Six-foot-7″ Kansas City’s lead bass player, Julian Vaughn made a strong statement in 2010 with “The Purpose project”, his self-released debut. This album caught the attention both of radio and record companies who were eager to invest in his young talent. Trippin’ N’ Rhythm Records, one of the most aggressive and active labels in the genre, knew a star when it saw one and was eager to add Vaughn as one of its growing list of innovative young artists. His debut album, “Breakthrough”, is already making waves in the country. It has a two-week debut at #2 on the Billboard charts. Vaughn was raised in the same church as his grandfather, who then handed the reigns over to Vaughn’s dad. He began his musical career at the church playing the drums. But he says that it was just like 10 football players trying to catch a ball. The drumming battle became a stalemate over time. Vaughn, then 15, decided to play a different instrument. Vaughn fell in love with a bass guitar that a man from his church was using and quickly picked it up. It was love at first sight. Vaughn learned how to play, and soon discovered that he could play by ear. Vaughn quickly learned how to play songs, and other special techniques. Vaughn’s grandfather gave him a 6-string guitar when he was 19. It was black with gold trim. It was black with gold trim. He was astonished to discover the art of bass soloing. He recalls that his friends used to be critical of him for not playing the bass line enough to start soloing. He began work on his first CD in 2009, and knew that he needed to put in a lot of effort to break through the clutter to get noticed. Vaughn was listening to “Never Gonna Give You up”, a song rewritten by Wayman Tisdale and Toby Keith, one day. His attention was drawn not by Toby’s vocals nor Wayman’s lead basses but rather by Mel Brown’s bass line. Vaughn connected with Brown on MySpace, and he agreed to be on several tracks of the record. Darren Rahn was mentioned in a telephone conversation about sax players. Brown and Rahn had been very close friends. Vaughn said, “I knew that something special was on the horizon.” He agreed to mix a few songs on the record after a phone conversation with Darren. “It was Mel Brown and Darren Rahn who told me that I could make it in this genre.” “The Purpose Project” was released in 2010. The CD showcased Vaughn’s playing and strong songwriting skills. Vaughn said, “I produced and penned every song on the album, which I am still proud to this day, because it opened up the right doors for me.” He has also performed at major Jazz festivals like the Seabreeze Jazz Festival and Catalina Island Jazz Festival. This opened the door for Vaughn to perform in front of “Trippin’ ‘N Rhythm Records.” Vaughn won the hearts of the label CEO and received a recording contract. Vaughn’s debut album, Breakthrough, will be the label’s first. He is ready to carry the torch and lead the charge for new and innovative talent that will take C-Jazz to a new future. He reached out, grabbed the flame, and has taken the album with him. This infectious collection of sides is, as the title suggests, ready to break down established and afforestation boundaries and restore blood flow to the genre. The album was produced by Darren Rahn, one of the most skilled and respected producers in the format. His masterful touch has led to chart-topping Billboard hits for Wayman Tisdale, Eric Darius and Dave Koz. Vaughn is aware of industry trends, but doesn’t write music that fits the radio format. I’m aware of the trends in music, but I don’t base my writing on them. I write from the heart. The end is determined by what is in my heart at the time. Vaughn said that he wants to create music for people, not formats. He said, “Music is my everything. That’s why it’s why I love what I do.” from http://julianvaughnmusic.com
