Jason, known artistically as JKriv, is a New York native who grew up about an hour north of the city in a suburban area where his family has long-established roots. For the past 25 years, he has called Brooklyn home.

JKriv’s path into music began early — around age 12 — when he picked up the bass and guitar, initially drawn to rock before gradually expanding his ear toward the grooves of ‘70s funk, soul, and eventually jazz. This wide-ranging musical curiosity laid the groundwork for what would become a deep love of dance music, disco, and the culture of the club.

For the past 10 to 15 years, he has produced the majority of his music from a compact home studio in his Brooklyn apartment. While the space isn’t designed for full live band recordings, it functions perfectly as his creative hub — a place where digital production and live elements come together organically.

Jkriv deep connection with Brazil began during his studies, when a jazz professor introduced him to Brazilian music through the lens of bossa nova and MPB. That early exposure led to gigs in a Brazilian jazz group in New York, a relationship with a singer from Rio, and eventually, several extended trips to Brazil in the early 2000s. Since then, Brazilian music and culture have become central to his life and work. Over the past seven years, he has performed annually at the MA Festival over New Year’s, using the opportunity to travel and collaborate across the country.