"Simply beautiful Cat ...You can feel it in every note he plays"
QUINCY JONES
JAZZ PIANIST | COMPOSER
Justin Kauflin is an award-winning jazz pianist and composer known for his clarity and balanced compositions. He has released 10 albums and contributed to over 40 projects, including the score for the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Keep On Keepin' On, honoring his mentor, Clark Terry. For a decade, he collaborated with Quincy Jones and performed with various ensembles as a Yamaha Artist.
PRODUCER
Justin produces much of his own music and is curating Season 3 of his Jazz Night concert series, providing free live jazz to the community. He also hosts weekly live streams.
As a global performer, Justin often incorporates student workshops and serves as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, connecting jazz education with the documentary Keep On Keepin' On. In 2022, he joined the faculty at the Governor’s School for the Arts in Virginia.
After losing his vision at 11 Justin has become a source of inspiration, overcoming adversity to pursue his passion for music. He collaborates with organizations to improve accessibility for visually impaired musicians and producers.
"He can take a simple motif as the Beatles' Day in a Life and make a swinging concerto out of it"
LIVE STREAMS
DEC 15, 7 pm
GSA Miner Music Hall, 3rd FL
DEC 19, 2025
JAN 8, 2026
MAR 13, 2026
JAZZ NIGHT Billy Williams 4tet
GSA Miner Music Hall, 3rd FL
"There are some guys who are vicious, uptight and evil -- and, they SOUND vicious, uptight and evil!"
-CLARK TERRY
JAZZ
OUTREACH
Keep On Keepin On is an award-winning documentary honoring jazz trumpeter Clark Terry. Share his inspiring messages within your community, school, or jazz festival to foster jazz education and mentorship
“They made our band room seem like the center of the jazz universe" VCU Jazz
"Justin is a natural teacher with his honesty, sensitivity, temperament and ability to inspire" GSA Jazz
"An artist like Justin, who is only a few years older than the students, has a particular resonance" Trinity IB Music
"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
OUTREACH
VIDEOS
Keep On Keepin' On
PBS
Jazz Ambassadorship
Braille Music Service
Queen Latifah Show
Accessibility