Julius Rodriguez, also known as "Orange Julius", is an American pianist, drummer and composer. In 2021, Rodriguez signed with Verve Records.
Biography Early life
Rodriguez grew up in White Plains, New York and is of Haitian descent. He began to study classical piano at an early age. He was exposed to jazz, particularly music by Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane through his father, an avid jazz aficionado. At age twelve, he enrolled in Manhattan School of Music's precollege division and studied there continuously throughout high school. He later studied at The Juilliard School.
Musical career
Rodriguez’s music integrates elements from jazz, avant-garde, R&B, hip-hop and pop music. He has drawn inspiration from The Bad Plus, Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran to find novel ways of integrating music outside of the jazz canon, including music by The Beatles.
Rodriguez has been an active touring member of Isaiah Barr's Onyx Collective, a group which has done collaborative work with a wide range of artists, including Dave Glasser, Ratking, and members of the Wu Tang Clan. The group accompanied A$AP Rocky on a 2018 tour in which Rodriguez performed on both keyboard and guitar.
He has worked as a sideman with Keyon Harrold, Ben Williams, Carmen Lundy, James Morrison, Jazzmeia Horn, Dev Hynes, Roy Hargrove, Macy Gray, Wynton Marsalis, Veronica Swift, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, Kurt Elling, Nick Hakim, Meshell Ndegeocello and others.
Rodriguez also performs regularly as a drummer.
Discography
As leader
Album artist Title Year LabelJulius RodriguezEvergreen2024VerveJulius RodriguezLet Sound Tell All2022VerveJulius RodriguezMidnight Sun2021VerveJulius RodriguezActual Proof2021VerveJulius RodriguezButterfly 2020After School Julius Rodriguez Blues at the Barn 2020 Independent Orange Julius and the Big Beat Introducing Orange Julius and the Big Beat 2015 Independent
As sideman
Album artist Title Year Label Brasstracks Before We Go: Live From Capitol Studios 2020 Capitol Records Seint Monet Bloom - EP 2020 IndependentMATHIS Sound OrchestraWorld Unity2020Mathis Music Jak Lizard Work from Home - Single 2020 IndependentJD WalterDressed in a Song2019JWAL RecordsMarcus AaronFreeTape22019GodKids Carmen Lundy Modern Ancestors 2019 Afrasia Productions Brasstracks (feat. Kyle Dion) Professional 2019 Capitol Records Fatherhood Nervous 2019 Deathrocket Records Brasstracks Before We Go 2019 Capitol Records S'natra We Was Kids 2019 Independent Kassa Overall Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz 2019 Independent Madeline Jane Mother 2018 Independent Damien Sneed The Three Sides of Damien Sneed: Classical, Jazz and Sanctified Soul 2018 LeChateau Earl Records Kassa Overall Drake It Till You Make It 2018 Independent Luke Sellick Christmas 2017 Independent Sara Decker Group Long Distance 2017 Independent Morgan Guerin The Saga II 2017 Independent Morgan Guerin The Saga 2016 Independent Mark Bozzuti-Jones Jazz Out!: Them Irie Psalms 2014 Independent
References
External links