THU, JUL 7

7:00 PM

8:30 PM

–

Even before you hear a note they play, a musician can often be judged by the company they keep. By that criterion alone, Justin Kauflin is surely one of the finest jazz musicians of the 21st century. A protégé of the legendary trumpeter Clark Terry, the 36-year-old pianist is a technically dazzling player with an old soul who has garnered well-deserved accolades from mentors Mulgrew Miller, Quincy Jones, and Oscar Peterson, among others.

A prodigious musician who began music studies at four, the Maryland native attended the Vail Jazz Workshop and vocal legend Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program before going pro at 15, notably working with the trio led by eminent drummer Jae Sinnett.

Kauflin met Terry while attending William Paterson University and studied with Miller and the great Harold Mabern before composing and producing his debut recording, Introducing, in 2010. A finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, Kauflin appeared in the 2014 music documentary Keep On Keepin’ On, chronicling his relationship with Terry, and he made his SFJAZZ debut as part of our 2018 Oscar Peterson tribute with Bill Charlap, Renee Rosnes, and Gerald Clayton. He was part of our October 2021 celebration of Thelonious Monk’s Birthday with Clayton, Tammy L. Hall, and Edward Simon, and returns with his quartet, performing music from his newest album, Standards.