KELVIN SHOLAR

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BIOGRAPHY:

Kelvin Sholar comes from a multi-generational musical family in Detroit; he sang as a child. At sixteen, Sholar won first place in the Michigan Bach Festival performing from J.S. Bach’s “Well Tempered Clavier” on piano. 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 worldwide, he teaches piano, vocal training and electronic jazz at Franz Liszt Weimar, and he appears in television, radio and film.

HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Performed on over 100 recordings in various styles
    • 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 anticipated film The Phoenician Scheme (May 30, 2025) featuring Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks and Benicio del Toro
    • 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

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

HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Performed on over 100 recordings in various styles

    • 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

WATCH TRAILER OF PHOENICIAN SCHEME

PHOENICIAN SCHEME

The trailer for Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” (May 30, 2025) dropped! It 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 OUR BAND:

THE JAZZ PHOENICIANS:

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

 
 

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
Pre-Order

    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 cameo performance in Kimia Kazemi’s upcoming film Crimson Unveiled (2026); while Sholar and Vaughn make a cameo performance in Wes Anderson’s anticipated film 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 will be 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: 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