BRATTLEBORO — On Friday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m., the Vermont Jazz Center will present its 15th annual Gala Scholarship Fundraiser Performance featuring internationally acclaimed vocalist Kevin Mahogany and guitarist Dave Stryker.
The Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, under the leadership of musical director Rob Freeberg, is a community orchestra made up of professional musicians who come together to rehearse and prepare for this annual event.
The Big Band will accompany Mahogany and Stryker as they delve into a repertoire of blues and classic jazz standards. All money raised from this annual gala will go directly to the VJC's Scholarship Fund.
The Fund serves as the primary source to assist scholarship students attending VJC's educational programs. The VJC offers an average of $17,000 in scholarships each year to help students attend ensembles, private lessons, and its annual Summer Jazz Workshop.
This year the Vermont Jazz Center is pulling out all the stops to celebrate its 15th year of presenting this annual big-band gala by inviting two special guests who have performed and recorded together extensively.
Mahogany is well known for both his small-group and big-band performances. He has his own repertoire made up of commissioned, custom-made charts, some of which were arranged by the legendary pianist/arranger Frank Mantooth. According to allmusic.com, Mahogany's “swinging style is reminiscent, but not derivative of Joe Williams.”
He takes pride in his Kansas City roots and, like another Kansas City legend, Charlie Parker, his delivery is deeply saturated in the authentic blues.
Born in 1958 in Kansas City, Mo., Mahogany grew up listening to the diverse musical sounds of his hometown, where the legacy of jazz and blues that reigned supreme there in the first half of the 20th century helped shape his style.
He took classes at the Charlie Parker Foundation and graduated from Baker University with a BFA in music, English, and drama in 1981. After establishing himself as an emerging artist with a stellar reputation, Mahogany recorded three well-received albums with the Enja label before signing with Warner Brothers.
His self-titled Warner debut received numerous high profile accolades including Newcomer of the Year (Penthouse) and he was nominated as No. 1 Jazz Singer of the Year (DownBeat Critics Poll). In 2000, Mahogany received the coveted Downbeat Male Vocalist of the Year Award.
The Los Angeles Times called him “one of the first truly gifted male vocalists to emerge in years” and Billboard magazine declared: “Kevin Mahogany is unquestionably one of today's most exciting and musically adept jazz vocalists.”
As an actor, Mahogany appeared in the Robert Altman film Kansas City, where he portrayed a character inspired by Big Joe Turner. He also appeared on Eastwood After Hours and in T.S. Monk's film Monk On Monk.
Stryker is no stranger to the Vermont Jazz Center. He has taught at the VJC Summer Jazz Workshop and performed numerous times at the VJC's Cotton Mill Studio. Stryker has twice been voted “Rising Star” in Downbeat's Critics Poll and has also been selected as one of the “Top 10 Best Jazz Guitarists” in Downbeat's Readers Poll.
Dave cut his teeth on jazz and blues as a young man living in Omaha, Nebraska. Still in his teens, he toured the country with the legendary organist Brother Jack McDuff and ended up at Dude's Lounge in Harlem, where the trio remained for a few years as the house band.
It was at Dude's Lounge that Stryker met tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, who asked him to join his quintet. From 1986-1995 he played with the legendary saxophonist at major festivals, concert halls, and clubs throughout the world. With Turrentine, Stryker was able to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard.
The 10 years playing alongside the tenor legend helped him realize the importance of cultivating his own sound. It is this connection to the blues and the soulful earthiness that has earned Stryker recognition and accolades within the musical community and with critics.
Stryker has released more than 20 CDs under his own name and leadership. He has also recorded with Stanley Turrentine, James Williams, Andy LaVerne, Javon Jackson, Steve Slagle, Kevin Mahogany, Sylvia Cuenca, and many others.
The members of the VJC Big Band include: trumpet section: Donald Anderson, Rick Anderson, Charlie Schneeweis, Joe Conti; saxophone section: Carl Clements, Sherm Fox, Bob Stabach, Larry Tutt, Nick Pelton; trombone section: Riley Goodemote, John Wheeler, Zach Trombley, Bob Thies; rhythm section: Julian Gerstin (percussion), Draa Hobbs (guitar), Dave Picchi (bass), Steve Rice (drums), and Eugene Uman (piano).