Orange Julius and the Big Beat! * FREE JAZZ OUTSIDE * Masters School Dobbs Ferry

Julius Rodriguez, a Sophomore at Masters, kicks off the Morganelli Jazz Forum Arts Series with his sextet on Wednesday, June 18, 2014. 

I was lucky enough to see Julius lead another group (quartet) at the Union Baptist Church in White Plains a few months ago, and I'm still trying to remove my jaw from the floor.

Anything Julius Rodriguez puts together has so far proven to be wildly bold, musically accomplished and full of life and joy. (His biography is below).

What a fun way to spend the evening on Wednesday, June 18th!  
6:30 -8 pm
Masters School, Dobbs Ferry -- outside
FREE!

From the Masters' School Website
"Presented in association with the Village of Dobbs Ferry & The Masters School and co-sponsored by RiverArts. Due to ongoing construction at Waterfront Park this year, our ten, free Wednesday evening concerts will be held on the lawn in front of the beautiful Estherwood Mansion at The Masters School, Clinton Avenue, Dobbs Ferry, NY. Indoors at Estherwood in event of rain. Special Thanks to The Masters School!" http://jazzforumarts.org/blog/15th-annual-dobbs-ferry-summer-music-series-wednesdays-june-18-august-...

Biography (so far):

Julius Rodriguez is fifteen years old and began piano lessons at the age of 4. Showing rapid improvement, Julius began private lessons with John Senakwami. Under the tutelage of Senakwami, In 2009, Julius was accepted into the Precollege Division at Manhattan School of Music (MSM) in classical piano, where he studied with Ubaldo Díaz-Acosta. The following year, Julius joined the Jazz Elite Big Band, led by Iantheia Calhoun. With Jazz Elite, Julius participated in the 2011 Charles Mingus High School Festival, 2011 Next Generation Jazz Festival, and received an outstanding soloist award at the 2012 Essentially Ellington Regional Festival. With Jazz Elite, he performed with artists such as Reginald Thomas, Frank Lacy, Terrell Stafford, and Wycliffe Gordon. In 2011, Julius joined MSM’s Precollege Jazz program while continuing with classical studies. At MSM, he is a student of Jeremy Manasia. With MSM’s Precollege Combo, Julius was given a best soloist award at the 2013 Charles Mingus Festival and was invited to sit in with the Mingus Big Band at Jazz Standard. He is also a recipient for the 2013 Downbeat Student Music Award for Jazz Soloist, and a 2013 NAACP ACT-SO Gold Medalist in the instrumental contemporary category. In 2013, Julius was accepted into MSM’s Precollege Jazz Program on drums and studies with Richard Huntley. Julius was a finalist in the 2014 YoungArts program, for jazz piano, and drums. He currently plays for Union Baptist Church, the Senakwami Music Institute, and leads his own various projects.