Don’t doubt it for a second: Being a prodigy can be a mixed blessing.
I know this – not from firsthand experience, that’s for certain – but from 20-plus years of interviewing young performers, everything from supremely gifted, barely adolescent pianists already soloing with symphonies to childhood-surrendering pop stars like Donny Osmond. Most will tell you that, yes, it’s wonderful to know early on that you have this remarkable talent and to ply that trade in the adult world. Press a little harder, however, and you’ll hear tales of regret over time not spent with friends and school, leading a “normal” kid life.
Worse, we all know that being in the spotlight at an early age can leave you unprepared later to deal with all those profound, adult issues. (Witness Michael Jackson.)
Which is not to say that guitarist Julian Lage and pianist Taylor Eigsti are in any way bound for Neverland. Indeed, the mid-20s duo – which performs Saturday in Berkeley – seems as well adjusted as they are gifted.
Lage’s debut album, “Sounding Point,” came out earlier this year and is a tour-de-force of young talent, a disc that reveals the breadth of the artist’s influences as well as a desire and potential to transcend the accepted notions of jazz guitar. Eigsti has six albums as a leader dating back a decade; he received two Grammy nominations for “Lucky to Be Me” (2006). As a sideman, he’s played with the likes of former instructor Anton Schwartz and the Brubeck Brothers.
I interviewed Lage over the summer and asked about his connection with the pianist.
Question: I notice you and Taylor Eigsti will be performing together. How did you two meet and what can you tell us about your musical chemistry?
Lage: Taylor and I met when I was 11 and he was 13 at a performance at the Stanford Shopping Center, arranged by Dr. Herb Wong. We had a great time playing together but didn't really keep in touch after that show until about four years later when I came back to Stanford to teach at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. I played as a guest in his show and from that day forward we have a developed a wonderful musical and personal relationship.
If you’re on the fence about catching Eigsti-Lage live this weekend in Berkeley, check out the clip below. And then score your Cal Performances tickets.
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