When back in 2022 our website was privileged to review the full-length debut album of the young American pianist, drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Julius Rodriguez called Let Sound Tell All, we all had the distinctive feeling that the deserved accolades that Rodriguez received, back then, were just the first step in a very luminous career to come.
Time confirmed our website's gut feeling; between touring incessantly the world, bringing Rodriguez's multi-faceted musical vision that incorporates Jazz, Soul, Gospel, Ambient, Bebop and Drum'N'Bass to the masses, whilst collaborating at the same time with fellow artists like Meshell Ndegeocello or Wynton Marsalis, among others, the American artist had been working also on new compositions that would summarise accurately the way that Rodriguez sees his music vision growing, as the years go by.
The forward-thinking composing methodology and Rodriguez's undisputable many talents as a musician that were the backbone of the success gained in 2022 for the artist's debut album are, once again, present in all their splendour on Julius Rodriguez's new album just released and called Evergreen.
The ten pieces part of Evergreen are all Rodriguez's new compositions, except only for the rather breathtaking revisited version of Dijon Duenas' Many Times.
Julius Rodriguez's new record is an enchanting and exciting window of the soul of an artist capable to create different and mesmerising sonic shades on each of the pieces included on Evergreen. One of the many talents of Rodriguez, it is that of being able to experiment with music without over-indulging himself at any point of the album, but just weighing, instead, carefully and masterfully the right layers of sound needed to enrich each composition.
The army of musicians Rodriguez took with him on the artist's new musical journey is rather impressive; from the Horns Section made by Nicole McCabe on Alto Saxophone, Alonzo Demetrius on Trumpet, Chris Lewis on Tenor Saxophone and Emilio Modeste on Soprano Saxophone to further Special Guests like Nate Mercereau on Guitar Synth and Sampler or Philip Norris on Upright Bass, every musician brings a classy contribution to a record of great sonic opulence like Evergreen truly is.
Of course, at the center of it all, there is Julius Rodriguez and his stunning artistry; every single track part of Evergreen displays the enormous musical heritage of an artist that understands the importance of having no barriers, among music genres, because everything can work together in perfect harmony, if measured with the right attention to details.
Rodriguez sees, in our view, Contemporary Music as a sort of melting pot that reflects the global challenges that our society is facing every day, whereas the American artist, rather than challenges, sees and feels instead only rhythms, melodies and moods, through his vision, as an artistic antidote to said challenges.
And it's for this very same reason that, throughout the 10 gems included in Evergreen, Rodriguez is able to balance beautifully different genres and tempos with effortless ability, like many listeners will be able to appreciate on tracks like Funmi’s Groove, with its distinctive Jazz, New Age and Latin flavours, for example, or on pieces like Run To It (The CP Song), with its irresistible combo of Fusion, Gospel and Uptempo Jazz, among others.
Evergreen is, undoubtedly, the passionate body of work of an artist like Rodriguez that has been not only co-producing the album himself, but also playing almost every instrument on his new album, like Piano, Drums, Electric Piano, Clavinet, Electric Bass, Organ, Synthesisers, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion and Drum Programming. The sonic apotheosis of a true Music Genius.
Evergreen is out now and it is available to be purchased via Julius Rodriguez Official Website.
Tickets for Rodriguez's forthcoming sole UK date in October in support of the Evergreen Tour in London at the legendary Ronnie Scott Club are available to be purchased Here.
