Saxophonist Eric Darius Celebrating A Birthday Today
Happy birthday to smooth jazz saxophonist Eric Darius, who today (December 3) is celebrating his 27th birthday. It was in 2004 that Darius, who lives near Tampa, Florida, and has performed frequently in Brian Culbertson’s band, made his major-label debut with a CD titled Night on the Town. In 2006, Eric offered a new CD titled Just Getting Started with the singles “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Chillin’ Out” and “Steppin’ Up.”
Darius’ latest CD, Goin’ All Out, featured the No. 1 smooth jazz single of the same name. His most recent song on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 was “Because of You.” On December 11, Darius will be performing with bassist Gerald Veasley in Remembering Grover Washington Jr., a show presented by the Berks Arts Council at the Miller Center for the Arts in Reading, Pa.
Darius says he’s greatly influenced by today’s top R&B stars, such as Mary J. Blige and Ne-Yo, two artists he covered on Goin’ All Out. “I just love listening to their music because their music just incorporates so many different elements,” he says. “I love all different styles of music, from R&B to pop, and that’s what I want to bring out in my music.”