Jason Justice
Jason Justice is a saxophone player, educator, and arts activist from Denver, CO. His long resume as a performer includes multiple styles as a musician and work as an actor in theater. During his studies at Metro State College he co-founded and managed the Jazz Celebration at Metro State, an educational jazz festival that brought numerous middle and high school bands together with local and national music professionals.
It was during his time managing the Jazz Celebration that he realized there was little representation at the festival from schools in the city of Denver. In response, from 2003 to 2010 Jason founded and ran Instrumentos de la Libertad, or in English, Instruments of Freedom, a Denver based 501(c)(3) that brought music lessons and instruments to Denver kids free of charge. An ambitious program that Jason still sees as vital to keeping the arts alive and creating music consumers of the future, Instrumentos de la Libertad has a simple plan to level the playing field for kids one student at a time. Although the program is on hiatus, his former Libertade’s now play in ensembles all over Denver. Jason continues his activism against school privatization and the elimination of instrumental music programs from the stage and through his songwriting and recordings.
Jason’s professional experience includes work with Diana Castro and the Big Time, Mondo Bizarro, The Queen City Jazz Band, the UCD Claim Jumpers Dixieland Jazz Band, as well as his own ensembles. Over the past six years he has fronted the band Gumbo le Funque, a Denver area New Orleans style funk act that was nominated for Best Funk Band 2017 by Westword Magazine. Gumbo le Funque plays many venues and festivals in Denver, including the venerable City Park Jazz summer concert series and the Five Points Jazz Festival. Gumbo has put out 3 albums to date, Funky Dangerous Party Music Volumes 1&2, and PowerLoveFreedom.
“I play hard. My obsession with creating a big, powerful sound has finally found it’s voice with my Virtuoso. When you have your horn in your face through countless hours of practice, teaching and gigs, you need tools that can withstand that pace. From their Artist Series to the Virtuoso’s, RS Berkeley has created saxophones that are responsive, well designed and well made. But don’t just take my word for it. Look at the list of endorsers that I am humbled to be included with. It tells the story.”