Julius Rodriguez

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Julius Rodriguez, nicknamed Orange Julius, is an American pianist, drummer and composer from White Plains, New York. He was born on September 4, 1998, and is of Haitian descent. He started learning classical piano at a young age and was exposed to jazz through his jazz-loving father. He studied at the Manhattan School of Music’s precollege program and later attended Juilliard. His music blends jazz with avant-garde elements, R&B, hip-hop and pop, inspired by artists like The Bad Plus, Vijay Iyer, Jason Moran and even The Beatles. In 2021, he signed with Verve Records. Rodriguez tours with Isaiah Barr’s Onyx Collective and played on A$AP Rocky’s 2018 tour, performing on keyboard and guitar. He has worked as a sideman with artists such as Keyon Harrold, Roy Hargrove, Macy Gray, Wynton Marsalis, Jazzmeia Horn and Meshell Ndegeocello, among others. He also performs regularly as a drummer and plays organ, bass guitar and guitar.