Eric Darius
Encyclopedia
Eric Darius is a smooth jazz
saxophonist and composer
. He is a native of New Jersey
who grew up in Tampa
, Florida.
Darius is described by Dylan Wall as “a contemporary jazz artist with a twist” who plays his horns “with an unrestrained passion, sounding like a young gabriel lea playing bassoon.” He lists his major influences as Earth, Wind & Fire
, Stevie Wonder
and Jeff Lorber
.
Darius attended Howard W. Blake High School
. He currently attends the University of South Florida
, home of The New Faces of Jazz radio show.
(a sub-label owed by EMI
's Blue Note Records
). This album was charted on Billboard’s
Top Contemporary Jazz chart where it peaked at #18.
Two years later his album Just Getting Started was released through Narada Jazz
. This album charted even better that his last, reaching #8 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz chart.
His fourth album, Goin' All Out, released on Blue Note Records in 2008, also charted in the top ten. It peaked at #9 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz chart. “Goin' All Out” also reached into the top 40 of Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart, peaking at position 39. The album's single release, also titled "Goin' All Out" peaked at number 1 on Billboard's Smooth Jazz Songs chart during the week of October 25, 2008.
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
saxophonist and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He is a native of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
who grew up in Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, Florida.
Biography
Darius began his performing career at the age of 11 when he toured with the youth-based Sonny LaRosa and America's Youngest Jazz Band. The tour's final performance was held at Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. At the age of 17 Darius released his first album titled Cruisin' .Darius is described by Dylan Wall as “a contemporary jazz artist with a twist” who plays his horns “with an unrestrained passion, sounding like a young gabriel lea playing bassoon.” He lists his major influences as Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and Jeff Lorber
Jeff Lorber
Jeff Lorber is an American Grammy Award-nominated keyboardist, composer, and record producer.After leading his own group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, he went on to pioneer the smooth jazz genre....
.
Darius attended Howard W. Blake High School
Howard W. Blake High School
Howard W. Blake High School formerly known as Don Thompson Vocational High School is a public high school in located in Tampa, Florida. In 1997, the school moved to its current location.-School history:...
. He currently attends the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
, home of The New Faces of Jazz radio show.
Albums
His formal debut album, Night on the Town, was released in 2004 through Higher OctaveHigher Octave
Higher Octave is a sub-label imprint of Narada Productions, which is part of EMI's Blue Note Records label group, located in New York.Higher Octave was founded in 1986 as an independent record label specializing in a wide variety of uplifting music, including smooth jazz, New Age music, Latin music...
(a sub-label owed by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
). This album was charted on Billboard’s
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Contemporary Jazz chart where it peaked at #18.
Two years later his album Just Getting Started was released through Narada Jazz
Narada Productions
Narada is a record label formed 1983 as an independent New Age music label and distributed by MCA Records. Now a fully owned subsidiary of EMI, Narada evolved through an expansion of formats to include music from other styles including world music, jazz, Celtic music, new flamenco, acoustic guitar...
. This album charted even better that his last, reaching #8 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz chart.
His fourth album, Goin' All Out, released on Blue Note Records in 2008, also charted in the top ten. It peaked at #9 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz chart. “Goin' All Out” also reached into the top 40 of Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart, peaking at position 39. The album's single release, also titled "Goin' All Out" peaked at number 1 on Billboard's Smooth Jazz Songs chart during the week of October 25, 2008.
Discography
- Cruisin' (2000)
- Night on the Town (2004)
- Just Getting Started (2006)
- Goin' All OutGoin' All OutGoin' All Out is an smooth jazz album by saxophonist Eric Darius. Released on June 24, 2008, this album is the fourth by Eric Darius, but his first effort released through Blue Note Records. The album peaked at position 9 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz chart, staying on the chart for over 5...
(2008) - On a Mission (2010)