Eric Darius

Launches a new stage in his career trajectory ERIC DARIUS

By Ken Capobianco

axophonist Eric Darius broke out in the jazz

world as a teen phenom in 2002, when he recorded his first album, Cruisin’, as a 19-yearold in high school. He has gone on to become a smooth jazz star, but the now 36-year-old musician feels like he’s just getting started with the release of his latest album, Breakin’ Thru, on his own record label, SagiDarius Music. The veteran artist, who will be hosting The San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival in June, has found a new lease on his creative life by declaring his independence and taking full rein of his musical direction.

Breakin’ Thru, Darius’ seventh solo album, marks a transition and a reboot of the versatile saxophonist’s career, as he seeks to reach younger audiences and push beyond the limits he felt were constraining him when he recorded on major, high-profile labels. The Los Angeles resident considers the title of his new album to be an apt summation of his music and career trajectory. “I feel like I am just breaking through to where I want to go,” the affable and thoughtful Darius said via phone from his home. “I had to come through to realizations about myself, personally, and the music reflects my new sense of self. “This is the first album I’ve released on my own record label,” he said. “That was a huge factor on the concept of this album––the sound, the style and my approach. With every album, it’s like a blank canvas when I start, but now there was a different sense of creativity and freedom that I never experienced before. “It was exciting for me because for the first time in my career, I could make music exactly how I wanted without any restrictions or outside input––it all could come from my heart and straight to the listeners’ ears.” The music on Breakin’ Thru is much funkier than his previous six albums, with a deeper bottom—the bass lines will rattle sound systems—and it captures the kinetic energy of his live show, which has made him a fan favorite on the live smooth jazz circuit. It touches on different genres and nods to hip-hop for younger generations, which Darius, one of the youngest smooth jazz headliners, hopes to reach. “My music has always been a combination of so many styles and genres from jazz to R&B to hip-hop, rock, funk, gospel, reggae, and I wanted to make music that appealed to all generations.

“It was important to make music that was true to myself. I’m inspired by so many types of artists, from Prince, Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Jay-Z and Bob Marley. I wanted to bring all those sounds and elements into this project.” The new album is also his first with all originals. He decided to eschew the covers formula he had relied upon previously. “I’ve done albums in the past with covers of popular songs that I thought the younger generation would relate to, like music from Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo, Mary J. Blige—but I’m a songwriter, so I don’t need to keep doing other people’s music. There are elements in my music that people, who listen to those artists I covered, can relate to. So, I wanted to give people the full range of my work as a musician. “As I was writing the songs and recording, I realized this was the most exciting recording experience I’ve ever had. There was nothing holding me back, so I could explore.” While saying he was thankful for working with labels that helped him launch his career, he admitted he felt they often held him back creatively. “Labels are all about commercial appeal, and they are not necessarily focused on the artist themselves, and what they want to say creatively. Unfortunately, they just focus on the numbers and the business side of things. “Sometimes artists have to sacrifice who they are to appeal to the labels and the people who represent them. This time around, I didn’t want to have any of those things holding me back, and I wanted to give my fans 110 percent of myself on this project. I studied business in school—I wanted to be in on the marketing and the branding because, in today’s landscape, the business has changed so much. Artists have so many ways to reach fans through social media and technology. I wanted to embrace those things. “Social media is the lifeblood of my career. It’s crucial to get the word out about performing and helping me interact with the fans one-on-one when I’m doing shows. I’m active every day. “I’m always posting things, answering questions or responding to people’s posts. I get a direct pulse from the people, who are buying tickets, to get a feel as to how they are responding and what they want. You can develop a strong relationship between fans and the artist. That’s a beautiful thing.”

SagiDarius Music is not just a vehicle for his own projects. Darius intends to use the label to nurture young talent and grow a business. “The vision is to sign other artists. I want to develop new, upcoming talent and give them a platform to release music.” He understands, though, that the concepts of producing albums and selling records to develop a career are anachronistic in today’s music world, where approximately four pop artists— Taylor Swift, Drake, Beyoncé and Adele—may have healthy album sales. Albums are now either an expensive hobby for many veteran artists or a means to draw listeners to live shows. “The whole mindset and paradigm of albums have changed,” he said, pragmatically. “Before, it was all about the sales and numbers. People were selling a half million albums left and right, which is almost impossible now unless you are Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, so albums have become more of a marketing tool to connect with people and get them to come to one of your shows. It’s about bringing more attention to your brand. That’s clearly not what albums were before. Obviously, at the shows, we sell tons of CDs, and that’s the selling opportunity. But that’s as far as it goes when it comes to sales. “The wonderful thing The days of selling millions of albums are gone.” about this genre is they continued on page 22

are the most loyal fans of all genres across the board. They are so supportive.”

Eric Darius performing at the 2018 San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival Photo: Pat Benter

continued from page 21

Darius is a genuine road warrior, who spends most of his life performing, and he’s grateful to his fan base for helping his career flourish. “The wonderful thing about this genre is they are the most loyal fans of all genres across the board. They are so supportive. Where a lot of genres are dependent on radio or whatever, the lifeblood of our genre is performances. I do over a hundred shows a year, every year, for the last 20 years. That’s always been the driving force behind my career.” The newly married artist doesn’t have to worry about trying to balance his personal life with his work like so many musicians who struggle with life away from family. “My wife, Lynne, is 100 percent supportive of my career. She is my tour manager now and travels with me,” he said. “So, we are together 24/7, and that’s brought us closer. She’s a part of my music business and team, and she helps me reach higher levels. Getting married and having a partner I can trust and rely on has been one of the best things to happen to me. It’s been a blessing.” The saxophonist, who is a prominent endorser of Cannonball Musical Instruments, explained that he is looking forward to hosting this year’s San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival for the second time. “I hosted last year, and the response was so overwhelmingly positive that they wanted me to host it again. I said ‘absolutely yes.’ It’s a lot of work and makes for a long weekend, but there’s nothing like being a host and being able to interact with the fans—from the very first note that’s played to the very last note that’s played. I’m all about engaging the fans, so I’m truly excited to host and headline.” Darius continues to be heavily involved in furthering music education in the country’s schools. He speaks to students about music and developed his “On a Mission in the Schools” campaign to inspire young people to get involved with music or develop careers. The New Jersey native, who grew up in Tampa, Florida, started his career at age 11 when he toured the world with Sonny LaRosa and America’s Youngest Jazz Band. He believes it is vital to nurture young talent and give back. “I am still involved heavily with On a Mission, where I talk to kids in schools. I love speaking to the next generation about following their dreams and keeping music alive in the schools. “That’s still near and dear to my heart. I want to do a lot more of it. It’s important to allow kids the opportunities to express themselves through music because the arts are obviously the first thing to get cut when there are cuts in budgets. I’m a product of a music program, and I traveled around the world with an amazing jazz band, so I’ve taken it upon myself to pay it forward in these schools.” A big-hearted artist, Darius realizes that he has a higher purpose than just ruling music charts and trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons, like too many musicians. “It’s not just about the songs and notes. It’s about the message and impact you make on lives. You give people hope and happiness and something to be excited about. That’s what it’s all about.” For more information on Darius, including his complete tour schedule, visit www.ericdarius.com.

ON TOUR

Photo: Ellis Moore Photography

June 28

The 3rd Annual San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival Dinner Cruise aboard Inspiration Hornblower San Diego, California www.sandiegosmoothjazzfestival.com (sold-out)

June 29-30

The 3rd Annual San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival Embarcadero Marina Park North San Diego, California www.sandiegosmoothjazzfestival.com 562-424-0013

Aug. 11

Derby City Jazz Festival Iroquois Amphitheater Louisville, Kentucky www.derbycityjazzfest.com

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