Eric Darius is only 21, but he already has performed around the world. And now has a new CD on a nationally-known record label.
By EILEEN SCHULTE
Published June 25, 2004
CLEARWATER - Sax player Eric Darius has performed all over the world: the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy and the Vienne Jazz Festival in France.
But he remembers having pre-show jitters only once.
"I was doing Showtime at the Apollo in New York, and the people there are pretty harsh," he said. "The girl that went ahead of me sang and got booed. My heart was really pounding. But I got a standing ovation."
He hopes to have an equally enthusiastic response in front of a hometown crowd when he performs at a Clearwater party to celebrate the release of his first CD by his new label. The album will be released nationally June 29.
The event is from 8 to 11 tonight at Bracci Bistro at 2544 McMullen-Booth Road in Clearwater, the same place he performs almost every weekend. Admission is free.
Belinda Womack, Darius' friend and a popular local jazz singer, will be a guest singer.
Darius might be well on his way to making it big in the smooth jazz world.
His new label, Higher Octave Music/Narada Records, is a major, nationally-known record label. And he's already cruising to his regular Sunday gigs at the Blue Martini in Tampa in a Lexus SUV.
Not bad for a 21-year-old.
"It's not easy to get a record contract with a respected (label) at his age," said Ross Block, program director at 94.1 FM WSJT, which plays his songs. "This is a big-time CD. There's a lot of people around the country who would like to be in his shoes at 31 or even 41."
Darius grew up listening to jazz around the house. His Jamaican-born mother, Shirley, a registered nurse who works at University Community Hospital, sings. Serge, his Haitian-born father, a machinist who also manages his son's career, plays bass. His brother plays the drums and his sister is a vocalist.
Darius first picked up a saxophone after attending a church service at Northside Assembly of God in Tampa at age 9, and began taking lessons.
At 10, he joined Sonny LaRosa's Youngest Jazz Band and traveled the world. He went on to graduate from Blake High School of the Performing Arts in Tampa.
He studied the work of some of his heros, John Coltrane, David Sanborn and Kirk Whalum.
In 2001, he released his first CD, Cruisin', and last year, he opened the four-day Clearwater Jazz Holiday.
"I get a big rush from performing," Darius said, who said he also loves to write songs, calling the process his personal expression.
He wrote eight of the 10 tracks on Night on the Town, which was recorded in Baltimore last summer and produced by Ken Navarro. The other two songs are covers of Love TKO and Let's Stay Together.
He plans to embark on a national tour next month and perform at the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival in October.
Darius said he wants "to continue making CDs for the rest of my life and eventually get on the business side, maybe have my my own label someday."
When asked what he would do if he becomes a star, he doesn't talk of buying mansions. He talks about helping new artists.
