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| Rising Jazz Phenom Julius Rodriguez: Let Sound Tell All Multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and "rising jazz phenom" (NPR) releases his commanding debut album, Let Sound Tell All, on the legendary Verve Records. Rodriguez also today releases a live performance video of his single, "Two Way Street, " a high-octane track that sounds like Coltrane's Classic Quartet put through a distortion pedal. Rodriguez will also perform a record release show at the Sultan Room in NYC on June 15 and at The Echo in Los Angeles on June 21. On his debut album Let Sound Tell All, 23-year old musician Julius Rodriguez stirs a cauldron of gospel, jazz, classical, R&B, hip-hop, experimentation, production and sheer technical wizardry to create a stunning debut that commands attention. As an 11-year old kid, Rodriguez honed his jazz chops at Smalls Jazz Club, wowing audiences with his rendition of his favorite Ellington tune "Take the A Train." Fast forward to 2018 when he dropped out of Juilliard, shimmying off the rigid curriculum to tour with A$AP Rocky. Now, in 2022, Rodriguez is on the cusp of a stellar release that weaves together his life and influences - from Monk, Coltrane, Solange, James Blake, Sampha and more. This music is as much at home in Smalls Jazz Club as it is at Gov Ball. Let Sound Tell All is a complex combination of live improvisation woven with high-level production. A song may start out in a well-oiled, Coltrane Classic Quartet energy and fed through distortion pedals to culminate in an exhilarating trippy meltdown of sheer sonic genius. From the opening track, "Blues At The Barn, " Rodriguez wastes no time showing his profound technical skill on piano and drums. But as the album unfolds, layers of artistry unfurl to show a command of elegant composition and experimental production. Gospel influences are weaved throughout – in the self-reflective track "Where Grace Abounds" and the cathartic, building "Elegy (For Cam)" dedicated to Rodriguez's friend the late actor Cameron Boyce. "Two Way Street" is psychedelic Hard bop, and "Gift Of the Moon" is a cosmic jazz saga with a vibe. Call him Gen-Z jazz, but when you hear Julius Rodriguez play "the music, " as he calls it, it's a modern Sound, as fluent in history as it is aware of its contemporary context. His music dares to imagine a future of new standards and musical trailblazing. This vanguard was raised in an atmosphere where pop and hip-hop and dance influenced their approaches to melody and harmony and rhythm, so of course it is part of their improvisational DNA. And that's what Julius Rodriguez's Sound tells to whoever will choose to listen. write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |