QUINCY JONES
"SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL CAT ... YOU CAN FEEL IT IN EVERY NOTE HE PLAYS"
CLARK TERRY
"HE IS A MONSTER ON THE PIANO! AND, ONE OF THE GREATEST PEOPLE I KNOW"
MULGREW MILLER
"SO MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN HIS PLAYING... THE BEST BEING HIS SPIRIT AND SPIRITUALITY"
DERRICK HODGE
"JOURNEY INTO THE MIND OF A TRULY UNIQUE ARTIST AND SONIC STORYTELLER"
ABOUT
"KAUFLIN, DEEPLY KIND AND HUMBLED BY THE PRAISE AND CALIBER OF MUSICANS IN HIS ORBIT IS — AS HE PUTS IT — 'JUST A SIMPLE GUY'” -DownBeat Magazine
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. As leader, player, composer, and producer, he has released 10 recordings to date, including his first vinyl live recording, Justin Kauflin Trio Live at Sam First, and collaborated on more than 30 albums, among them Oscar, with Love, a tribute to the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. For 10 years, he has worked and toured under the management of Quincy Jones and Quincy Jones Productions. In addition, he has scored a number of short films and feature-length documentaries including Reflection: A Walk with Water and My Sister Liv. Justin is featured in, as well as composed the film score for, the Academy Award short-listed documentary, Keep On Keepin' On, about his mentor, the late legendary jazz trumpeter, Clark Terry. He recently joined the jazz faculty at the Governor’s School for the Arts, a magnet-level performing arts school where he was a student from 2000 to 2004, helping to develop a new generation of young talented musicians in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area. Justin continues to tour, with upcoming performances in Canada and Europe, and will be performing in a number of tribute concerts for Oscar Peterson's Centennial Celebration. Justin Kauflin is a Yamaha Artist.
PRESS
"KAUFLIN CAN TAKE A SIMPLE MOTIF AS THE BEATLES' "A DAY IN THE LIFE" AND MAKE A SWINGING CONCERTO OUT OF IT" Los Angeles Times
VIRGINIAN-PILOT
For beach pianist, Q's appreciation was a treasure
VAIL DAILY
Justin Kauflin's ascent to world renowned pianist built on blind faith
VEER MAGAZINE
Justin Kauflin headlines the Z
THE TIMES
This is a musician who wants to do more than make you admire his virtuosity
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
Justin Kauflin's Live Adventure
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Jazz pianist draws from faith to his swinging interpretations
KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON JAZZ OUTREACH
'THERE ARE SOME GUYS WHO ARE VICIOUS, UPTIGHT AND EVIL ... AND THEY SOUND VICIOUS, UPTIGHT AND EVIL" -Clark Terry
KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON is the award-winning documentary that pays tribute to the extraordinary life of legendary jazz trumpeter and mentor, Clark Terry. Share "CT's" inspiring messages within your community, school, or jazz festival, and allow the essence of jazz education to thrive.
Join us for:
- Informative education screenings and insightful Q&A sessions
- Comprehensive jazz masterclasses and workshops
- Student jam sessions
- A solo or trio concert by Justin Kauflin
"IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HAVING A ROUGH DAY OR CAN'T ESCAPE WHATEVER HOLE LIFE HAS DUG FOR YOU, KAUFLIN'S WORLDVIEW SHOULD GIVE YOU A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ... HIS RINGTONE IS "DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY," FOR GOD'S SAKE" -RogerEbert.com
KOKO OFFICIAL TRAILER
CURATE WHRO PUBLIC MEDIA
QUEEN LATIFAH SHOW
VSA-US STATE DEPT TOUR
JAZZ AMBASSADORS
VSA-US STATE DEPT TOUR
CLINIC TESTIMONIALS
“....IT WAS CLEAR FROM THE START THAT JUSTIN HAD GOALS TO ACCOMPLISH WITHIN THE SESSION, OFFERING PERFORMANCE AND DIALOGUE THAT HE BELIEVED WOULD BE MOST EFFECTIVE WITH UNIVERSITY-AGED STUDENTS; AND HE TARGETED PERFECTLY ... THEY MADE OUR BAND ROOM SEEM LIKE THE CENTER OF THE JAZZ UNIVERSE" -A. Garcia, Director of VCU Jazz
"JUSTIN IS A NATURAL TEACHER WITH HIS HONESTY, SENSITIVITY, TEMPERAMENT AND ABILITY TO INSPIRE. THEY APPRECIATED THE THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS AND PRACTICAL ADVICE, AND FELT SO INSPIRED AFTER THE CLINIC!” - L. Barnes, GSA Director of Jazz Studies
"TRINITY STUDENTS OFTEN HAVE THE BENEFIT OF WITNESSING MUSIC-MAKING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL BY VISITING PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS LIKE KAUFLIN. IT'S VALUABLE THAT STUDENTS GET TO INTERACT WITH THE ARTISTS SO THAT THEY REALIZE THEY ARE REGULAR PEOPLE. AN ARTIST LIKE JUSTIN, WHO IS ONLY A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN THE STUDENTS, HAS A PARTICULAR RESONANCE" - Trinity Episcopal IB Music
ADVOCACY
"BEING BLIND IS ONLY A PART OF WHO WE ARE. IT SHOULD NEVER BE SOMETHING THAT DEFINES US" -jk
Justin Kauflin became completely blind by age 11 due to proliferative exudative retinopathy. With support from Virginia Beach public schools and the DBVI, he excelled academically, graduating summa cum laude while mastering braille and mobility skills. At William Paterson University, he accessed brailled music scores through the National Library Service and used technology like Dancing Dots and Sibelius for composition. A Kennedy Center VSA award recipient he advocates for disability awareness and has performed as a Jazz Ambassador in Tbilisi, Georgia. The ADA improved independent travel and dining experiences, while advancements in assistive technology, including Native Instrument's Komplete Kontrol, have enhanced creative opportunities for visually impaired musicians and producers.
NAT'L LIBRARY SERVICE
A LOOK INTO THE MIND OF JK
JK on NI KOMPLETE KONTROL
WPU PRESENTS JUSTIN KAUFLIN
BEHIND THE SCORE
THE SEEING EYE
Accessibility Statement for Justin Kauflin Music
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Justin Kauflin Music is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.
This statement was created on 26 March 2025 using the W3C Accessibility Statement Generator Tool.