Justin Purtill
Justin Purtill is a professional guitarist, bassist, improviser, and composer. At Sierra College, he teaches the jazz ensemble at Nevada County Campus.
He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Music from the Berklee College of Music, and a Master’s Degree in Contemporary Improvisation from the New England Conservatory.
As a performer and a current member of the Residente band, Justin has headlined festivals throughout the US, Europe, Scandinavia, Mexico, and Central and South America, including the 2017 Latin Grammys and the 2018 Austin City Limits Music Festival and television show. In 2019, the band headlined at the Zocalo in Mexico City for over 150,000 people. The band resumed touring in 2022 by headlining Vive Latino in Mexico City.
In 2020, Justin played guitar on Residente’s Latin Grammy-winning recording, Antes Que el Mundo Se Acabe, which has over 40 million views on YouTube. He was also featured in Residente’s quarantine editions of Latinoamérica and Apocalíptico, which have 2.9 million and 8 million views, respectively.
He has performed, recorded, and toured with the likes of Stu Allen, Gary Burton, Jerry Bergonzi, Hal Crook, David “Fuze” Fiuczynski, The Fringe, Brahim Fribgane, Leo Genovese, Donna Jean Godchaux, Bill Goodwin, Hassan Hakmoun, Joe Hunt, Steve Kimock, Eric Kloss, Francisco Mela, Rakalam Bob Moses, Tisziji Munoz, Tiger Okoshi, Thomas Pridgen, Residente, Melvin Seals and the JGB, Esperanza Spalding, Paul Wertico, and Amy Winehouse.
As a member of the Tiger Okoshi Quartet from 2000-2009, Justin toured the United States and Asia. As a member of Melvin Seals and the JGB from 2008-2009, Justin toured the US and Canada playing major jam and rock festivals. In the fall of 2016, Justin toured Argentina with Leo Genovese’s Nomades Trio, featuring Brahim Fribgane. With Hassan Hakmoun’s Universal Force, Justin headlined the 2019 Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira, Morocco.
In 2021, Justin co-composed (with Residente) the soundtrack for the HBO documentary Life of Crime, 1984-2020. Justin has released nine albums of improvisational singer-songwriter music: Permanent Mystery, Raw, Sore Eyes for Sight (Ayva Records), The Sun in Splendor (Constant Clip Records), The Avant-Gardist, Justin Purtill, The Crook In The Road, Re-Imaginings, and Simple Twist (577 Records, November 4, 2022 release date).