Eugene Uman
Jazz Center launches season with cutting-edge Cuban jazz
The Vermont Jazz Center kicks off its 2023–24 season on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. with exciting, cutting-edge Cuban jazz, featuring pianist Dayramir González and his Habana enTRANCé quartet, which includes James Robbins on bass, Juan Chiavassa on drums, and Taka Nikaido on percussion.
With piano playing reminiscent of that of his Cuban compatriots Chucho Valdés and Alfredo Rodriguez, González developed blazing technique through rigorous practicing in the classical tradition. He's supercharged it by an embodied sense of internalized rhythms.
A collaborative journey
Vermont Jazz Center hosts jazz pianists Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes for a live concert on May 13
The Vermont Jazz Center welcomes Renee Rosnes and Bill Charlap, who will perform on two Steinway concert grand pianos at the VJC on Saturday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. A married couple, Rosnes and Charlap are considered among the finest jazz pianists of their generation. Charlap is an unparalleled...
Three come together as one
Vermont Jazz Center hosts Johnathan Blake Trion on Feb. 18
Three of the top musicians in jazz come together to perform as as one in an evening of adventurous and energetic music at the Vermont Jazz Center, Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. Johnathan Blake’s Trion is a chord-less jazz trio (includes no chordal instrument such as piano or...
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Music beyond category
The Vermont Jazz Center's Big Band will present its annual Scholarship Gala on Friday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. This event is the primary fundraiser for the Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) Scholarship Fund, which grants an annual average of $27,000 in scholarships to students, offsetting fees for VJC ensembles, private lessons, and its summer jazz workshop. This year, the band will feature clarinetist/vocalist Evan Arntzen in a tribute to one of America's most important composers, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, as...
A young master
The Vermont Jazz Center's fifth Emerging Artist Festival begins with youth jazz ensembles performing at 118 Elliot on Friday, Nov. 4, continues on Saturday, Nov. 5 with student groups performing, and culminates on Saturday, Nov. 5 with a clinic and a concert by Grammy-nominated guitarist Dan Wilson. The festival celebrates the contributions of up-and-coming musicians who have not yet acquired the name recognition of older artists but who strongly deserve to be heard - like Wilson, a talent whose career...
Paying homage to early jazz and swing
At the Vermont Jazz Center, we are pleased to present vocalist Catherine Russell in concert on Saturday, Oct. 15. Russell will be performing with her working quartet, a group of musicians dedicated to creating energetic interpretations of blues and swing music, including Matt Munisteri on guitar, Sean Mason on piano, and Tal Ronen on acoustic bass. Russell has earned two Grammy nominations for Best Vocal Jazz Album and won a Grammy for her contribution to the soundtrack of the HBO...
'Black music at the end of the day is Black music'
Ambrose Akinmusire is a truth teller whose music is an expression of his personal journey as a Black man. Although he loves playing jazz standards, he has chosen to compose original music that draws attention to the realities of racism. The Vermont Jazz Center is pleased to present the Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet, featuring Akinmusire on trumpet, Sam Harris on piano, Linda May Han Oh on bass, and Tim Angulo on drums, on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. This will...
Vermont Jazz Center presents annual Solo Piano Festival
The Vermont Jazz Center will present its sixth annual Solo Jazz Piano Festival on Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23. The entire festival will be presented in person at VJC and simultaneously livestreamed for those unable to attend the performances and educational activities. With a diverse and talented set of pianists, the festival aims to illustrate the critical role that the piano continues to provide in the development of jazz as an art form for all music lovers, not...