Performed with R&B artists Ashanti, Mya, and Robin Thicke, rock legends Journey, and international jazz artists Karen Briggs, Nnenna Freelon, Cindy Bradley, and Jessy J. Eli has travelled and performed all over the world in styles ranging through pop and R&B, Afro-cuban and Brazilian styles, jazz and swing, and go-go and funk.
My experience ranges through decades of live and studio performance in every kind of environment, from bars to stadiums, with jazz, hip-hop, pop, and Latin artists as a keyboardist, vocalist, producer and music director.
I especially enjoy working with vocalists, and my personal experience performing and recording as one gives me special insight and awareness into the particular difficulties of that instrument and the ways they can be overcome.
My work experience has been largely through live performance and in the studio, and I came up as an artist in the street gigs and clubs of Washington D.C. and New York. But I also have a serious classical piano background and a degree in Pipe Organ Performance, as well as intensive study in improvisation as applied to jazz, pop, and classical counterpoint.
My particular area of interest is arranging, and I can create a part or parts for you in a very short time that complements your work in a sophisticated and sensitive way.
Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.
Credits
AllMusic verified credits for Eli StaplesLanguages
- English
44 Reviews - 9 Repeat Clients
Endorse Eli Staples
check_circleVerifiedEli worked with my comnplex instrumental for as long as it took. Great parts, really happy with the performance.
check_circleVerifiedEli is a total pro, gave him a large task and he crushed it. A+
check_circleVerifiedFast delivery, great arrangement.
- check_circleVerified
Eli was a pleasure to work with! He recorded a song that my teenage son wrote and was so supportive and helpful in the process. He was extremely professional and responsive throughout and we wouldn't hesitate to work with him again.
check_circleVerifiedEli writes yet another great string arrangement! So much elegance and richness to every part he writes. He really thinks through all the details. Really thankful for his contributions.
check_circleVerifiedEli's work is always exquisite and has beautiful interpretations in his playing style and I will definitely be working with him again!
- check_circleVerified
Eli is a true professional to work with and provided me with beautiful piano and string tracks! I look forward to working with him again!
- check_circleVerified
Eli was a lifesaver. I hired Eli after another keyboard player abandoned me and said the project was too difficult. Eli stepped right in and knocked it out like a pro. I am forever grateful!
- check_circleVerified
Eli, is an outstanding pianist and went above and beyond what I asked for, and did a fantastic job! I couldn't have asked for more...just wonderful, and I'm super excited to work with him again on more music! He has exceptional talent and is a master at his craft! :-)
- check_circleVerified
Eli did a beautiful job and really made sure to make his part the best it could be
- check_circleVerified
Awesome musician! Offered an excellent, technically demanding arrangement of a metal piece that was far outside of his genre. Despite not playing a lot of music in this genre, he excelled and exceeded expectations.
I am working with him on future projects
- check_circleVerified
Wow! Eli was just great and went far beyond of what was expected (e.g. he suggested and then developed a whole new e-piano track to give it more spice and make it sound much fuller). He provided other great suggestions to improve the track (effects etc) and then realized them perfectly. Good and quick communication. Great guy to work with!
- check_circleVerified
I’ve worked with Eli a few times now and he continues to show me impressive string arrangements. He really knows how to fill in the gaps and find the right embellishments. His attention to detail is great. We are able to work through any issue and get a part I’m really happy with
- check_circleVerified
Immediate communication, great follow up, quality sounds. Thank you Eli!
- check_circleVerified
Eli is a very knowledgeable musician. He has great feel and sophistication in his parts. He wrote and produced another great string part for my project. Thanks so much!
- check_circleVerified
outstanding job as usual.
- check_circleVerified
Fantastic job as usual
check_circleVerifiedEli was able to add some serious definition to my song with his piano part. And what he played is very tailored to the vibe of the song. It's clear that he is versatile and able to be a musical chameleon which I think is very valuable. Thanks again!
check_circleVerifiedEli is a pure 'magician of music'. The guy has a professional work ethic and communication skills second to none. Beyond this, is the quality of his work! The first draft he did on producing my song I heard while driving my car. I nearly crashed my car it was so good! From the word 'go', Eli possesses a 'spooky' intuition from very few words into knowing exactly what you are looking for and then delivering that times 50! I cannot wait to work with Eli again! Thank you!
check_circleVerifiedEli was so easy to work with. How he produced my song was absolutely brilliant. :)
Interview with Eli Staples
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Production, piano, and vocal work
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My piano playing. I've performed and recorded extensively as a professional pianist and keyboardist in pop, jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, R&B, hip-hop, tango, and lots more. If you need a piano part, I can create one that fits your piece, whatever the genre. Outside of the very top end of classical solo piano repertoire, I'm your guy.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I think I bring a real passion about making music that is clear and straightforward in its message. I have had a very extensive musical education, but I believe that good music should be something that can be heard and appreciated to some degree, by someone with no training and just an open mind.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I like to have a conversation with my clients that gets me as close as possible to understanding their aesthetic goals. Then I lay out a very basic framework that suggests a direction and share that with the client, so we can be sure that we're achieving the desired result before we spend too much time in one direction. I then flesh out the basic structure, pretty close to a completed product, and check in one more time to make sure everything is clear. Usually I'll finish it up after that point.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I use Cubase as my DAW, and Kontakt and Reaktor as my VST hosts. I have Kontakt Komplete Ultimate 11 as a basis for my suite which covers almost anything I need to get into. For live vocals and instruments, I have four large and small diaphragm Rode mics that are great quality and can handle almost anything.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: In contemporary pop music, I'm always a fan of Zedd and his collaborations. I'm a huge fan of Brazilian music, so Djavan is one of my songwriting heroes, and you can't really find a better interpreter of that style than Rosa Passos. I'm a jazz and latin pianist at heart, so I love Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Art Tatum, and of course many more.
I was the producer, singer, and pianist in this production
- Full instrumental productionContact for pricing
- PianoAverage price - $170 per song
- Singer - MaleAverage price - $200 per song
- ProducerAverage price - $800 per song
- Songwriter - LyricAverage price - $150 per song
- Songwriter - MusicAverage price - $200 per song
- Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $250 per song
1-2 revisions, 1-5 day turn around, depending upon schedule
- James Taylor
- Harry Connick
- Jr.
- Bruce Hornsby
- Cubase
- Kontakt Komplete Ultimate 11
- and large+small diaphragm Rode mics
