Described by DownBeat as “a particularly gifted interpreter of American roots music,” guitarist, songwriter and educator Justin Poindexter works across jazz, folk, country, blues, bluegrass and the American songbook. The Wall Street Journal has praised his playing for combining “the Nashville virtuosity of Chet Atkins with the postmodern jazz Americana soundscapes of Bill Frisell,” creating “something new and wondrous.”
A member of the founding faculty of the American Roots Music Institute at UNCSA, Poindexter teaches and develops curriculum exploring bluegrass, old-time music, blues, country, folk, gospel, early jazz and related American vernacular traditions. A UNCSA alumnus, he earned his Bachelor of Music in Composition, studying with composer Kenneth Frazelle.
I’m interested in illuminating the connections between musical traditions — tracing where the music comes from, how it carries history, and how those threads can lead to new forms of expression
Justin Poindexter
Career Highlights
- Creator and lead architect of Let Freedom Swing, reaching more than 500,000 students through 3,500+ performances
- U.S. Department of State American Music Abroad Artist and Cultural Ambassador
- Performances at Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Blue Note Jazz Club, Birdland Jazz Club, MerleFest, Philadelphia Folk Festival and the Kerrville Folk Festival
- Featured performer on the soundtrack to the Golden Globe-winning television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Recording credits spanning jazz and American roots music with Hilary Gardner, David Amram, Sasha Papernik, Julie Benko, Sweet Megg, Hannah Gill and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Awards, Recognitions & Honors
- Western Heritage Award — Outstanding Traditional Western Album, 2025
- International Western Music Association — Western Album of the Year, 2025
- Independent Music Award — Americana Album of the Year
- William R. Kenan, Jr. Fellow, Lincoln Center Institute
- The Times of London — On the Trail with The Lonesome Pines named one of the Top 10 Jazz Albums of 2024
- MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest — Finalist