Kahlil Childs re the moment he fell in love with jazz. Although he was surrounded by the sounds of jazz, soul, blues, funk, reggae, Afro-Latin music, and old school hip-hop from the ’80s and ’90s, those were recordings. Hearing live jazz had him smitten.
“One night, when I was 9 years old, my dad took me to Panama 66 in Balboa Park, and we heard the house band led by Gilbert Castellanos. I was completely blown away! It was one thing to hear jazz on records, but something else to hear it live,” he recalls. “I feeling how intense the music was; ever since that moment, I knew I wanted to be a jazz musician. Hearing the interplay between these great musicians and hearing the power of their sound was incredible. Immediately after hearing them, I told my dad I wanted to Gilbert’s Young Lions Jazz Conservatory so that I could learn from him and the other great teachers in that program.”
And that’s what happened. Childs had been singing and dancing from the time he was very small, but says that the interesting shape of the alto saxophone, with its levers and buttons, piqued his curiosity and inspired him to learn to play. He took his first lessons at McCrea Music in La Mesa, and hearing jazz musician Eric Dolphy inspired him to pick up the bass clarinet and the flute. He currently plays the alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, in addition to the bass clarinet and the flute; plays with the Rob Thorsen Quartet and in the Gilbert Castellanos’ Young Lions Jazz Conservatory; studies under jazz greats Charles Mherson and Kamau Kenyatta; will play in this year’s Monterey Jazz Festival as a member of the 2025 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, directed by Gerald Clayton; and heads up his Kahlil Childs Quartet with his friends Zollie Wariner, Luke Little, and Quincy Reyes on drums, bass, and piano, respectively.
Childs, 15, is home schooled and in the ninth grade, and lives in San Diego’s El Cerrito neighborhood with his dad, Dennis, his mom, Saranella, and their dog, Solstice. His next local live performance is from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Panama 66 in the sculpture garden courtyard at Balboa Park. He took some time to talk about his ion for music, learning from music legends, and his plans for his future.
Q: How did the music you heard growing up, influence the music you felt drawn to learn and perform?
A: Hearing a record like John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” early on had a great effect on me. The sound of his saxophone made me feel a whole range of emotions from deep sadness to pure joy. This made me realize the power of music, in general, and the saxophone, in particular. Even though I focus mostly on jazz, my love of hip-hop has drawn me to artists like Kendrick Lamar. I’m super inspired by Kendrick, especially since he’s really influenced by jazz and has jazz players on his records. He has influenced me to do jazz hip-hop fusion in my shows. It’s always super fun to play his music. Recently, I’ve also been composing a suite of music and that takes a lot of classical music influence.
Q: What is it about playing music that speaks to you creatively, as opposed to another art form?
A: There is something so special to me about performing music in front of a live audience. It’s so exhilarating, not only because I enjoy the music myself, but because I get to share making music with my bandmates and also get to share our art with the audience. I feel the audience getting uplifted by the music we play and that lifts my spirits. Music is the artform that speaks to me. As soon as I started playing music seriously, it just became a part of me. I’m always so inspired to practice that I feel terrible if I don’t get to it on a given day. For me, music is not something I do like a job, it’s a way of life.
What I love about San Diego’s El Cerrito neighborhood…
I love that where I live has a lot of trees, hills, and bird life. We even have hawks in our neighborhood. It’s also great because there’s a very nice park nearby called Colina del Sol. There, you can see people from all around the world—West Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America — all just having a good time, playing sports, and enjoying the day. East San Diego has been a great place to grow up.
Q: You’re currently studying with legit jazz greats Charles Mherson and Kamau Kenyatta. How did these student-teacher relationships with each of them come together?
A: It’s such an amazing experience to learn from greats like Charles Mherson and Kamau Kenyatta. I meet with both of them in person. I work with Kamau once a week and with Mr. Mherson about once a month. My lessons with Mr. Mherson are focused on saxophone technique and playing in the bebop tradition. And in my work with Kamau we focus more on composition and expanding my repertoire.
Q: Why did you want to work with these two musicians, specifically?
A: They are both such masters! And they are both from Detroit, a city that is hugely important for jazz. Charles Mherson is one of the greatest living masters of the alto saxophone and has played with jazz legends such as Charles Mingus and Barry Harris. So, in working with him, I not only get to focus on improving my technique, but I also get to hear his wonderful stories about playing with such legends.
With Kamau, he introduced me to concepts of harmony and to a broad musical repertoire that is not just limited to jazz. He is so expansive in his approach to music, and he has taught me to be open in my own approach. He not only worked with jazz greats such as Donald Byrd, but he also produced great albums with the great singer Gregory Porter. Kamau was also responsible for me getting to go to Detroit where I got to play with wonderful musicians and also ended up getting to play in the Detroit International Jazz Festival. I would not be the musician I am today without the guidance of both Kamau and Mr. Mherson.
Q: How long have you been working with each of them and what have you learned during this time?
A: For Mr. Mherson, I actually first took a couple virtual lessons with him over the pandemic when I was 11. I was not ready for that! I was at a level where I still didn’t know music at a technical level. So, when I was 14, I started back up with him. Lessons with him are a real jazz work-out. He has such a wealth of technical exercises and harmonic concepts. Another reason I love spending time with him are his stories. It’s very rare to spend time with someone who has met and heard Charlie Parker.
As to Kamau, I started studying with him when I was 12. Studying with him has opened my eyes to so much. He was really the first person that told me about the jazz that is happening today, and he showed me two of my favorite modern artists: Immanuel Wilkins and Ambrose Akinmusire. He also was the first person who really told me how to think about harmony. Kamau is also one of the greatest composers and musicians of our time. He showed me how to compose music, which is a huge part of who I am as a musician.
Q: Let’s talk about your band, the Kahlil Childs Quartet. What inspired you to start your own group, especially considering how busy you already are?
A: Why I wanted to start my own group was to play the songs that I love. I really wanted the chance to focus on playing a modern repertoire that is inspired by artists like Immanuel Wilkins, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Marquis Hill. I also wanted the chance to perform my own compositions, so having my own band was the best way to accomplish these goals. Another reason I formed the band was to play with some of my favorite musicians and friends. My bandmates Zollie Wariner, Luke Little, and Quincy Reyes are not only great musicians, but they are my best friends. We are like brothers.
The band has gone through a few different iterations, but the current one had its debut last December at Dizzy’s Jazz Club. I truly feel that these guys are some of the best young musicians in Southern California and I’m proud to play with them. We’re currently in a steady rhythm of having at least two or three gigs a month and even recently got to play at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla, which was a great experience. We have rehearsals every time we have a big show and often rehearse for anywhere between six to eight hours for a big show. Recently, I’ve been writing a lot of music, and with the style of my compositions, we need a lot of time to prepare.
Q: Are you thinking about what you want to do after high school?
A: I definitely want to move to New York City after high school and hopefully attend a conservatory like Juilliard or the Manhattan School of Music. My ultimate goal is to live in New York and tour with my own groups and with the musicians that inspire me and to record albums of my own, and as a sideman (a ing musician in a band).
Q: What inspires you, musically or in your creative process?
A: The thing that inspires me most creatively is listening to music. I am inspired by all-time greats like Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Eric Dolphy and Kenny Garrett, and also younger players like Immanuel Wilkins, Ambrose Akinmusire, Marquis Hill, Joel Ross, Elena Pinderhughes, and Chief Adjuah. Listening to these incredible musicians inspires me to play and compose my own music. In all of their music, I feel a sense of intense emotion that I try to put into my own music and playing.
Q: Who are some of your favorite musicians-jazz or otherwise-and why are they your favorites?
A: One of my favorite musicians and composers is Ambrose Akinmusire. One of the things his music has shown me is the importance of finding your own voice, specifically through composition. Studying his compositions has inspired me to write my own songs, which my quartet has performed live here in San Diego, that I also hope to record one day on albums. Ambrose also has an original approach, not only in his songs, but in his playing. No one else sounds like him on the trumpet and I know that in order to achieve that he had to have had an incredible work ethic.
Another artist who I love is Immanuel Wilkins who, for me, is the most important modern saxophonist and musician. His album “The 7th Hand” is my favorite album of all time. His playing of the alto saxophone is absolutely beautiful and his compositions like “Emanation” and “Lighthouse” are amazing, not only because of his playing, but because of the way he interacts with his fellow musicians. I actually got to hear Immanuel’s quartet play this album live with my dad when I was 13 and it was the most inspirational live show I’ve ever seen. Hearing Immanuel and his band completely changed my approach to playing music. Another thing about Immanuel’s music is that it’s connected to African American history. For instance, my quartet has performed a composition by him called “Mary Turner-An American Tradition” that is about a Black woman named Mary Turner who was lynched in Georgia in 1918. For me, this shows that through jazz you can give a voice to the need for justice.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: The best advice I ever got was from Marshall Hawkins, a legendary bass player who lives near San Diego, and who I got the honor to play with a few times. When I was 12, he said to me, “You’re going to be a leader, but in order to be a leader, you have to be a great sideman.” For me, that means that you can never have an ego and take up all the airtime. You have to give room to your bandmates to express themselves and have ownership of the music.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: A lot of people are surprised that I’m such a big film buff. Me and my friends are all on this app called Letterboxed where you log and review every movie you watch. Watching films is definitely my favorite way to relax. I used to make short films with my drummer and best friend, Zollie, when we were much younger.
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: Playing music, spending time with friends and family, and eating my favorite food. Going to see a movie is great, too. During the summer we are always at the beach. I have loved the ocean since I was a baby.
