Justin Chart

Singer-Songwriter American Jazz Saxophonist Justin Chart, a Trailblazer of the Modern West Coast Free-Jazz Sound is a powerful Alto saxophonist, with a dynamic and distinctive sound and soloing style. His music has a unique edge, with a vibe that is instantly seductive and familiar. Known in West Coast Jazz circles as "The Blizzard" because of his explosive playing and intricate compositional changes. Signed to Universal Music Group, as a saxophonist, composer, producer, and vocalist, Justin Chart plays by his own rules. A multi-instrumentalist of the highest caliber, he thoroughly engages his listeners with a harmonic edge deeply rooted in the jazz lineage. His musical expressions stand out as distinctly modern in color and style. He’s a visionary who has learned to listen to his inner voice. Steeped in tradition and grounded in the lessons learned from life, Justin is not afraid to push himself and his art forward. His commanding presence, on stage and off, reflects his musical ingenuity and skill which has earned him critical acclaim for his recorded works and passionate live performances. A true Renaissance man, he reaffirms this credo on his 11th album as a leader and an innovator. Chart’s pop albums feature intelligent, deeply-felt lyrics and soaring melodies which combine to touch the listener in a powerful way. His music has a freshness and originality that plants it firmly in the present, and yet reminds the listener of the depth of feeling and social relevance of influential music from earlier decades. His songs relate positive messages of hope and strength amidst times of turmoil and hardship, stressing the importance of love and spirit and remaining true to oneself above everything else. A native of Los Angeles, Justin is in love with his native city... and has proven it with, to date, with six versions of Los Angeles the Song, the Anthem for Los Angeles. It’s an upbeat love song to his city... one that resonates with many who have viewed his videos on all platforms of social media... with well over 11 Million viewers on You Tube. As a philanthropist, Justin has helped to raise money for Cal Fund, Steve Irwin’s foundation Wild Life Warriors, The Los Angeles Food Bank, and Sign With Me. Justin Chart is a unique artist with a rare talent for making magical music that effectively unites the powerful charge of unbridled energy with the tender emotions of the heart and soul. With a wealth of awards, accomplishments and accolades behind him in fields spanning the music industry and a host of genres, Justin Chart, a consummate performer, composer, and producer, continues to venture where his talents & intuition take him. 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.