“Dude, you sound like the Legolas of woodwinds. You actually sound like Legolas and it’s not just the hair.”
Multi-woodwind instrumentalist Jasper Dütz was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and is currently based in NYC. He began playing music at the age of seven after receiving his father’s $20 yard-sale purchased clarinet. Coming from an artistic family, he was exposed to the music of Charles Ives, Eric Dolphy, and Charles Mingus very early on. He began playing jazz in middle school after trying the baritone saxophone in band class. He currently co-leads Harlem-Based jazz ensemble "Three Hunters Trio" as well as his own quartet, and is a full time member of the grammy winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Arturo O'Farrill. Jasper also currently serves as artistic director for VGM Jam Sessions NYC. He has recorded or performed with artists such as Nels Cline, Lenny Pickett, Jon Batiste and Ron Carter.
Jasper aims to project and promote creative sincerity not only in music, but in all mediums of art. As a performer, he seeks to push the boundaries of all his instruments and speak with a unique voice that can be identified as his own in any setting regardless of genre. As a composer, he chooses to write music that conveys stories that evoke feelings of nostalgia and mysticism. Outside of music, Jasper is an avid video gamer and self-proclaimed nerd who finds inspiration in nature, science, and the lore of fictitious universes (eg. Lord of the Rings, Pokémon, Star Wars). A few of his creative influences include; Hayao Miyazaki, Björk, Junichi Masuda, Yasunori Mitsuda, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Stan Lee.
Jasper attended the Los Angeles County High School for the arts where he had the opportunity of learning from and performing alongside many acclaimed jazz artists including; Herbie Hancock, Barry Manilow, Diane Reeves and Christian McBride. He then graduated from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music on a full tuition scholarship where he studied with legends such as Lee Konitz, Reggie Workman and Jane Ira-Bloom. He has since performed at many of NYC’s top jazz venues and regularly tours throughout the United States, the Middle East and East Asia.
“Every age has its storytelling form, and video gaming is a huge part of our culture. You can ignore or embrace video games and imbue them with the best artistic quality. People are enthralled with video games in the same way as other people love the cinema or theatre.”