KELVIN SHOLAR

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BIOGRAPHY:

Kelvin Sholar comes from a multi-generational family of musicians in Detroit; he sang as a child. At sixteen, Sholar began piano lessons; then, he won first place in the Michigan Bach Festival performing from J.S. Bach’s “Well Tempered Clavier”. Since then, he has worked with Jazz greats Lenny White, Wallace Roney, Jerry Gonzales, Roy Hargrove, Ronnie Cuber and Greg Osby, as well as, greats in other styles- like Stevie Wonder, Qtip, Carl Craig and Nigel Kennedy. Kelvin Sholar performs in clubs and festivals worldwide, he teaches piano, English speaker training for vocalists and electronic jazz at Franz Liszt Weimar, and he appears in newspaper, television, radio and film.

HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Performed on over 70 recordings in various styles
    • Appears on over 50 visual media of various kinds
    • Endorses Bechstein pianos, Native Instruments software and hardware, Dave Smith’s keyboards, Ploytech’s “34ONEII” or “Pi Lambda Squared”, and M-Audio’s “Axiom Air 49”
    • Modeled Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Ferragamo Shoes in Rondo Exklusiv

PUBLICITY:

    • Cameo performance in Wes Anderson’s film The Phoenician Scheme (May 30, 2025)
    • Subject of short documentary film by Thabo Thindi (South Africa)
    • Featured in Audible / Shelved podcast on Kamaal The Abstract (2024)
    • Previously featured in Detroit Free Press, Artforum International, Groove Magazine, MM Trendy, Ovation International, TIP Berlin
    • Previously featured on BBC, Deutschland Radio Kultur, CNN Worldview, SRF, WDR, Worldwide FM, NPR, Funkhaus Europa, Le Mouv

  •  

SYNCHS:

    • Music performed by The Roots on Jimmy Fallon 
    • Music licensed to So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol

TOURING:

    • Stevie Wonder Song Traveling Tour
    • Carl Craig Versus Synthesizer Ensemble: US, Europe, Australia including Carnegie Hall or Royal Albert Hall

BIOGRAPHY:

Kelvin Sholar comes from a multi-generational family of musicians in Detroit; he sang as a child. At sixteen, Sholar began piano lessons; then, he won first place in the Michigan Bach Festival performing from J.S. Bach’s “Well Tempered Clavier”. Since then, he has worked with Jazz greats Lenny White, Wallace Roney, Jerry Gonzales, Roy Hargrove, Ronnie Cuber and Greg Osby, as well as, greats in other styles- like Stevie Wonder, Qtip, Carl Craig and Nigel Kennedy. Kelvin Sholar performs in clubs and festivals worldwide, he teaches piano, English speaker training for vocalists and electronic jazz at Franz Liszt Weimar, and he appears in newspaper, television, radio and film.

HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Performed on over 70 recordings in various styles

 

    • Appears on over 50 visual media of various kinds

    • Endorses Bechstein pianos, Native Instruments software, Dave Smith’s keyboards, Ploytech’s “34ONEII”, Ploytech’s “Pi Lambda Squared”, and M-Audio’s “Axiom Air 49”

    • Modeled Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Ferragamo Shoes in Rondo Exklusiv

PUBLICITY:

    • Cameo performance in Wes Anderson’s Phoenician Scheme (May 30, 2025) 

    • Subject of short documentary film by Thabo Thindi (South Africa)

    • Featured in Audible / Shelved podcast on Kamaal The Abstract (2024)

    • Previously featured in Detroit Free Press, Artforum International, Groove Magazine, MM Trendy, Ovation International, TIP Berlin

    • Previously featured on BBC, Deutschland Radio Kultur, CNN Worldview, SRF, WDR, Worldwide FM, NPR, Funkhaus Europa, Le Mouv

  •  

SYNCHS:

    • Music performed by The Roots on Jimmy Fallon 

    • Music licensed to So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol

TOURING:

    • Stevie Wonder Song Traveling Tour

    • Carl Craig Versus: US, Europe, Australia including Carnegie Hall or Royal Albert Hall

NEWS

TRAILER

FEATURETTE

MAKING OF

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME

Kelvin Sholar makes a credited cameo appearance in Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” (May 30, 2025); nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The movie features Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, and-

THE JAZZ PHOENICIANS:

Fuasi Abdul Khaliq,  Christian Grabandt, Erik Unsworth, Eric Vaughn, Kelvin Sholar and Rob Gutowski.

 
Sholar and band appear in a scene at Marseilles Bob’s Jazz Club with Benicio del Toro, Richard Ayoade, Riz Ahmed and Mathieu Amalric. The band performs Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night In Tunisia” and Sholar’s arrangement of Gerry Mulligan’s “Mud Bug”- which is included in the official film’s soundtrack. The band can be seen in the film trailer, featurette and behind the scenes.
 
“The Phoenician Scheme is also a beautifully framed film. Every shot feels thoughtful. When fixed, your eyes bound from corner to corner as though analysing a painting. When Anderson’s camera moves, the choreography of steps, cues, and music is theatre” The Phoenician Scheme Review — Wes Anderson’s latest is a charming mix of his greatest hits” May 22, 2025: Deputy editor Chris Cotonou: A Rabbit’s Foot 

RENAISSANCE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Kelvin Sholar announces the release of RENAISSANCE– A Genre-Diversified Album and Visual Journey

BERLIN, MARCH 3, 2025 –singer / pianist Kelvin Sholar is excited to announce the MAY 22 release of his latest album project RENAISSANCE. 

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

On RENAISSANCE Kelvin Sholar aims to merge jazz, classical, techno and soul, as well as audio and visual forms of expression, while celebrating the rebirth of original compositions and the rediscovery of famous themes by Suburban Knight, Joe Henderson, Igor Stravinsky, Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye.

WATCH BEWARE OF THE SUN:

RENAISSANCE_COVER
STORE

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Kelvin Sholar has been called a “stylistic chameleon”; due to his ability to thrive in different musical settings. Savoy Jazz recording artist Eric Vaughn (who also provides a composition) appears on drums and percussion, with bassist / cellist Charles Sammons in tow. Sholar, Sammons and Vaughn have been together for more than ten years as an active piano trio- together they make a credited cameo performance in Kimia Kazemi’s upcoming film Crimson Unveiled (2026); while Sholar and Vaughn make a credited cameo performance in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme.

Grammy-winning producer / guitarist Chris Sholar is known for his genre-bending work with Qtip, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Esperanza Spaulding. He contributes two powerful remixes which further pushes the boundaries of imagination and creativity.

Truly immersive visual journeys are offered in addition to audio recordings. Three animated music videos and record cover by Aleksandra serve as both graphic interpretations and stand-alone artistic expressions in and of themselves. Michael May captures the album’s emotional essence in a series of ten photographs- each corresponding to a different track.

WATCH LEIKGEF (CHRIS SHOLAR REMIX)

RELEASE DATE:

RENAISSANCE was released on MAY 22, the seventh record on Sholar’s own label Kasmavtsu Records. Stay tuned for more details on upcoming release events.

WATCH AUGURS OF SPRING

PERSONELLE:

Kelvin Sholar: acoustic piano, electric piano, synthesizers, electronics, percussion, vocals

Eric Vaughn: drum set and percussion

Charles Sammons: acoustic bass and percussion

Chris Sholar: electronics

Aleksandra: animation / cover

Michael May: thematic photography 

TRACKLIST:

  1. Augurs Of Spring: Igor Stravinsky / Sacre Du Printemps

  2.  Punjab: Joe Henderson

  3.  Leikgef: Kelvin Sholar

  4.  Gyptis: Kelvin Sholar

  5.  Black Jack: Ray Charles

  6.  Infernal Dance Of King Katchai: Igor Stravinsky / L’Oiseau de feu 

  7.  Beware The Sun: Suburban Knight

  8. Paobene: Kelvin Sholar

  9.  I Heard It Through The Grapevine: Marvin Gaye  (Barrett Strong)

  10.  Got A Scrong Feeling: Eric Vaughn

  11.  Beware The Sun: Chris Sholar Remix 

  12.  Leikgef: Chris Sholar Remix