Biography
Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 1986, pianist Justin Kauflin developed an urbane, swinging post-bop approach that marks his work as a jazz musician. He began formal training at age two through Suzuki violin and piano lessons, and by six he was already appearing in concerts, occasionally directing an orchestra. Around the same period he received a diagnosis of a rare eye condition that rendered him fully blind by age eleven, yet he persisted with piano study and by his teenage years was performing professionally throughout the United States. After completing his secondary education at Salem High School and the Governor’s School for the Arts, where he served as valedictorian, Kauflin enrolled at William Paterson University in New Jersey on a Presidential scholarship. There he formed a close mentorship with trumpeter and educator Clark Terry, a bond later chronicled in the 2014 documentary Keep On Keepin’ On. He earned his Honors degree in Music/Jazz Performance summa cum laude in 2008 and has since fronted his own trio while maintaining a regular role in drummer Jae Sinnett’s group. His first independent release, Introducing Justin Kauflin, appeared in 2010. Three years later, at Terry’s urging, he entered a management agreement with producer Quincy Jones, who subsequently helmed Kauflin’s 2015 follow-up album Dedication.
Albums
Singles
