Credits:

Julius Rodriguez

Description:

Verve presents the major label debut album from multi-talented pianist, drummer, and producer Julius Rodriguez! Rodriguez is only 23 years old, and after dropping out of Juilliard and touring with A$AP Rocky, cautious clay and others, he has established his own sound path with his debut album! A jazz elder statesman, pop and indie alike, Rodriguez wows with his masterful technique, Yoda-like understanding of intricate melodies, and George Martin-inspired productions, and has garnered attention for his respect for sound, no matter how one categorizes him. He creates a sound that no one else can. The first single already released, "Gift Of The Moon," is a psychedelic number with overlapping trumpets and a high-level production reminiscent of Roy Hargrove and the Sgt. Rodriguez calls it "the first piece I wrote that is not a traditional jazz piece because it doesn't have a solo section.After years of agonizing over what to do with the song, he asked trumpeter Giveton Guerin to solo over the existing recording in 2019. Rodriguez couldn't pick any of Guerin's three takes, "so I used them all at the same time, and that's how it came to be." This is a trick he learned from George Martin and the Beatles' studio hacks he admired in his youth, and from recordings in which the late Hargrove overdubbed the tracks. Julius' synthesizer parts and the wordless vocals of fellow Onyx member Nick Hakim complete this stunning instrumental miniature. This is a wonderful debut that stirs a cauldron of gospel, jazz, classical, R&B, hip-hop, experimentation, production, and technical excellence to get noticed.At the age of 11, Rodriguez honed his jazz skills at Small's Jazz Club, playing his favorite Ellington tune, " Take the A Train" and wowed the audience.Then, in 2018, he dropped out of Juilliard, shuffled through a rigorous curriculum, and began touring with A$AP Rocky. Finally, now in 2022, Rodriguez has released this wonderful work that weaves together his life and influences, including Monk, Coltrane, Solange, James Blake, and Sanfa. With its intricate combination of live improvisation and high-level production, the work is called Gen-Z jazz, and when you listen to the "music" Julius Rodriguez plays, you will find that it is a modern sound that is historically informed and aware of its contemporary context. His music dares to imagine a future as a pioneer of new standards and music. It is, of course, part of their improvisational DNA, since the avant-garde group grew up in an atmosphere where pop, hip-hop, and dance influenced the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. And that is Julius Rodriguez's soundtells, and he chooses who he listens to.

Tracklisting:

1.Blues at the Barn
2.All I Do
3.Soundcheck Interlude
4.Gift of the Moon
5.Two Way Street
6.Where Grace Abounds
7.Elegy (For Cam)
8.In Heaven
9.Philip's Thump