Justin Vasquez
Gig Seeker Pro

Justin Vasquez

Austin, Texas, United States

Austin, Texas, United States
Band Jazz

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"All About Jazz"

Young saxophonist Justin Vasquez acquits himself assertively on this 2009 debut, adapting the model of the tough Texas tenors to his own assiduous Austin alto. But that convenient alliterative to Vasquez's lone star origins belies his true lineage in the modern, slashing altoist mold carved out by the likes of David Binney,Greg Osby, Steve Coleman and Kenny Garrett.

Possessing all the firepower necessary to fuel an over-the-top debut, Vasquez upped the ante by exercising restraint, pulling together a band full of likewise ripping yet refined players. But it's the presence of guitarist Adam Rogers, in a compelling sideman appearance exceeding the consistently exceptional level that makes him New York's premier sessioneer, that lifts the game of all assembled.

The kickoff title provides ample evidence that the entire unit treated this as more than a session, displaying exceptionally tight ensemble work exceeding that of many bands. A cyclical, kinetic progression in seven is stated by Aaron Parks on piano, but a contrary, much prettier, melodic line undulates voluptuously over the jagged accompaniment. In another surprise, Vasquez wisely concedes the first statement of the melody to the remarkable instrument possessed by vocalist Gretchen Parlato. No wonder, as he reserves the right to complicate matters in a heavy unison passage phrased with Rogers in the bridge section. Picking up the solo section on a big exhale, Rogers doesn't take long to unfurl imposing lines like kite twine unraveling from the wind supplied by Parks' comping and drummer Clarence Penn's exhortations. Rogers' lines have a presence and precision that projects off the fretboard and out of the speakers, even over drums placed high in the mix, because of a right hand technique so efficient that air pops as though his pick possesses its own piezo-pickup.

Not one to back down, Vasquez uncorks his own winner, hanging on the long tones before unleashing a volley of his own, using more scalar than chromatic phrases over the vamp section. Bop is in his vocabulary as well, as emphasized on "Nimbus," a composition stemming from, but providing a twist on the modal tradition. Rogers activates the afterburners immediately in a stunning turn, demonstrating nothing less than the modern-day state of bop guitar. Vasquez's take is again less bop than line based, highlighting an advanced pentatonic vocabulary.

"Fields" is another captivating composition, moving through several related sections, increasing in emotive content throughout, utilizing different combinations of front-line horns, including Vasquez on soprano, John Ellis on bass clarinet and Gregoire Maret on harmonica. Parks' patient solo, growing melodically and organically out of the song, plays a critical part in the development of the composition. Finally, Rogers' crystalline steel strumming floats out Ellis' pleasingly low restatement of the melody, which seamlessly transforms into Vasquez' screaming soprano climax.

The conceptual thrust and modern sound of Vasquez, combined with a committed assembled cast, especially the invaluable contributions of Rogers, pushes this into the category of essential debuts.

Original article: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=32279

Visit Justin Vasquez on web at: www.justinvasquez.com
- Phil DiPietro


"Pop Journalism Canada"

Saxophonist Justin Vasquez’s powerful debut leaves me at a loss for words. First off, Vasquez must be commended for putting together an all-star team of jazz hands – Aaron Parks (Piano), Adam Rogers (Guitars), Orlando Le Fleming (Bass), Clarence Penn (Drums), Gregoire Maret (Harmonica) and Gretchen Parlato (Vocals) – all of whom bring their A-game and take you on an astonishing journey that disregards conventional contemporary jazz.
Some jazz artists are too mild in their arrangements, while others can turn their experimentation into pure chaos. Vasquez pulls off a solid mixture of both that results in a catchy, pop listen, while forcing you to pay attention to the little nuances and subtleties that he and his band have laid down.
Opening with the title track, the band quickly mesmerizes as a frenzied piano lick segues into Parlato’s gorgeous harmonies, which continues to dance along with the whole vibe of the song. Halfway through the track, it gets dark and sinister; surprisingly the track ends in an epic climax. “Fields” is another instant highlight, with its beautiful narrative that focuses on an emotional build-up around a bobbing horn melody that will have you humming for the rest of the week.
With this being only the first of a trio of albums – Triptych II being an electric album and Triptych III a mix of both styles – Vasquez is already in the front of the class of new jazz artists, ready to take the whole genre to a new playing style.

Original Article:

http://www.popjournalism.ca/magazine/2009/05/06/justin-vasquez-triptych/

Visit Justin Vasquez on web at: www.justinvasquez.com
- Jason Gladu


"Interview at Jazz Monthly"

Jazz Monthly.com Interview with Justin Vasquez
Interview by Joe Caroselli

Jazz Monthly: Our guest at JazzMonthly.com is a young man in his twenties who it seems that musically has come “full circle.” By that I mean that he has learned many of the lessons as a performer and also in life in general where it usually takes musicians a few more decades to learn. Sometimes, jazz purists can limit their own expressiveness. Well, alto and soprano saxophonist, composer Justin Vasquez has evolved away from that kind of “jazz snobbery” and limitations, and kind of like a child at the beach, he is able to take it all in and be open to a wide variety of musical styles in his creative processes. No musical boundaries for this very talented and sensitive young man. He calls Austin, Texas and New York City his homes. Performing, composing and just sharing his beautiful talent with anyone who has the good fortune to experience his music is what Justin Vasquez is all about.

His self-produced recording debut as a leader titled, “Triptych” is getting some well deserved great reviews. Including, by yours truly. Justin Vasquez is our guest. Welcome to JazzMonthly.com Justin.

Justin Vasquez (JV): Hi Joe. I just want to thank everyone at JazzMonthly.com for giving me this opportunity. I’ve put a lot of work into this record and I’m glad people are enjoying it.

Jazz Monthly: Absolutely, and we are going to talk about that shortly. You’re a jazz musician and Justin, you’re also a very sensitive young man and a composer. Do you like being called a “jazz musician” or is it just a bit too confining for you?

JV: It’s not confining for me but what I find is that the term “Jazz” carries a lot of baggage with it. This thing that happens when you mention Jazz… you can take ten different people and you’d say; “What is Jazz to you?” One person would say “Oh that’s Big Band Music with Glen Miller and that style” The next person will say; “Oh well, that’s Bebop.” The next person will say; “That’s John Coltrane.” The next person will say; “That’s Miles Davis, or Pat Metheny or Wayne Shorter. So what ends up happing is, when you say “jazz” it means something specific to someone. I kind of use the Wayne Shorter approach to the word “jazz” which means that, “Jazz is just anything. It means you can take from any style of music or any aesthetic and incorporate it into your style – whatever you’re doing.

Jazz Monthly: Yeah. Hey Justin, I’m about to quote YOU now. Hey isn’t it great! You’re still a young man and I’m quoting you in JazzMonthly.com. How does that sound? (Justin laughing). Well, Jazz as Justin says “is all inclusive,” and I think you define it as “ New American Folk Music” right?

JV: Well, that’s what I feel what I’m doing. At the same time, I grew up listening to Jazz, and I grew up listening to Country and Folk music, and the sort of Mid Western style of Pat Metheny and all the different jazz musicians that came from that and after it. I was born here in America and I’m using a lot of American influences. Jazz was born here in America. I think this is an American art form, and I’m certainly a new person on the scene. In a way, I think of it as a New American Folk Music.

Jazz Monthly: That’s a good description. I know you were born in Corpus Christi, Texas, and you grew up in little towns in Texas. Now here’s the key; this is kind of the turning point in the young life of Justin Vasquez. Now I know you were a long distance runner and you kind of “pounded the pavement” a little too hard and you hurt your knee. This was sort of a blessing in disguise, right?

JV: Well, what happens with me is that I’m absolutely obsessive about everything that I do. If I’m writing a paper, or if I’m in school or running – whatever it is I do – I do it to a point of absolute obsession – bordering on insanity at times as my friends and family will tell you. (Joe laughing) It just so happens to be that my obsession in music actually helps me out. I’m lucky that I didn’t go into something like video games… something that wouldn’t have an impact for me, you know?

Jazz Monthly: I know what you mean. You’re putting you’re obsessiveness forward. Let’s face it, anyone who did anything – whether it was Charlie Parker to Thomas Edison – was obsessive! Right?

JV: I thing anyone who’s doing anything creative, goes through those periods where they can’t help but think about anything else. I’ve certainly have gone through different periods of that. When I hurt my knee, I had to take off for six months, or have surgery. I didn’t want to have surgery; so I said, “I’m going to stop running for six months.” Now I had all this time that I spent outside being active and my dad – he’s sort of a “jack of all trades”– had a saxophone that he borrowed from his cousin. So, I basically “stole” it from him (both laughing) and the first moment I start playing it, I was drawn to it like nothing else before… and nothing else since!

Jazz Monthl - Jazz Monthly


"Find the B-Spot"

This week I’m suggesting Triptych, the first release in a series of albums from saxophonist Justin Vasquez. I like this album because it offers influences from a variety of genres including classical, rhythm and blues, folk and country. One might think that such a mix would be unmanageable, but at just 26 years-old, Justin combines them with the approach and originality of a veteran composer. He states that as he wrote the title track, he was “thinking of a song that was constantly evolving without a cyclical form”. I’d say that’s the perfect description of the entire album, which certainly achieves his goal of “telling a story from exposition to conclusion”.

My favorites on the album are Fields, End of the Day, and Justin’s cover of the classic standard Stella by Starlight. Accompanying Vasquez on the album are Aaron Parks on piano, Adam Rogers on guitar, Orlando Le Fleming on bass, Clarence Penn on drums, Gregoire Maret on harmonica and vocalist Gretchen Parlato.

After hearing the 8 tracks on this album, I’m anxious to hear Justin Vasquez’s second release of this project. You all can see him on BET Studio Jamz with Marcus Miller, Terrence Blanchard, Joe Sample and Marilyn Scott in September. In the meantime, check out this preview of his music and pick up Triptych from Amazon or iTunes.

Original Review:

http://findingthebside.blogspot.com/search/label/Justin%20Vasquez
- Mimi Soul


"All Music"

It's the rare young jazz innovator who can provoke a probe into ancient history as he's committed to propelling his chosen art form towards a bright future. So let's dig in: in history, a "triptych" is a three-paneled painting found in early Christian art that became a popular standard format for altar paintings from the Middle Ages onward. The image tells a story from left to right. The N.Y.C.-based alto and soprano saxman chose the title Triptych for his debut based on his desire to create songs that tell stories without words and that keep evolving, often in surprising ways. Working with a vibrant ensemble including pianist Aaron Parks, guitarist Adam Rogers, bassist Orlando Le Fleming, and Clarence Penn, Justin Vasquez lets us know we're in for a unique ride by waiting almost two minutes into the opening title track to enter the fray with his alto; up until then, it's Parks' baby, as his percussive piano chordings and guest vocalist Gretchen Parlato's vocalese set a soulful tone for Vasquez's lyrical musings. The expansive piece also features a unique duality between Parks' and Rogers' crisp improvisations, and then a dark, moody interlude. The tone is set -- in Vasquez's world, anything can happen. Another original, "Nimbus," is slightly more conventionally structured, swinging coolly as Vasquez shows off his thoughtful mix of melodic invention and bright improvisations. Moving from the grooving to the oddly impressionistic, the ensemble takes a haunting atmospheric approach to Polish film composer Bronislaw Kaper's "Invitation," using a sparse arrangement as the perfect backdrop for Vasquez to strut his gentle soprano stuff. They pick up the pace on the easy swinging, high-spirited, Americana-vibing "Fields," which won the ASCAP Jazz Composers Award. It's all cool swinging from there as "One & Only" pays delicate tribute to the late Kenny Kirkland, one of Vasquez's major influences; "Red. Green. Blue" combines impressionistic sax and piano hypnosis with Gregoire Maret's Toots Thielemans-like harmonica grace; and Vasquez leads his crew through a boppin' roll for "Stella by Starlight." Triptych is just the beginning of the saxman's solo journey, and he's already committed to continuing his concept with subsequent projects tentatively titled "Triptych II" and "Triptych III".

Original Article: http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3vfpxzw0ldje~T1 - Jonathan Widran


"jazz.com"

Contemporary jazz commands such a wide playing field. On one end there’s the kind you hear in grocery stores and elevators — non-challenging, unobtrusive, comfortable, background music. On the opposite end you’ll find teeth-grinding, edge-of-the-envelope avant-garde shock and awe. Slightly south of this postmodernist maelstrom, you will find jazz that’s edgy and challenging to the mind, but not hard on the heart or ears. This is where the music of composer/sax man Justin Vasquez lives. On his debut solo album, Triptych, he stakes his claim solidly in the new frontier.

The title cut "Triptych" can best be described as a mind-blowing journey through an altered modal universe. Beginning prosaically enough with a simple samba figure on Aaron Parks' piano, a ghostly voice joins in (the marvelous Gretchen Parlato), lifting the light, modal theme away from the confines of common time into 7/8, alternated with odd measures. An upbeat unison head ushers in a challenging platform for guitarist Adam Rogers’ free-range improvisations under which the ground seems to be constantly shifting. Unfazed, Rogers delivers lucid, provocative finger runs bubbling off the fretboard without losing altitude or focus — a joy to hear. Then the piano growls, setting up the mystic transition into the sax solo. With deadly punctuation from Penn’s drums, Vasquez’ throaty tenor-like alto becomes a cauldron of wailing intensity threatening to peel the paint off the sonic wall.

Though this piece is not likely to be heard in elevators, serious listeners will definitely be elevated.


Original Article:

http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/4/14/justin-vasquez-triptych

Visit Justin Vasquez on web at: www.justinvasquez.com
- Bill Barnes


"Urban Music Scene"

Another chapter of jazz music coming from a young lion hungry to share his art & taste for jazz is upcoming sax leader Justin Vasquez. With precision & skill, he launches a project for the year in "Triptych" - an 8 track set of well composed traditional jazz tracks suitable for the ear. His approach is much similar to the workings of Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and a little bit of Kenny Garrett. A discerning ear will also accept his adventurous outputs through both the alto & soprano sounds. At the age of 26, its hard to believe that Justin has already achieved such a high mark of excellence in "Triptych", as to where the music escapes through a various amount of harmonies & tonalities, as well as practice the very reason 'improvisation' stands entrenched in modern jazz music.

Original Article :
http://reviews.theurbanmusicscene.com/
- George Strand


"JazzTimes"

The accomplished young composer and alto sax burner Justin Vasquez has assembled a dream crew—guitarist Adam Rogers, pianist Aaron Parks, drummer Clarence Penn, bassist Orlando le Fleming—for his remarkably mature debut. They all add their considerable talents to moving and fully realized pieces like “Nimbus,” “Fields” and the dynamic title track as well as Vasquez’s refreshingly original arrangements of “Invitation” and “Stella by Starlight.” Vocalist Gretchen Parlato and harmonica ace Gregoire Maret appear as special guests on this impressive first statement by the promising newcomer.

Original Article at:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/25104-justin-vasquez-triptych - JazzTimes


Discography

Triptych

Photos

Bio

Evolution and a fiercely open-minded approach to composition are the hallmarks of award winning saxophonist Justin Vasquez' artistry. Shedding dutifully before hitting the east and west coasts for critical apprenticeships, he has honed a boundary defying style as fluid and organic as it is impressive. On Triptych, his startlingly mature self-produced recording debut as a leader, Justin Vasquez - at 26 - is fast becoming a force in a genre he is still struggling to define. One might hear it as jazz, only with a heavy heartland sensibility.
“When I talk to people about ‘jazz’,” Justin states, “the term usually means something very small and specific. It’s the exact opposite. I believe that jazz, by nature, is all-inclusive. I consider what I create to be New American Folk Music. Jazz at its core, yet incorporating so much more…as jazz has done through the ages.”
Historically, a “triptych” is a 3-panel painting found in early Christian art dating back to Roman times. The painting tells a story as read from left to right. Reflecting on the literal and metaphorical inspirations behind his use of the term as the title of his debut project, Vasquez muses, “There are spiritual overtones in my music but not in a religious way. It’s that feeling of having a piece of music that tells a story from exposition to conclusion. When I wrote the title track, I was thinking of a song that was constantly evolving without a cyclical form. Nothing ever repeats. That idea of evolution is what made me want to do this project.”
Evolution on an inordinately high level has been a constant in the life of Justin Vasquez. “I was born in Corpus Christi, Texas and grew up in several other small towns,” he begins. “I had little exposure to music. Initially, I was into long distance running, but I trained too hard. I tore the cartilage in one of my knees and had to stay off it for several months. With all this new free time, I found an alto saxophone my Dad happened to have borrowed from a family member. I was immediately drawn to the instrument like nothing else before in my life.”
Noting this interest, Justin’s mother and grandmother exposed him to recordings of Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell and Johnny Griffin. The result was his painstaking search to understand this music and his instrument. “I didn’t know the first thing about being a musician but I figured you had to study hard and work at it like any other job. My parents worked 8 to 9 hours a day, so I figured that’s how much I should practice.”
Justin arrived at the University of Texas in Austin fully intending to study classical music, but was eventually drawn to the jazz department. “I’d been alive for 17 years before I saw a serious jazz musician play live. The first group I saw was the Pat Metheny Trio with drummer Bill Stewart and bassist Larry Grenadier. I was pretty sure I wanted to be a musician at that point already, but after hearing Pat, there was no turning back. Following that concert it felt like when the Hubble Telescope first brought back those deep space images. All of a sudden my universe went from being this little bubble of Earth extending only to the moon to suddenly being billions of light years wide.”
Justin expanded his musical vocabulary listening to artists like Weather Report, Art Ensemble of Chicago, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jan Hammer and Egberto Gismonti, as well as classical composers Alexander Scriabin, Arnold Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Chopin and Aaron Copland. Hitting the bandstand with drummer Gerry Gibbs, Justin got the golden early opportunity play and tour with jazz legends like Randy Brecker, Tom Harrell, Mike Stern, Sam Rivers and Dave Liebman.
After graduating college in 2005, Justin spent two-and-a-half years in Los Angeles, performing in local big bands and forming the powerhouse group Los Cuatro (a quartet with Yellowjackets’ bassist Jimmy Haslip). He later moved to New York where he has been playing with the city’s top musicians such as Jojo Mayer, Elliot Mason, Janek Gwzidala, Tigran Hamasyan, Tim Miller, Oli Rockberger, and Sean Rickman. Then in March 2008, Justin opted to make a musical statement of his own.
“I don’t adhere to purism of any sort,” he explains. “To me, anything is acceptable as long as it sounds good. For instance, I never really listened to country music growing up but I was always surrounded by it, so it’s made its’ way into my playing. The aspects of country that I like, that sort of heartfelt lilt, I try to convey in my pieces. I think of music as a kind of truth and when we play, we filter this truth through the kaleidoscope of our unique perspective of existence by way of our instrument.”
To bring Triptych to life, Justin acquired some of music’s most cutting edge players: pianist Aaron Parks, guitarist Adam Rogers, bassist Orlando Le Fleming and drummer Clarence Penn. Adding distinctive colors to this wide-ranging pa