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Review Written by - John Muller - Blue Notes and Conversations - raymondmuller567.wixsite.com/blue-notes-and-con-1

 

Eric Heilner - "Blues Phantasia" - Produced by VD King and Eric Heilner - 2024 Release - www.ericheilner.com

Cover Design - Adam Gustavson

 

         For those here in the New Jersey region who know Eric as simply that guy who plays keys with just about every band in the area , well , there is so much more that we can talk about . I urge everyone to check out ericheilner.com/biography . An award-winning composer of classical music, Eric has had pieces that have been performed in New York , Moscow, Lviv, Vienna, Milan, and Los Angeles . Eric has also won 3rd place and honorable mentions in other international contests.  Congratulations! 

         Eric recently , 2024, flew into Europe to accept FIRST PRIZE in the Chamber Music Category - International Composition Competition of the Vienna Classical Music Academy - For - "Short Excursion For Piano Trio # 4".

         WHEW! If all of this isn't enough amongst his many awards and recognition for his various classical pieces throughout many years , Eric competed in the 2024 International Blues Competition , held in Memphis Tennessee , sent there by the North Jersey Blues Society as a Solo Competitor.

         Eric;s influences are as wide as the Mississippi and equally as deep . You can hear classical , rock , and rhythm and blues in his compositions . From the classical "big boys" like Bach , Mozart, and so on , to boogie-woogie piano players ; jazz greats like Louis Armstrong , Miles and Duke Ellington ; avant-garde jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman ; Shastakovich; Stax and other music of the 60's ; James Jameson , bassist , who likely played on nearly all of the greatest Motown hits; and even Smithsonian field recordings of tribal African music! Eric's broad range of interesting musical ingredients blend seamlessly , making his compositions interesting, well-crafted , and always energetically performed.

        "Blues Phantasia" , Eric's latest release , is a six-song project that he diligently and fastidiously worked on right up until the time his flight was set to depart for Europe. Working around the clock Eric was determined to finish the tracks , a uniquely original mix of classical , rock , boogie woogie, ragtime, and blues that showcases the uniqueness and originality of Eric's impressive work on the 88's . His set at the recent "Blues in the Loft" , 2024 , held at the South Orange Performing Arts center in South Orange,New Jersey, showcased some of the tracks , met with rounds of thunderous applause by mesmerized fans . Produced by V.D. King and Eric Heilner "Blues Phantasia" displays Erics signature sound , which impressed folks in Memphis , and thrills blues and rock n' roll fans on a regular basis, as Eric sits in at blues jams and performs with a "Who's Who" of blues bands throughout the New York/New Jersey region.

         Eric is a musical chameleon, able to take his classical musical background and infuse his music with a wonderful kaleidoscope of fascinating tints and shades , moods and melodies , his fingers running up and down the keyboard with rollicking enthusiasm . Watching Eric perform fascinates you with his dizzying displays of improvisation , taking notes and using them to paint remarkable musical landscapes .  He can make you feel the music , letting an emotional high flow through his playing . Pick up "Blues Phantasia" and get to know Eric Heilner , one of New Jersey's busiest musicians . His irresistible spirit is joyfully contagious! Outstanding release from another exciting talent courtesy of the "Garden State"!

 

Many thanks - Kristin Wald - Montclair Local - April 28,2021 - Interview with Eric Heilner.

 

On a side note - just wondering why the IBC has no category for solo performers who are not vocalists . I am sure there are musicians across the country , and throughout the world , who would envy a chance to compete at the IBC in Memphis as a solo act , but are stymied because there isn't any category for them....just wondering...

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