"Simply beautiful Cat ...
you can feel it in every note he plays"
-QUINCY JONES
Musician Bio
"What gives the American pianist, Justin Kauflin another edge over his rivals is his soulfulness ... This is a musician who wants to do more than make you admire his virtuosity" -THE TIMES
Justin Kauflin is an award-winning “jazz pianist who favors a clarity of touch and ideas...his writing is balanced tempering post-bop intricacies with the assurances of the gospel church” -New York Times. After losing his sight at the age of 11, Kauflin gravitated towards playing jazz piano, despite having a background in classical violin & piano, and began performing jazz professionally by age 14, most notably with the Jae Sinnett Trio. In 2004, he attended William Paterson University, NJ and studied with his heroes, Mulgrew Miller and Harold Mabern, as well as with the legendary Clark Terry (2010 Grammy award winner for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz).
He has released 10 recordings as leader, composer and producer, and collaborated on over 30 albums as sideman. He scored, and is featured in, the award-winning documentary Keep On Keepin' On and composed original scores for the recently released full-length documentaries, "My Sister Liv" and "Reflection - A Walk with Water."
Justin continues Clark Terry's passion for jazz education through the KOKO Jazz Outreach which includes a screening of "Keep On Keepin' On," Q&A, student workshops and jam sessions. As a U.S. Department of State Jazz Ambassador Justin gives workshops & concerts worldwide, and has been on faculty for the Monterey Jazz Festival, Centrum Port Townsend Jazz, Vail Jazz Workshop, Lionel Hampton Jazz and Notre Dame Jazz with John Clayton and Jazz Maui with Katie Thiroux. Currently, Justin serves as an adjunct faculty member for his alma mater, the Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk, VA (Instrumental Music).
Justin Kauflin dedicated to creating music that excites, energizes and nourishes the soul in all genres & media, and is signed for management by impresario and music icon, Quincy Jones. Justin is a Yamaha Artist.
Press Kit
Performances as Leader
USA —
MO | Jazz St. Louis MO | Starkloff Benefit Gala CA | Bach D&D, Half Moon Bay CA | Libretto, Paso Robles MO| Clark Terry Centennial Jazz St. Louis CA| Live recording - Sam First Records CA| Thelonious Monk SF Jazz VA | Music in McLean Concert Series CA | Lewis Family Playhouse NYC | Mezzrow Jazz Club CA | Museum of Making Music CO | Dazzle Jazz Club, Denver OH | Blu+ Jazz NY | The Jazz Forum CT | The Side Door MA | Scullers Jazz, Boston CA | Sam First, Los Angeles VA | Winter Blues Jazz Festival, Williamsburg CA | Alvas Showroom CA | Contrapuntal Hall, Los Angeles WA | Icicle Creek Arts Center, Leavenworth PA | WCR Concert Hall, Reading VA | The Tin Pan, Richmond TN | Story 2018, Nashville CA | Bacchus' Kitchen, Pasadena OH | Rubber City Jazz Festival, Akron CA | Filoli Jazz CA | Oscar with Love, San Francisco UT | John Clayton's Jazz Show MI | Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Battle Creek WA | Upstream Music Festival, Seattle AR | Walton Arts Center NYC | Club Bonafide NJ | WPU Jazz Room CA | Montalbon Theater NYC | Django Jazz NY | Bard College NJ | Ridgewood Library NYC | Bar Lunatico MA | Berkshire Gateway Jazz, Boston NYC | Bobo’s NYC | Settepani's NJ | Morris Museum NYC | Top of the Standard NYC | Whitney Museum NJ | Drew University CA | EG Conference, Carmel MO | We Always Swing, Columbia VT | St. Michaels College WDC | NEA Jazz Masters KC ID | Lionel Hampton Jazz Fest CA | Blue Whale CA | Queen Latifah Show WA | The Triple Door, Seattle CA | SOhO Music Club CA | Monterey Jazz Festival WA | D'mitrious Jazz Alley, Seattle CO | Vail Jazz Festival NJ | Bickford Theater CA | Encore 2016 VA | Old Dominion University NY | Rochester Inst. Tech CA | Wallis-Annenburg NYC | Subrosa CA | EDYE Broad Stage CA | Jazz at A-Frame RI | Roger Williams University NYC | The Jazz Standard NYC | Miles Cafe WDC | Kennedy Center Jazz Club WDC | Bohemian Caverns WDC | Twins Jazz Club CO | Baurs CO | Wheeler Opera House WDC | Library of Congress WDC | Westminster Jazz VA | JAM INC VA | Westminster-Canterbury NYC | Baruch College NY | Jacob Burns Center NYC | Rockwood Music Hall VA | Havana Nights, VA Beach VA | Contemporary Arts Center VA | Jazz on Taz, Norfolk VA | Temple Beth El TX | N. Texas Jazz Festival WDC | Kennedy Center Millenium Stage WDC | Kennedy Center Terrace Theater VA | Main Street Jazz, Suffolk VA | Chantilly Jazz Festival
ASIA —
UAE | Abu Dhabi Festival UAE | Q’s Bar and Lounge, Dubai Indonesia | Java Jazz Festival S. Korea | SK Gym Japan | Blue Note Tokyo Japan | International Forum, Tokyo Japan | Green Arena, Hiroshima Japan | GS Arts, Miyazaki
SOUTH AMERICA —
Brazil | Teatro Coliseu, Sao Paulo
EUROPE —
Italy | Teatro Garibaldi Italy | Teatro Ristori Italy | Teatro Sangiorio Italy | Jazz Club Ferrara Italy | Sina Brufani Czech Rep | Anezsky Klaster Latvia | Dzintari Concert Hall UK | Pizza Express Live, London Netherlands | Catharinakapel France | Duc des Lombards, Paris Austria | Treibhaus Germany | Jazzahead! Showcase, Bremen Germany | Cinema Arthouse Blue Note Netherlands | Junushoff Theater Denmark | Dansk Jazz Historie Denmark | Kerteminde Denmark | Karrebaeksminde Denmark | Askov Hoskole Denmark | Bangsbostrand Kirke Denmark | Audonicon UK | Wigmore Hall Netherlands | Theater de Meervaart Italy | Blue Note Milan Sweden | Fasching Jazz Sweden | Malmo Jazz France | International Jazz Day, Paris Sweden | Nefertiti Jazz Germany | Unterfahrt Switzerland | Montreux Jazz Club Denmark | Copenhagen Jazz Fest Germany | Bix Jazz Austria | Porgy and Bess Netherlands | Bimhuis Germany | Moments Musikclub Germany | Jazz Ahead! France | Jazz a Vienne Rep. of Georgia | Griboyedov Theater Rep. of Georgia | Balanchivadze Netherlands | Lanteren Venster Poland | Klub Zak Czech Rep | Brno Filharmonie Belgium | DeSinger Great Britain | Ronnie Scott's Jazz, London Norway | Baerum Kulturhus Ireland | Guinness Jazz Festival, Cork Ireland | National Concert Hall Ireland | The Black Box Switzerland | Salzhaus Brugg Denmark | Jazzy Days Croatia | Academy of Music Ireland | Kilkenny Arts Festiva lItaly | Time in Jazz Fest Pattada Italy | Time in Jazz Fest Berchidda Germany | Schloss Elmau Switzerland | Dracula Club Italy | Umbria Jazz Festival Latvia | Rigas Ritmi Festival Denmark | STARS DK Denmark | Jazzhus Montmartre France | Rhyme du Jazz Spain | Jamboree Jazz, Barcelona
CANADA —
Ottawa | Oscar Peterson Tribute Ontario | Bravo Niagara! Toronto | Royal Conservatory Belleville | Belleville Film Festival
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS —
Dominican Republic | DR Jazz Fest