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Jazz Articles about Justin Kauflin
Justin Kauflin and Thomas Fonnesbaek at the Governor's School for the Arts
by Mark Robbins
At a young age Justin Kauflin's musical interest was in classical violin and piano but upon becoming totally blind by age 11 (he was born with a condition called proliferative exudative retinopathy) Kauflin switched his interest to jazz piano. Growing up in Virginia Beach, Va Kauflin was lucky enough to have two outstanding teachers in Liz Barnes of the Governor's School for the Arts and renowned pianist John Toomey of Old Dominion University. By the age of 14 he was ...
read moreBrian McCarthy Nonet: After|Life
by Dan McClenaghan
Saxophonist Brian McCarthy, not one to shy away from a big theme, draws inspiration from the creation of the universe to craft After|Life Science says we are all stardust, compiled ultimately in all its complexities via gravity. Given that, he opens this expansive octet offering with “Nebula," referring to cosmic gasses consisting of hydrogen and deep space dust that--given gravity's propensities--coalesce into stars and solar systems consisting of planets with water, landforms and eventually us. Or something ...
read moreJustin Kauflin Trio: Live at Sam First
by Jim Worsley
New world modernization meets old world ideals at Sam First jazz club in Los Angeles. In just a few short years Sam First has built a solid reputation with both jazz artists and aficionados. Among its many qualities are the acoustics. In 2019, Peter Erskine, George Garzone, Alan Pasqua, and Darek Oles recorded their brilliant 3 Nights in L.A. at Sam First. At that point it was clear they had something special going on at Sam First. Starting up Sam ...
read moreLeft of Center: Crossing the Water
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Whether the title of this album, the performing group's name, or its leader's surname have additional meaning is positively irrelevant because this performance is a winner. It is a bassist-led trio album offering engaging sonic textures which spin and entice throughout. The title cut sends things into up-tempo action with Justin Kauflin's keyboard sounding the call. Highly rhythmic and intense, the energies build as the trio exhibits a superb interplay of ideas. “Lorac Waltz" gives us a ...
read moreFonnesbaek & Kauflin: Synesthesia
by Chris Mosey
Young US pianist Justin Kauflin and Danish bassist Thomas Fonnesbaek share the neurological condition known as synesthesia, in which the senses become mixed. For the two musicians, this means experiencing sounds as colors with their minds' eyes. They met in jny: Copenhagen for the first time in 2015. Fonnesbaek recalls, “Besides being a meeting between Justin and myself, it was a meeting of cultures with many similarities and many inspiring differences that we could express through sound ...
read moreJustin Kauflin: Dedication
by Angelo Leonardi
Al debutto autoprodotto di quattro anni fa (Introducing Justin Kauflin) il pianista di Silver Spring fa seguire un nuovo album con poche variazioni stilistiche e d'organico. Ritroviamo il fresco ed elegante modern mainstream eseguito in piano trio e in quartetto con chitarra. Fanno il loro ingresso nuovi partner accanto ai consueti Billy Williams alla batteria ed Etan Haziza alla chitarra acustica (presente in un solo brano). In questi quattro anni la carriera professionale di Justin ha registato un'importante ...
read moreJustin Kauflin: Humble Beginnings
by Marshall Taylor
The beauty of music lies in its subliminal spirituality. Religious or not, few can argue the effects of music on the human emotions and how it impacts our perception of things beyond what is skin-deep. For 24 year-old Justin Kauflin, a New York-based pianist notable for his work with Jae Sinnett, and for his freshman release of Introducing Justin Kauflin (Self Produced, 2010), the interconnection of music and faith is not only a sure conversation-starter, but also ...
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