Taylor Eigsti

Grammy-winning pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti is a prodigious jazz artist, whose approach, while steeped in the acoustic post-bop traditions, also draws upon contemporary pop, folk, and electronic influences. Eigsti debuted to acclaim while still a teenager in the early '00s. Signing with Concord, he gained wider attention releasing a handful of lauded straight-ahead albums, including 2006's Lucky to Be Me (with Julian Lage and Christian McBride) and 2008's Let it Come to You (with Joshua Redman and Ben Wendel). He took a more contemporary approach with 2010's Daylight at Midnight, pairing with singer Becca Stevens and covering songs by Coldplay, Feist and Elliott Smith, among others. Along with working with artists like Chris Botti, Kendrick Scott and Gretchen Parlato, Eigsti took home the Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for 2021's Tree Falls and returned in 2024 with Plot Armor. Born in 1984 in Menlo Park, California, Eigsti grew up in a musical family with parents who both played piano. A child prodigy, he started taking piano lessons at age four and by age eight had opened for pianist David Benoit. Along with classical studies, Eigsti was attracted early on to the spontaneity of jazz. Art Tatum became a huge influence, leading to the discovery of other pianists, including Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris, Monty Alexander, and Benny Green, among others. At age 13, he performed with legendary pianist Dave Brubeck and a year later released his debut album, Tay's Groove, which featured Brubeck's son Dan Brubeck on drums. While still in high school, he spent time studying at the Stanford Jazz Workshop and even joined their teaching staff at age 15. It was around this time that saxophonist Red Holloway heard Eigsti perform in San Jose and invited him to be his band's special guest on the SS Norway jazz cruise; two years later, Eigsti headlined on the cruise with his own trio. Other high profile performances came his way, including opening spots for Diana Krall, Al Jarreau, Natalie Cole, and Hank Jones. Graduating as salutatorian of his high-school class, Eigsti went on to jazz studies at the University of Southern California. In September of 2002 Eigsti's trio, including bassist John Shifflett and drummer Jason Lewis, made its first appearance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. They also joined the pianist for his independent debut, 2001's Taylor's Dream, for the Japanese label DIW. Two years later, Eigsti returned with another trio album, Resonance, on Bop City. In 2006, Eigsti gained yet wider attention with his Concord label debut, Lucky to Be Me. It featured an all-star backing group with guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Lewis Nash. The album received two Grammy Award nominations, including Best Instrumental Composition on for his song "Argument" and Best Jazz Solo Performance for his rendition of "Freedom Jazz Dance." For his second Concord album, 2008's Let it Come to You, he was again joined by guitarist Lage. It also featured two different rhythm sections; one with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland and one with bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Aaron McLendon. There were also guest appearances by Joshua Redman, Edmar Castaneda, Dayna Stephens, Ben Wendel, and Evan Francis. Eigsti's third album, Daylight at Midnight, arrived in 2010 and showcased collaborations with vocalist Becca Stevens. It also found him exploring a more contemporary style, as well as songs from outside the jazz idiom, including covers of Coldplay, Feist, Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, and others. Over the next few years, Eigsti took some time off from his solo work, touring and/or recording artists like Gretchen Parlato, Saschal Vasandani, Kendrick Scott, and Chris Botti, among others. In 2021, he returned to the spotlight with Tree Falls, again featuring vocalists, including Becca Stevens, Casey Abrams and Parlato, along with drummer Eric Harland, and bassist David Ginyard. Another stylistically genre-blending production, it took home the Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. For his ninth album, 2024's Plot Armor, Eigsti teamed two guest artists for each track, paring up soloists like vocalist Lisa Fischer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard, saxophonists Ben Wendel and Dayna Stephens, singers Parlato and Stevens, and others.
© Matt Collar /TiVo