Eric Mintel grew up in Upper Black Eddy and that is where his love of music began.  “We didn't have much but we had a piano” says Mintel, who now lives in Yardley and enjoys a thriving music career in and around this area with his partners of 8 years, Nelson Hill on alto sax, Dave Mohn on drums and Jack Hegyi on bass.  He describes their sound as “very melodic, rhythmic, and energetic with heavy emphasis on dynamics and the element of surprise. Take a listen here:

Eric got his inspiration to create a quartet as a young teenager routing through his parents records in the 1980s “at the time I was listening to rhythm and blues, Elvis and Ray Charles, but I came across an old 45 record of the Dave Brubeck Quartet with Blue Rondo a la Turk on one side and Take Five on the other, I played that record and immediately knew that was the music I wanted to play for the rest of my life.”  He started his first band in 1993 and has been going strong ever since.

Bucks County is not just home to Eric, it's his inspiration.  “I love Bucks County. I can't think of living somewhere else. Whenever we go on the road it's always nice coming home to Bucks County. It's my home. The vibe in Bucks County has always been a very artsy one. Lots of musicians and artists. The area is very inspirational.”  Eric has put out an impressive 10 CDs since 2002.  The latest “Just Around The Corner” is the first to be comprised mostly of original songs he has written.

Eric and his Quartet have had the pleasure of performing at the White House twice, once for President Clinton and once for President Obama.  They have had over 10 concerts at the Kennedy Center and Eric was featured as a guest on Marian McPartlands Piano Jazz on NPR. Even his idol, Dave Brubeck, had this to say about the Bucks County musician, “As long as the music attracts dedicated young musicians like Eric Mintel, jazz will continue to thrive and progress as a voice of freedom”.  If you would like a chance to see the Eric Mintel Quartet live they will be performing in the Bridge Street Music Series at the Bucks County Playhouse on September 19th.  They are also seen once a month at Crossing Vineyards Winery in Washington Crossing and Alba Vineyards in New Jersey.  For more information on performance dates check out his website.

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