The New York Times proclaims, “Rafiq Bhatia is writing his own musical language,” heralding him as “one of the most intriguing figures in music today.” Bhatia’s 2018 album Breaking English finds a visceral common ground between ecstatic avant-jazz, mournful soul, tangled strings, and building-shaking electronics, while 2020’s Standards Vol. 1 EP transforms cornerstone works by Duke Ellington, Ornette Coleman, and more into immersive, otherworldly realms of sound.
Bhatia has presented his music live in dozens of performances across three continents and has been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, Cincinnati Symphony, Walker Art Center, Liquid Music, The Jazz Gallery, and more. Bhatia has collaborated with Arooj Aftab, Dave Douglas, Vijay Iyer, Okkyung Lee, Billy Hart, Helado Negro, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Moses Sumney, and many others. Since 2014, Bhatia has been a member of the band Son Lux. Together, they have released three albums and numerous EPs, given over 500 performances worldwide and scored the film Everything Everywhere All At Once for A24.
