J Kyle was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up in Bloomington. He currently lives between Verona, Italy and Beijing, China, teaching and performing Jazz all over the world.

He studied music performance and education at Berklee College of Music, Indiana University, and the University of Northern Colorado, completing his doctorate in 1995. In 1991 he received the prestigious Fulbright Grant for a year of pedagogical research into new methods of teaching improvisation in Hungary.

For the last 30 years, J Kyle has performed and taught in the United States, Italy, Canada, Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, England, Spain, Romania, Germany, the Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Lebanon, Cyprus, Taiwan, and China.

He has performed with numerous internationally-known jazz and commercial artists, including Paul Motian, Vincent Herring, the Mingus Dynasty Big Band, The Temptations, and Liza Minelli. J Kyle has recorded over 50 albums with various artists and independent labels, including his original compositions World Downside Up and Tongues of Fire, which are available on iTunes and Spotify. J Kyle’s new band, Leap of Faith, is comprised of an international cast of Beijing’s finest jazz musicians.

He teaches Jazz workshops in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East through Jazz Education Abroad. Through his work with the international social enterprise, Nexus, J Kyle facilitates learning communities where people get together to explore connections between great art and their own life stories.