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Smooth Jazz Star Has Local Roots

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By CURTIS ROSS The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 19, 2008

Tampa native Eric Darius is a rising star on the smooth jazz scene. He promises that his CD release party will be a "Hollywood-style event with a red carpet."

But it will take place in Clearwater, not Tinsel Town. Saxophonist Darius still calls Tampa home, and he's quick to salute the locals who helped him achieve his success.

When Blake High School Assistant Principal Tom Ziegelhofer asked Darius to perform at his retirement ceremony in April, Darius didn't hesitate to say yes.

"I had to be there," Darius says, adding that Ziegelhofer oversaw the school's music and arts programs. "He was instrumental in me and my whole educational process."

Darius graduated from Blake in 2001 and then enrolled at the University of South Florida. He's stayed local but a trip to Switzerland set him on his musical path.

Darius was accepted into Sonny LaRosa's America's Youngest Jazz Band at 11, only a year after he took up the saxophone.

The band performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival during Darius' tenure, which had a profound effect on the youngster.

"That was the turning point," Darius says. "I knew I wanted to play the saxophone for the rest of my life.

"The feeling that I got and the impact it made on those people was amazing," Darius says. "Knowing I could go to another part of world and touch people even though they couldn't speak my language showed me that music really is the common bond."

Darius began his college career as a music major, but switched to business during his junior year, after he signed his first recording contract.

"I wanted to learn the whole business side of music in order to have a more successful and prosperous career," Darius says. "These days the music business is 90 percent business and 10 percent talent."

Darius released an independent CD, "Cruisin'," in 2000, then signed with the Higher Octave label for 2004's "Night on the Town." The album won him Best Debut Artist honors from Smooth Jazz News.

He moved to Higher Octave's parent label, Narada Jazz, for 2006's "Just Getting Started," which stayed on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart's Top 10 for nine weeks.

His new album, "Goin' All Out," which is to be released Tuesday, is on the prestigious Blue Note label, home to timeless recordings by John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins and many more.

"It is the ultimate jazz label," Darius says. Being signed to the label, he says, is "amazing. I have to pinch myself."

It also brings obligations, Darius says.

"I feel like it's imparting responsibility," Darius says. "The label has been established on great music. I want to maintain the integrity of the music. It's my responsibility to carry on the legacy."

Darius, though, hopes "Goin' All Out," will appeal to fans of many different styles of music.

"I wanted to create an album that transcended musical boundaries," Darius says. "It's not just a smooth jazz album. There are a bunch of styles and influences: hip hop, R&B, pop, Latin. I wanted to create a new, distinctive sound.

"The album really portrays who I am as a person and musician," Darius says. "It's a direct reflection of myself."

CD RELEASE PARTY

Eric Darius

WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: The Venue, 2675 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater; (727) 571-2222

COST: Free

Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568 or cross@tampatrib.com.

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