Julius Rodriguez

No matter where, Julius Rodriguez, 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.

Following widespread applause from The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The FADER, and more, collaborations with everyone from Wynton Marsalis to A$AP Rocky, and tens of millions of streams, he grows in as many directions as possible on his second full-length offering, EVERGREEN [Verve Records].

“An ‘EVERGREEN’ is a plant whose foliage remains functional for all seasons. That’s similar to how I like to be; I want to be myself no matter the genre I’m playing or what’s going on around me. There are a lot of styles on this record, but it’s recognizably my voice.”

By breaking boundaries with EVERGREEN, Julius has lived up to the true spirit of jazz by ushering it towards the future freely. “I hope you hear this and forget about the whole genre labeling thing,” he leaves off. “This is just music you can dance to, feel to, and think to. It’s not about categorizing; it’s about enjoying something for what it is. EVERGREEN goes through a whole bunch of genres, but this is the world I’m seeing and hearing. This is the feeling I’m invoking. I made a statement and said, ‘The genre is just me’.”

Sharp instincts for space and phrasing, and reverence for melody elevate Julius’ expression from virtuoso to true artist. In a few short years, he has garnered peer attention and critical praise from such institutional outlets as JAZZIZ magazine, The New York Times, Paste and Vanity Fair, and has earned opportunities to perform alongside some of the music’s most distinctive artists, including Meshell Ndegeocello, Kurt Elling, A$AP Rocky, Wynton Marsalis, Macy Gray, Lianne La Havas, Remi Wolf, Cautious Clay, Keyon Harrold, and Chris Botti.