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
... hear this album and journey into the mind of a truly unique artist and sonic storyteller
ABOUT JK
Jazz Pianist Composer Film Scorer Producer U.S. Jazz Ambassador Advocate
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 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
ACCESSIBILITY
"Being blind is only a part of who we are. It should never be something that defines us" -JK
Justin Kauflin was born with proliferative exudative retinopathy affecting both eyes, leading to complete blindness by the age of 11. During his transition from low vision to total blindness, he received essential adaptive services from the Virginia Beach public school system. With the support of itinerant vision teachers, he attended classes alongside sighted peers, excelling in subjects ranging from Japanese to AP Physics, ultimately graduating summa cum laude. He also became proficient in literary, math, and music Braille, as well as orientation and mobility skills, with assistance from the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI).
The NJ Commission for the Blind provided orientation and mobility training at William Paterson University, and Justin accessed brailled classical music scores through the National Library Service of the Library of Congress. He utilized tools like Dancing Dots and Avid Sibelius to compose music for his assignments and create arrangements for his Trio. As a recipient of the Kennedy Center VSA International Young Soloist award, he advocates for disability awareness and showcases accessible products for blind musicians in videos and at NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants). In partnership the U.S. Department of State, Justin served as a Jazz Ambassador, engaging with students and performing during Jazz Week in Tbilisi Georgia (American Days).
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) made travelling independently accessible by offering assistance at airports and ADA-compliant transportation services, while also enhancing dining and entertainment experiences with features like braille menus and Descriptive Video Services. At The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ, Justin was matched with his guide dog, Candy, who accompanied him faithfully for 12 years. Recent advancements in assistive technology have opened up new opportunities for individuals with visual impairments. Accessibility features on the Apple iPhone, including screen readers and GPS, are vital tools. Innovations such as Native Instruments' Komplete Kontrol have enabled Justin to explore sound design and music production, unlocking exciting creative possibilities.
