Eugene Uman
Pushing the harp beyond ‘naked baby angels’
BRATTLEBORO-Initially, listeners might not associate the harp with jazz music, which is one of the reasons this concert is so significant. Brandee Younger is passionate about the harp's role in the jazz tradition, and one of her goals is to correct our misconceptions.
Younger will be performing on Saturday, Jan. 18, with her working trio, which includes Rashaan Carter on electric and acoustic basses and Allan Mednard on drums.
Swinging the blues for a good cause
Scholarship gala features Vermont Jazz Center Big Band with special guest vocalist Carmen Bradford
BRATTLEBORO-The 18-piece Vermont Jazz Center Big Band is excited to celebrate 20 years of music, and what better way to celebrate than by honoring the legacy of Count Basie? For this year's annual scholarship gala, which takes place on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m., they will pull out...
Palpable excitement for performing
VJC hosts Emerging Artist Festival featuring 11 student groups and headliner Ekep Nkwelle on Nov. 1 and 2
BRATTLEBORO-Each year, the Vermont Jazz Center presents its Emerging Artist Festival, to celebrate the impact of youth in jazz. On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2, those influences will be on full display as the VJC will present 11 student groups, plus a clinic and concert, with one...
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Good-feeling music never goes out of fashion
BRATTLEBORO-The name "Somethin' Else" refers to the 1958, desert-island-worthy recording by saxophonist Cannonball Adderley that enticingly featured trumpeter Miles Davis. The band "Something Else" - performing at the Vermont Jazz Center on Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. - is a seven-piece, three-horn band organized by alto saxophonist Vincent Herring that draws on the rich repertoire of soul jazz, a music that came to fruition in the early 1960s. Soul jazz successfully combined the sophistication of jazz improvisation with the danceable...
A rich, percussion-driven universe
BRATTLEBORO-The Vermont Jazz Center lifts off its 2024–25 concert season on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m., with the dynamic Trinidadian trumpeter, composer, and percussionist Etienne Charles. Come learn the stories of Charles's explorations and enjoy the band's serious grooves at the VJC on Saturday, Sept. 21. Calypso, funk, reggae, and jazz music will postpone the chilly, fall winds of Vermont. These joyful sounds will make you want to dance and feel like carnival really does exist. Charles has traveled...
Natural chemistry
BRATTLEBORO-On May 18, at 7:30 p.m., the Vermont Jazz Center will present Artemis, voted the Jazz Group of the Year in DownBeat's 2023 Readers' Poll. This supergroup was initially organized by pianist and music director Renee Rosnes. The other members are trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, saxophonist Nicole Glover, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller. The first incarnation of Artemis was formed in 2016 when Rosnes put together a band for a European tour. In an interview with Don Was of...
A grand Brattleboro tradition
BRATTLEBORO-The Vermont Jazz Center celebrates the vital role of the piano in the history of jazz by hosting its annual Solo Jazz Piano Festival on April 19 and 20. The artists headlining this year's festival are Hey Rim Jeon, Aaron Parks, Alfredo Rodriguez and Jacky Terrasson; emerging artists are Yujin Han and Mathew Mueller. On each night of the festival, two headlining pianists will present back-to-back solo sets starting at 7:30 p.m. April 19 will include performances by Hey Rim...
Legendary sound
The Vermont Jazz Center presents one of the greatest fusion guitarists in the history of the style. On Saturday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m., six-time Grammy nominee Mike Stern will perform with his wife, Leni Stern, on guitar, accompanied by Bob Franceschini on saxophone, Noam Tanzer on bass, and Juan Chiavassa on drums. Using the vocabulary of jazz, rock, fusion, funk, New Orleans music, and African music, Stern's masterful and grooving command of his instrument conveys a sense of joy...