Jazz Square Opening Ceremony Featuring Julius Rodriguez and Seba Molnar

The Boston Jazz Foundation is thrilled to announce the inaugural celebration of Jazz Square, a free, community-driven, and family-friendly event on September 27, 2024. Kicking off the Jazz Square Celebration will be an opening night show at the Red Room at Cafe 939 featuring performances by Julius Rodriguez and Seba Molnar. 

Julius Rodriguez has honed his voice since his childhood in New York, where he participated in his first late-night downtown jam session at barely 11 years old. Sharpening his skills with thousands of hours and hundreds of gigs, he established himself as a highly sought-after collaborator on piano, drums, synths, and bass. You can hear him loud and clear on recordings by Carmen Lundy, Lakecia Benjamin, Brasstracks, Kassa Overall, Baby Rose, Joe Farnsworth, Cautious Clay, Ian Isiah, and Braxton Cook. 

Moreover, he has shined on stage with the late Roy Hargrove, Remi Wolf, Dev Hynes, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Macy Gray, Kurt Elling, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, and Morgan James, to name a few. He even lent his talents to Meshell Ndegeocello's The Omnichord Real Book, which garnered the first-ever Grammy Award in the category of Best Alternative Jazz Album.

Following widespread applause from the New York Times, Vanity Fair, the FADER, and more, collaborations with everyone from Wynton Marsalis to A$AP Rocky, and tens of millions of streams, he grows in as many directions as possible on his second full-length offering, Evergreen.

Seba Molnar is an award-winning saxophonist, composer, and educator in based in Boston. Originally from Canton, New York, Molnar moved to Boston in 2012 to attend Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, he had the opportunity to study with world-renowned saxophonists George Garzone, Bill Pierce, and Tia Fuller.

Molnar has made a name for himself as an in-demand saxophonist, both as a sideman and as a leader of his own groups. He has shared stages with Grammy- and Emmy-winning and nominated artists such as Ghost-Note, Braxton Cook, Makaya McCraven, Patrice Rushen, Debo Ray, Charles Haynes, jazz legend George Garzone, Mighty Mystic, Java Jukebox, Kat Wright, and many more. 

Though his music is heavily rooted in jazz, Molnar’s curiosity for new sounds and innovation has enabled him to create a wide array of music that transcends genre. In 2020, he released his debut album, Level Up, featuring mentor George Garzone, along with Jens Sweeting, Soso Gelovani, and Clemens Grassmann.

In addition to his musical talents, Molnar is the founder and executive director of the Charles River Jazz Festival and the Boston Jazz Foundation. The foundation aims to revitalize the Boston jazz scene through educational workshops, scholarships, and performance opportunities. Molnar is dedicated to preserving the tradition of jazz while promoting a new generation of music, art, and culture.

Supported by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, Jazz Square Celebration is a collaboration between the Claremont Neighborhood Association, Boston Jazz Foundation, the Reckonings Project, Wally’s Cafe Jazz Club, Berklee College of Music, and JazzBoston. It is a tribute to the neighborhood's storied past and a commitment to its future as a center for arts, culture, and community.