Junius Paul emerged in the mid-2000s as an inventive jazz bassist and composer who quickly became integral to Chicago’s creative music community. He maintains an ongoing partnership with drummer Makaya McCraven while holding membership in the pioneering avant-garde ensemble Art Ensemble of Chicago. His first album under his own name, ISM, appeared in 2019.
Born and raised in Chicago, Paul received his earliest piano instruction from his mother, a concert pianist. During high school he changed instruments to bass, drawn by his admiration for Jimi Hendrix alongside Stevie Wonder, A Tribe Called Quest, and additional influences. Church gigs followed, after which he encountered jazz. Post-graduation he pursued formal studies at St. Xavier University in Chicago. While enrolled there he also established a steady presence at the Velvet Lounge’s Sunday-night sessions in the South Loop, where he encountered mentor Vincent Davis and numerous other local jazz figures. Subsequent recording credits include projects with Corey Wilkes, Ernest Dawkins, and Marquis Hill. He performs in Makaya McCraven’s ensemble and has collaborated with Roscoe Mitchell and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. The 2019 release ISM comprises live performances captured across multiple Chicago venues from 2016 through 2019.
