Julius Rodriguez

Verve Recording Artist, Julius Rodriguez, nicknamed “Orange Julius” since grade school, is one of those rare artists who excels at two instruments. Formerly a student of Juilliard’s Jazz Program, he is now “just a really mindbogglingly great pianist” and also an amazing drummer. He has been a sideman for artists like Jazzmeia Horn, Roy Hargrove, Macy Gray, Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Elling, Keyon Harrold and Kassa Overall among others. His sophomore album on Verve, “Evergreen” was released this year to rave reviews and he did his first Tiny Desk Concert. He has performed at the Grammy Museum and toured with A$AP Rocky. His music mixes Jazz, hip-hop, avant-garde, R&B and pop and he enjoys finding novel ways of integrating music outside the Jazz canon.

You might find this young genius in many places. You could walk into a packed jazz haunt and bear witness to him behind the piano with energy practically surging from his fingers through the room. You might scroll up on social media and catch him alternating from drums to bass to guitar at the speed of a jump cut. You may also step onto festival grounds and see him on stage either solo or accompanying another likeminded visionary, jamming like his life depends on it. No matter where, the New York-born and Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer electrifies any lane. By doing so, he also transcends perceived boundaries between genres and styles, redefining the music to mirror his own fluid creative inclinations and delivering a sound that's solely his alone.

Julius Rodriguez - Keys

Alonzo Demetrius - Trumpet

Emilio Modeste - Saxophone

Jermaine Paul - Bass

Luke Titus - Drums