Justin Kauflin
- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Award-winning jazz pianist Justin Kauflin, middle of 5 children, was
never lost in the crowd. His talent, obvious at age 2, was nurtured
with classical violin and piano. From age 6, he began performing in
concerts, home visits and weddings, eventually becoming concertmaster
for several orchestras. However, it was during this time that he also
endured numerous trials, particularly when he lost total vision due to
a rare degenerative eye disease. After losing his sight, music became
the driving force of Justin's growth as a child, and his passion for
piano became everything. "Learning a new song was like acquiring a new
thing; like getting a new toy almost. That's really how I started
loving what I was doing." Justin switched to jazz piano in high school
and began performing jazz professionally by age 15, most notably with
the Jae Sinnett Trio. Justin graduated alongside his sighted peers in
the top 1% of both Salem High's and Governor's School for the Arts'
Class of 2004 receiving several academic scholarships to attend William
Paterson University in New Jersey. It would be here where he'd be taken
under the wings of the great Clark Terry, winner of 2010's Grammy Award
for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz and influenced by jazz giants Mulgrew
Miller, Harold Mabern, Wynton Marsalis, Ornette Coleman, Randy Brecker
and the late James Williams and Billy Taylor. "He hears something once
and it's somehow impressed on his mind. He has extraordinary ability of
aural recall...an exact touch and a singular style...." - David Demsey
on Justin Kauflin, saxophonist, author, WPU Jazz Professor. Justin
graduated from William Patterson University summa cum laude with a
degree in Music/Jazz Performance and, at age 23, produced his first CD,
Introducing Justin Kauflin. In 2011, Justin was one of twelve pianists
selected worldwide to compete in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
International Piano Competition. Justin finished as an applauded
semi-finalist (4th). During this time, and for the past 3 years,
Justin's relationship with his mentor and jazz legend, Clark Terry, was
chronicled by Academy Award winning producer, Paula Dupre Pesman for a
documentary, "Keep on Keepin' On", that premiered at the Tribeca Film
Festival 2014. The documentary features his preparation for the
competition as well as his lessons with Clark, and Justin's meeting
Quincy Jones. Legendary music icon Quincy Jones met Justin at Clark
Terry's house as he was visiting his friend for his birthday in 2013.
When Jones heard Kauflin play, he was astounded and later took Justin
on the Quincy Jones Birthday Celebration World Tour that summer. Justin
had the opportunity to play at huge sold out venues in Switzerland at
the Montreux Jazz Festival, Seoul, Korea, Blue Note Tokyo, Tokyo
International Forum, and the Green Arena in Hiroshima, Japan. Justin is
now signed with management deal at Quincy Jones Productions and is
working on recording a new album for release at the end of the year.