
From NYC, the JULIUS RODRIGUEZ Quintet
Set Time: 7:30pm-8:30pm; 10pm-11pm; 11:30pm-12:30am
At only 21, Julius Rodriguez isn’t just one of the most sought after young jazz pianists in NYC, he’s also a drummer who is in much demand! Still a jazz student at Juilliard, Julius has worked with some of the top artists in jazz and other genres including Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Carmen Lundy, Macy Gray, A$AP Rocky, James Morrison, Kassa Overall, Abir and others. He has been featured at global festivals including the Portland Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and many others. He has toured the US and has performed in China, Japan, Russia, Mexico, the Netherlands and beyond.
Julius’s fascination with music began as a small child in church. He would leave church and go home to bang on pots and pans, until his parents bought him a piano. He studied classical music and theory, and was self-taught on the drums. Studying at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division, went on to win numerous national competitions including the Charles Mingus Festival and the National YoungArts Foundation (where he won in piano and drums).
In continuing to pursue piano and drums, composing and band leading, Julius has never wanted to limit his musical identity. He strongly embraces the spirit of the constant evolving nature of jazz as an art form: “If someone doesn’t like jazz, I play them a song and tell them to keep searching. Because jazz doesn’t end where you last heard it. Jazz continues to grow and evolve.” That sense of curiosity, experimentation and freedom embodies the music of Julius! He brings with him a band full of similarly talented young musicians, each of whom is making his own mark on the global scene at a young age. Don’t miss this incredible band!
The JULIUS RODRIGUEZ Quintet
Julius Rodriguez – keys/compositions
Giveton Gelin – trumpet
Morgan Guerin – sax
Brian Richburg Jr. – drums
Daniel Winshall – bass