Pianist/multi-instrumentalist Julius Rodriguez has been a regular at The Jazz Gallery since his first year at Juilliard in 2016-17. He's worked with bassist Eric Revis in the Mentorship Series, joined drummer Kassa Overall's sonic experiments, and presented a host of different projects.

At the Gallery this Friday, August 6, Rodriguez convenes a working quintet of his talented peers—Giveton Gelin on trumpet, Morgan Guerin on sax & EWI, Philip Norris on bass, and Brian Richburg, Jr. on drums. In a previous interview with Jazz Speaks, Rodriguez spoke in depth about working with these musicians:

Giveton is great. He’s probably one of my favorite trumpet players to play with. He’s got amazing dark tones on the trumpet, and just his melodies. He’s coming out of the whole Roy [Hargrove] school.And Phil is an incredible bass player. His technique, impeccable. And he’s very rooted in swing and just classic—well he’s a big fan of Ray Brown. I love that sound and love to have it in my music. He also knows how to—how do I put it—just do other shit. He’s always coming out with great ideas, and I love the way he sounds on my music. It’s nice to have someone who really knows their way around the bass.And Brian is a drummer from New Orleans. New Orleans drummers are amazing. I love having that sensibility to groove at any time, but he also has that moderness to his playing.

Along with Guerin, this quintet has continued to grow and gel as a unit, even through the pandemic. Before hearing their newest music at the Gallery, take a listen to their streaming performance at Smalls from this past March.

The Julius Rodriguez Quintet plays The Jazz Gallery on Friday, August 6, 2021. The group features Mr. Rodriguez on piano, Giveton Gelin on trumpet, Morgan Guerin on saxophone & EWI, Philip Norris on bass, and Brian Richburg, Jr. on drums. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30 P.M. E.D.T. $25 general admission ($10 for members), $35 reserved table seating ($20 for members) for each set. Purchase tickets here.