Eldar [Sony]

1	Sweet Georgia Brown 3:21
2	Nature Boy 5:30
3	Moanin' 7:38
4	Point of View / Eldar Djangirov 6:55
5	Raindrops 2:46
6	Lady Wicks 5:00
7	Maiden Voyage 6:57
8	'Round Midnight 6:22
9	Ask Me Now 4:16
10	Watermelon Island 5:39
11	Fly Me to the Moon 3:23

Barnes & Noble

Endorsed by such elders as Benny Carter, Marian McPartland, and Wynton Marsalis since his early teens, 18-year-old piano virtuoso Eldar Djangirov, who began to manifest his talent in the politically troubled nation of Kyrgyzstan when he was barely more than a toddler, lives up to the hype on his self-titled debut for Sony Classical. Joined by bass icon John Patitucci and drummer Todd Strait, Djangirov revels in his talent, presenting a series of elegant arrangements on four originals and seven jazz and songbook standards. The son of a music teacher, Djangirov seems to have the entire history of Western keyboard music from Bach to Tyner under his fingers, and he knows how to weave the approaches together to tell his own stories in his own manner. He never falls so in love with his chops as to let them overwhelm his musicality or lyric sensibility. No conceptual surprises here, just harmonically intricate playing, brilliantly executed at all tempos and paced intelligently from start to finish. Like Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, to whom observers have compared him, Djangirov treats the piano as though it were an orchestral engine of limitless possibility. Ted Panken

All Music Guide

Eldar Djangirov, who was already a promising pianist at a very tender age, was able to immigrate along with his parents to the United States in order to better develop his amazing talent. After he appeared on the nationally syndicated radio program Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz at the age of 12, he was already displaying formidable chops for one so young. After two earlier releases for the small D&D label, he recorded his major label debut in early 2004 for Sony Classical. Already able to play at furious tempos normally associated with greats like Oscar Peterson and the late Art Tatum, especially in the stunning opening rendition of "Sweet Georgia Brown," he sometimes has trouble restraining his ability to show off his technique, nearly overwhelming Bobby Timmons' soulful "Moanin'" at times. Better are his reserved but refreshing approach to "Nature Boy" and the superb original ballad, "Lady Wicks." Bassist John Patitucci and drummer Todd Strait provide excellent support for the young man on the trio tracks (especially in the introspective take of "'Round Midnight"). Tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker is added on the Latin-tinged original "Point of View." Like all players who demonstrate tremendous technique at a young age, critics will be watching Eldar Djangirov with great interest to see if he successfully builds upon his amazing gifts. Ken Dryden