay. This album also featured Eigsti's original visual art within the packaging. Eigsti was also featured on numerous radio shows, including being the featured guest on the late Marian McPartland's award-winning NPR program "PianoJazz" on several occasions.
In 2010, Eigsti released his seventh album as a leader - entitled "Daylight at Midnight" (Concord Music Group) which features innovative singer-songwriter Becca Stevens, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. A departure from previous albums, this project integrates the influence of lyrically-driven acoustic rock music through covers of songs by Coldplay, Feist, MuteMath, Nick Drake, Elliot Smith, and many others, in addition to originals.
In 2012, Eigsti wrote the theme song to the motion picture "Detachment", starring Oscar-winner Adrien Brody, and collaborated with acclaimed film composers Andy Grush and Taylor Stewart (The Newton Brothers) on the score to that movie.
The national spotlight has allowed many more listeners to become accustomed to Eigsti, which has led to the good fortune of performing or recording with such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Esperanza Spalding, Joshua Redman, James Moody, Nicholas Payton, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Chris Potter, Diane Schuur, Michael Nesmith, Christian McBride, Chris Botti, Ernestine Anderson, Joe Lovano, David Benoit, Gretchen Parlato, Dave Douglas, Ambrose Akinmusire, Hank Jones, John Clayton, Frederica Von Stade, Caroline Campbell, Christian Scott, Eric Harland, Kendrick Scott, Lee Konitz, Dayna Stephens, and Red Holloway, among many others. He has also performed internationally for 15 years with GRAMMY-nominated guitarist Julian Lage, his close musical collaborator.
Eigsti's career has involved much global touring, and he has performed at many premiere concert halls and venues throughout the world, including the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Salle Pleyel, Royal Festival Hall, Kan-ehoken Hall, Vienna Kozerthaus, Olympia Hall, Osaka Koseinennkin Hall, Massey Hall, Davies Symphony Hall, and many top jazz and music festivals, including Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Singapore Mosaic Music Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Stockholm Jazz Festival, Istanbul Jazz Festival, Quito Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, and many more performances in various countries throughout 6 continents.
Over the years, Eigsti has had the great opportunity to work with and write music for various orchestras, and has written a growing repertoire of music for full symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble, in addition to being frequently featured as a soloist and guest composer. Various soloist features and collaborations include performances with the San José Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, Boston Youth Symphony, Reno Philharmonic, San Jose Youth Symphony, Tassajara Symphony, and multiple collaborations with the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, Oakland East Bay Symphony, and the Bear Valley Festival Orchestra. Most recently, Eigsti was featured with award-winning trumpeter Chris Botti with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall in the Fall of 2013.
Eigsti has also incorporated a diverse career in music education, leading numerous masterclasses and clinics for 17 years at music workshops and camps, and various colleges such as the University of North Texas, UC Berkeley, Skidmore College, Berklee College of Music, NYU, San Jose St, University of Northern Colorado, and many more. He is on the advisory board of Stanford Jazz Workshop, where he has taught for 15 years, and has been the featured guest artist artist at the prestigious Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific several times, and artist in residence at the Jazzschool Institute in Berkeley, CA.
Eigsti is also a heavily integrated part of award-winning vocalist Gretchen Parlato's band, and is featured on the new Obliqsound release "The Lost and Found", which recently stayed at #1 on iTunes Jazz Charts for over 4 weeks, and was named the iTunes Vocal Album of the Year. In addition to performing in his own group, Taylor travels and performs frequently both internationally and in NYC as a sideman with many other groups, including the Kendrick Scott Oracle, Eric Harland Voyager, GRAMMY-winner Chris Botti, Dayna Stephens Group, and many other settings. Currently, several solo piano albums are in the works, to be released in mid-2014. Taylor Eigsti plays Yamaha pianos exclusively.
