THE IN CROWD
TRAVELIN' LIGHT
The old lady split, left you alone with the cat, a fifth of Makers Mark, and the sound of raindrops cascading off the porch. Need some company? Try the wistful piano twinklings of Eric Shifrin. "I'm travelin' light" Shifrin growls on the opening title track that Chet Baker made famous, "cause my baby's gone." Melancholy and solitude set the mood for this disc of jazz standards, which Shifrin tempers with hope, fond memories and a smoky, nonchalance. Shifrin confidently leads the In Crowd through numbers by composers from Django Reinhardt to Chopin. The album evokes a breakup, ranging from hope ("That Old Feeling") to resignation ("I'll Be Around"). Shifrin's baritone vocals lend muscle to "Among My Souvenirs" and the album's pinnacle, Percy Mayfield's R & B classic "Please Send Me Someone To Love." When Shifrin croons to the heavens for his baby's return, you sense she will. You will, too, for more of Shifrin's soulful meditations.
Jay Cooke - SF WEEKLY
ERIC & THE IN CROWD IC-2000
ERIC SHIFRIN PIANO, BING NATHAN BASS, DENNIS NORBY DRUMS.
If you put this on for background music at your next party and listen with half an ear, it will sound like a trendy, postmodern revival of some period pieces from the fifties and sixties along with a couple of Jazz standards and assorted other goodies. Nice, clean fun; nothing too demanding. A closer hearing, however, will reveal greater depths. Shifrin has listened to a lot of cats and cooked up a gumbo of musical influences. The blending is skillful and no single flavor dominates. What you hear is almost boyish exuberance seasoned with a lot of technical abilty. Shifrin's singing is also fresh and interesting, although he clearly intends for it to supplement his piano playing, not be the main attraction. The sidemen execute the closely arranged charts flawlessly, giving Shifrin a nice ride and doing some heavy swinging of their own. Easy listening. good-time music with a lot of chops.
ROBERT TATE - JAZZ NOW
NOTE: These two trio CD's have been re-issued as
THE SOUVENIR EDITION
ERIC SHIFRIN
Named "Best Bay Area Piano Man of 2007" by San Francisco Magazine (calling him "one of the great saloon pianists"), Eric Shifrin
brings original and classic compositions to his performance including
swing, stride, boogie-woogie, New Orleans and Latin rhythms.
Shifrin's musical career has spanned more than 30 years and a wide
geographic/musical territory. Doubling on sax and keys keeps him in
demand as a sideman, while composition and recording projects are his
personal passion. He has emerged as a bandleader and entertainer using
his voice instead of the sax, and has performed at literally hundreds
of Bay Area clubs and concerts, both as a soloist and with his jazz
trio, Eric and the In Crowd. Since the turn of the century, Eric has
been the house pianist at the SF landmark Fairmont Hotel, where he
currently plays four nights a week (including Saturday nights with the
trio). His 2004 CD, As Time Goes By, has been described as a "true luxury" by the SF Examiner . His two CDs with the trio have just been re-released as The Souvenir Edition.
Eric Shifrin play the piano at the LAUREL COURT in the FAIRMONT HOTEL on Nob Hill.
He doesn't wear a red Santa Claus outfit and have a long white beard but he does have magic in his fingers. When he plays he casts a spell. The Laurel Court was designed by Julia Morgan at the turn of the last century but it was not until Eric started playing there that the design was really complete.
"What is the trick?" I asked Eric
"Not too loud," he said.
That is being humble. The trick is a magical medley of songs that grab the heart, each in a different way. Listen to Stardust, Once in a While, Tenderly, As Time Goes By...and you will have been to ten classic American films and relived whole periods of our history. Your heart will have expanded, yur mind will have floated in space... and you will be ready for another cocktail, followed perhaps by dinner.
Louis Martin - www.coastnews.com
Piano man
Classic: There’s nothing like a moody evening spent listening to jazz and reminiscing about love gone wrong—or right—especially if you don’t have to pay a cover charge. Unearth one of the buried treasures of San Francisco nightlife Mondays at the Washbag. That’s when Eric Shifrin is on the ivories. With its old San Francisco ambience and the ghost of Herb Caen drinking martinis at the wooden bar, the Washington Square Bar & Grill is one of those spots with timeless appeal. Mr. Shifrin, equally timeless, is one of the great saloon pianists. Now and then, if he’s cheery and you’re lucky, he sings. Like Louis Armstrong or Johnny Mercer, Shifrin doesn’t have a terrific voice, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a great singer. When you’re listening to him on a rainy evening, there’s always time for “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road).” 1707 powell st., s.f., 415-982-8123
