James R.

Raised in South Florida, JJ is a dynamic saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. JJ’s musical upbringing began at the age of 10 when he started to learn the alto saxophone, and he began to learn jazz music and improvisation while attending Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach Florida. Through high school he would attend various festivals and competitions, such as the Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival in New York City and the Florida All-State Jazz Band. Also during this time period, JJ would study the music through summer camps such as the Brevard Summer Jazz Institute as well as studying with saxophone educators Gary Keller and David Valdez. Having just completed his first year at the Peabody Institute studying under the great Tim Green, these combined experiences have had a formative effect on JJ’s playing. JJ’s music embodies the tradition of Black American music from a diverse spectrum of artists such as Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Betty Carter while simultaneously incorporating modern approaches and concepts, all while attempting to evoke musical emotions that encourages contemplation and reveal a tapestry of endless possibilities. Through a diverse range of material spanning from the Great American Songbook to the Avant-Garde, JJ’s goal with music is to create a healing force with sounds that are otherwise unattainable with other forms of media. JJ's teaching curriculum includes full span of music history, music theory, technique, sound production, and improvisation backed by countless resources for students to take advantage of.