Justin Lee Schultz

Born in South Africa and based in Los Angeles, Justin Lee Schultz brings new life to jazz and traditional R&B. He gained the attention of his older peers long before his first records were released in the early 2020s, including 2023’s Just in the Moment. Schultz started playing piano at the age of five, and soon started sitting in with his jazz bassist father. Over time, he expanded his skills to include playing guitar, bass, horns, and other instruments. His live performances earned praise from notable names like Quincy Jones and Harry Connick, Jr.. Schultz started releasing his own material in 2018, culminating in debut album, Gruv Kid, on the Shanachie label in 2020. The set reached the Top Ten of Billboard’s smooth jazz charts, and was bolstered by covers of Stevie Wonder (“Do I Do”) and Bob James (“Angela,” the theme from the TV series Taxi, featuring a guest appearance by James himself), as well as guest appearances from jazz and session legends including Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson, Jr., Najee, and Pieces of a Dream. A follow-up, Just in the Moment, arrived in 2023, featuring an assortment of almost all originals (save a cover of the Eddie Harris-penned “Freedom Jazz Dance”) and guest appearances from Robert Glasper and Dave Koz.
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