Justin Chart

Justin Chart

Musicians | Instrument: Saxophone, alto | Location: Los Angeles

Saxophonist Justin Chart takes improvisation a step further with The Scarlet Jazz Room. This album relies entirely on improvisation, and the result is quite impressive. Chart's alto sax playing is as cool as it gets!

—Kyle Simpler, All About Jazz

Updated: March 8, 2024

Born: February 6, 1970

Captivating. Intriguing. Evocative. Just a few of the words that describe the experience of listening to Justin Chart's jazz albums. Chart gracefully and without inhibition bares his soul in his music, inviting us to join him in experiencing a depth of emotions. Sometimes the journey is slow and sultry, other times it's jaunty and irrepressible. What intrigues me is that each track is 100% improvised in the moment. Improvisation is obviously at the heart of jazz, yet jazz musicians typically start with a melody which they already know.

Chart takes improv to a new level. He selects a key and a tempo. Then it's instant creation by Chart and his band. What's even more amazing is that the synergy between Chart and his band makes the transitions between soloists seamless, creating music that sounds like it was coordinated in advance. That's what so intrigues me about his music. What does it take to be able to let yourself be so in the moment that you can compose on the spot while coordinating with such ease with the other members of the band? Obviously, it's much more than technical skill - which Chart and his band all express effortlessly. Justin Chart is an artist of intense vision.

His Saxophone playing is virtuosic, cross-cultural, and passionate. Kudos to Chart and his band for their willingness to be completely in the moment, allowing their energies to combine with the energies of their listeners, to create music which taps into and expresses those energies to create such a sublime listening experience.

It is the goal of every jazz artist to develop their own sound, their unique musical identity. Listening to Alto-saxophonist Justin Chart’s music, it is obvious from the start that he has achieved that goal. His atmospheric saxophone playing makes one think of dark rainy Los Angeles nights in a film noir.

While the original songs on his records sound arranged in advance, the truth is a bit more complicated. Justin Chart and his band spontaneously created all of the music either live, or in the studio. The performances, all of which are first takes, do not contain any editing or overdubbing, just very intuitive playing, and yet the themes, chord changes, and tight interaction would make one think that the music was part of the musicians’ repertoire. The music is consistently intriguing and Intuitively inventive while having an air of mystery.

Awards

Awards and Recognition Chart has received the following awards and recognition: Certificate of Recognition of Service to the City of Los Angeles in June of 2014 from Council President Herb Wesson Jr. Proclamation and Angel Award from the City of Los Angeles in June of 2014 from Councilman Tom La Bonge Artisan Appreciate Award in July of 2014 from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Proclamation of Service to The Latin Community of Los Angeles in February of 2015 from Councilman Jose Huizar Award of Commitment and Inspiration to the City of Los Angeles in March of 2015 from First Council Member Gil Cedillo Statement of Accomplishment in February of 2016 from United States Senator Dianne Feinstein In May of 2017, the Los Angeles city council adopted Chart's composition of "Los Angeles The Song" as an official part of Los Angeles' history. Humanitarian and Charitable Causes Chart is involved in numerous charitable causes. He has performed numerous fund-raisers to raise consciousness about the loss of funding for the arts in public schools. Chart in a partnership with Cal Fund raised over $50,000 for the California wildfires. Chart has served as Musical Ambassador for Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and the Australia Zoo Foundation.


Tags

All About Jazz Articles

19
Album Review

Justin Chart: Keep The Blue

Read "Keep The Blue" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Not all entirely improvised music necessarily embraces dissonance and atonality, however stimulating that may be. Saxophonist Justin Chart is famous for spontaneously creating entire sets, whether in the studio or in live settings, that are firmly rooted in mainstream sounds. His output is consistently cinematic and absorbing with a mysterious aura. His Keep the Blue is the quintessential soundtrack looking for a film, a classic film noir to be exact. The twelve tracks recorded at the Mixx in ...

8
Album Review

Justin Chart: The Midnight People

Read "The Midnight People" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Saxophonist Justin Chart is an inventive and versatile musician who spontaneously creates mellifluous and enthralling soundscapes. Leading a synergistic band of like-minded sidemen. Chart excels in live improvisations that are simultaneously free as well as charmingly accessible. His output in the third decade of the century has been prolific without sacrificing artistic vision. The Midnight People is Chart's third release of 2022 and continues the trend started in its predecessors.The title track, for instance, simmers with a soulfulness ...

10
Album Review

Justin Chart: The Scarlet Jazz Room

Read "The Scarlet Jazz Room" reviewed by Kyle Simpler


Improvisation is one of the key elements of jazz, and it isomething listeners expect to hear in most performances. However, it is often a part of the overall composition, which is based around a central melody. But saxophonist Justin Chart takes improvisation a step further with The Scarlet Jazz Room. This album relies almost entirely on improvisation, and the result is quite impressive. Some might assume that this amount of improvisation would suggest that it's some sort of ...

29
Album Review

Justin Chart: The Scarlet Jazz Room

Read "The Scarlet Jazz Room" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Justin Chart is an award winning singer-songwriter and an accomplished jazz saxophonist. On his spontaneously created pieces Chart often collaborates with a rotating cast of like-minded sidemen. The resulting music is as sophisticated and intricately structured as carefully notated compositions. Chart, once again, showcases his unique artistic approach with the cinematic and enchanting The Scarlet Jazz Room. Chart's unaccompanied, soulful alto opens “Shape of My Shade." As the four piece rhythm section enters, the piece simmers with passion. ...

30
Album Review

Justin Chart: Live In Los Angeles

Read "Live In Los Angeles" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Los Angeles-based, award-winning, musician Justin Chart is both an accomplished singer-songwriter and a superlative saxophonist. Chart infuses his jazz work with a distinct melodicism and his pop songs with a crackling spontaneity. A number of his releases are recorded in one take and are mostly improvised while eschewing dissonance and embracing lyricism. His tenth, Live in Los Angeles, is no different. Accompanying him through this exciting set of 12 originals are a rotating cast of sidemen all of whom share ...

Read more articles

Articles Across the Web

...or were mentioned in an All About Jazz article.

Justin Chart is an award winning singer-songwriter and an accomplished jazz saxophonist. On his spontaneously created pieces Chart often collaborates with a rotating cast of like-minded sidemen. The resulting music is as sophisticated and intricately structured as carefully notated compositions. Chart, once again, showcases his unique artistic approach with the cinematic and enchanting The Scarlet Jazz Room. Los Angeles-based, award-winning, musician Justin Chart is both an accomplished singer-songwriter and a superlative saxophonist. Chart infuses his jazz work with a distinct melodicism and his pop songs with a crackling spontaneity

Read more

Sonny Stitt
saxophone

Links

Followers

All About Jazz user Michael Ricci All About Jazz user Diane Marino All About Jazz user Justin Chart

Music