Home > Line up 2023 > 21 july 2023 > Julius Rodriguez

Rodriguez is now a rising star at the intersection of jazz, soul, hip-hop and blues, playing alongside other multi-faceted artists like José James, Madison McFerrin and Meshell Ndegeocello. On Let Sound Tell All, Rodriguez converges past and present through an amorphous blend he simply calls "music" – with stellar results – presenting himself as a torchbearer among a cohort of young New York players bringing history into the future. People like him, the vibraphonist Joel Ross and the flautist/producer Melanie Charles combine traditional jazz with contemporary rap, electronica and soul, prompting listeners to abandon preconceived notions about what black classical music should be.

Like others before them, they show that jazz can be angry and expressive, not just the backdrop for sipping overpriced drinks in cramped nightclubs.