Sax player Eric Darius named Artist of the Year for 2022 Rehoboth Jazz Fest
The Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival has announced its 2022 Artist of the Year – Eric Darius!
Darius has delighted jazz fest audiences over the past several years with his captivating, high-energy performances. Continuously breaking new ground, he has seven highly acclaimed albums, three No. 1 hit singles and 12 Top 10 radio hits on Nielsen’s R&R/Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, showing he is a driving force in the music industry.
Born into a musical family, Darius discovered the saxophone at an early age. “I first fell in love with the saxophone as a 9-year-old and began playing at the age of 10,” he said. “By the time I was 11, I started touring worldwide with Sonny LaRosa and America’s Youngest Jazz Band, and playing Caribbean music in our family band.”
Today, Darius believes it is important to give back to young musicians. While touring, he regularly visits schools to promote music education and encourage students to express themselves through music. Since 2019, Darius has made several school visits between performances at Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival events in Sussex County.
This year, his Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival schedule includes three shows - 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, with Sheila E; 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, with the Rehoboth Beach All-Stars; and 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16, in the 2022 Grand Jam. For details about the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival and to purchase tickets, go to rehobothjazz.com. The Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival is produced by Delaware Celebration of Jazz, a nonprofit organization supporting Beebe Healthcare’s Oncology Department.
