Ma*JiD

Three time Downbeat Rising Jazz violinist Ma*JiD ecstatically celebrates the release of his newest album, Sound of a Flower. The culmination of an eight year journey, Ma*JiD will perform selections from the album joined by special guests Squala Orphan (Brooklyn MC/Guru’s Jazzmatazz Alum), Sfumato Symphony Orchestra, and Cyrus Aaron (acclaimed Poet/ Activist/TV Personality).

Ma*JiD’s music is defined by its angelic string sounds, aboriginal electric bass grooves, lush harmonic textures layered with a combination of acoustic/electric sounds and its heavy hip-hop influenced drums. The album itself is music that chronicles the development of jazz music from a New Orleans juke joint, a highly technical musical view of a modern city, a gospel bound violin with orchestra in a great hall and a socially conscience street anthem with the trap music swag to match.    

The evening will leave listeners looking inward, outward and to the dance floor.

Described as having “a unique blend of improvisation, groove, and technical sophistication” by legendary musician Wynton Marsalis, Majid Khaliq is cut from a different cloth. A violinist, composer, and a bandleader, Majid graduated from the Juilliard School with a Bachelor of Music in 2002 and a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in 2010. His music expertise knows no bounds, lending his talents to various artists including Wynton Marsalis, Mr. Cheeks (from hip hop group The Lost Boyz), Antonio Hart (jazz saxophonist), Craig G (from hip hop collective The Juice Crew), John Blake Jr. (jazz violinist), A$AP FERG, Dyme-a-Duzin (from band Phony Ppl), Itzhak Perlman (classical musician/ world known violinist), Keith David (actor/singer/voice actor), Isaac Stern (Grammy award violinist), and Regina Carter (jazz violinist). In 2008, Majid was the recipient of the prestigious Edward and Sally Van Lier Fellowship Award for composition. In 2011, he and his eponymous band, Ma*Jid, released a debut jazz EP in 2011 called The Basilisk as well as two mixtapes on Soundcloud called Sfumato Symphony Volume 1 & 2. Majid Khaliq’s music is an eclectic blend of styles and influences, which pull from European classical, jazz, and hip-hop.