For more than a decade, as the leader of the band Saw Black, Justin Black has been one of Richmond’s most popular indie rock musicians, specializing in Neil Young-style rock and homespun, melancholic folk.
The Southside resident gets his affinity for music honestly. His grandfather was piano player Jimmy Black, whose specialty was Dixieland jazz. The James W. Black Music Center at Virginia Commonwealth is named after him, and the VCU jazz school was established in his honor. Grandfather Jimmy gave Justin a guitar when he was 10, while younger brother Parker, a longtime collaborator in Justin’s bands, got some drums.
Lately, the Powatan native has been making an even bigger splash as a documentary filmmaker. With partners Will Gemma and Dietrich Teschner, Justin has directed and produced two feature films about rafting down the James River (“Headwaters Down” and “Headwaters Down: Tidal River”) — both shown locally on VPM and on PBS stations nationwide (disclosure: VPM owns Style Weekly). Also he is working on an upcoming feature film, “Land Back: Rappahannock,” about the Rappahannock Tribe and its pioneering leader, Chief Anne Richardson.
Black’s wife, Mauve Jones, is the executive director of the Poe Museum (and a 2024 Top 40 winner). Regarding his film work, she says that “Justin’s films not only educate audiences about the environmental issues threatening the health of the James River, like pollution, sewage runoff, illegal dumping by chemical companies, they also encourage people of all ages, backgrounds and comfort levels to engage with the outdoor resources in their own backyards.”
In his day job, Justin works for RVA Paddlesports, where he leads raft trips down the James — slightly less dangerous than what he documented in the “Headwaters Down” films — and he recently finished a 30-minute film about raft guide training. He’s an active advocate for the James River Park system, assisting in cleanup efforts and, at the 2025 Richmond Folk Festival, curating an exhibit for Virginia Humanities’ Virginia Folklife program on Richmond’s waterways. He’s also coordinated fundraising events for Beyond Boundaries, which helps those with disabilities enjoy the outdoors, and volunteers his time to help young filmmakers; he’s been a judge for the Virginia High School Film Festival and held a Short Film Showcase event at Gallery5 where student directors screened their work.
Alas, all of this activity doesn’t leave much time for music.
“Saw Black is not really active now,” he says. “It isn’t a priority. But I still try to play a couple shows a year.” If you want to hear Justin’s new sounds, you have to see his films. He scores the evocative, atmospheric soundtracks himself.
