Pierce Street series to showcase acclaimed vibraphonist Justin Thomas

Justin “Justefan” Thomas is an American vibraphonist, composer, producer, and singer from Baltimore, Md. A world-renowned musician, he rose to prominence in Chicago, playing genres from jazz to hip-hop, rhythm and blues, and pop. Thomas has played the vibraphone for 20 years, an odyssey that began at age 8 when his music teacher introduced him to the xylophone. 

Thomas has performed with Lionel Hampton, Wynton Marsalis, the Lincoln Jazz Orchestra, Ryan Cohan, and more. He has appeared as a special guest for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Chicago International Orchestra, and Chicago Jazz Orchestra. He has also played piano for seasons one and two of FOX TV’s “Empire,” and made an appearance on vibraphone in Spike Lee’s “Chiraq.” He has been featured on albums and is also a solo artist whose recent release is titled “Vibed Out Remixes.”

His work has captured the attention of NPR’s “Jazz Night in America,” 88.3FM WBGO’s “The Checkout,” the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and other media.

Thomas’ talented band on May 11 will consist of Henry “the Skipper” Franklin on bass, Theo Saunders on piano, and Ramon Banda on drums, all of who have performed with a long roster of top acts in the jazz, pop, and rhythm and blues industry.

The show begins at 7 p.m. at the Troesh Conference Center in La Sierra’s Zapara School of Business, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside. Admission is free. For further information call 951-785-2148. La Sierra University is located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside. A campus map is available at https://lasierra.edu/campus-map/.