April 5th, Sunday (Part 1 of 4)
Internationally Acclaimed Jazz Pianist/Composer Larry Vuckovich and KCSM's esteemed DJ Chris Cortez, take the audience on a Virtual Journey of the great clubs in San Francisco area, from the 50s and 60s. This Four-Part Series on KCSM's I'm Talkin’ Jazz , begins this Sunday, April 5, at 8 a.m., continuing throughout April on other Sundays, including April 12th, 19th and 26th.
50s and 60s era was the heyday of the amazing activity that jazz had throughout San Francisco and Bay Area, featuring regularly such great visitors as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Harry James, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, and Bill Evans Trios, Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, and many others. Additionally San Fran's resident outstanding musicians as John Handy, Cal Tjader, Vince Guaraldi, Richard Wyands, Dave Brubeck, Brew Moore, Eddie Duran and numerous others, performed frequently. Larry and Chris will feature exciting recordings, plus Larry Vuckovich will recount many interesting historic stories from those days, having freshly arrived as a teenager from former Yugoslavia, experiencing the new music, and also having personal connection with those greats. Don't miss this exciting four-part series!
April 5th, Sunday Afternoon Rescheduled for Sunday, November 8
Blockbuster Janice King Presentation: Two Finest Male Baritone Blues/Ballads Interpreters in the US – Jamie Davis & Alvon Johnson with the Larry Vuckovich All-Star Quartet, April 5th @ Vintage House, Sonoma, CA
Two of the finest vocalists on the jazz scene today and anywhere else in the world, Jamie Davis and Alvon Johnson, present a diverse program of swinging standards, soulful blues, plus romantic ballads. Alvon Johnson is also a masterful guitarist who makes his first appearance for the Sonoma Jazz Society. Alvon and Jamie both tour internationally on their own, having successful concerts all over the world. Besides exciting blues singing, both of these vocalists sing beautiful/romantic Johnny Hartman style ballads. They will be featured separately in two different sets, concluding the evening by singing together at the end. A new major discovery on the guitar, the young 24 year old , Kai Lyons, will be featured in Larry Vuckovich’s All Star Quartet – opening the show. Don’t miss this Blockbuster, unique performance – a Bay Area first!
Venue: Vintage House 264 1st Street East, Sonoma, CA
Admission: Tickets: $35 Members; $50 Non-Members
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Doors open at 3:00 p.m.
Featuring: Larry Vuckovich, piano / Jamie Davis, vocals / Alvon Johnson, vocals, guitar / Kai Lyons, guitar / Jeff Chambers, bass /Jason Lewis, drums
May 9th, Saturday
Internationally Acclaimed Jazz/Multilingual Vocalist, Jackie Ryan, with Larry Vuckovich – Art of the Duo @ Piedmont Piano/Saturday afternoon
Jackie Ryan, called by Jazz Times "One of the outstanding vocalists of her generation, and possibly of all time." She will be singing her amazingly diverse program of swinging standards, Latin/Brazilian classics including beautiful boleros, sambas plus blues, soulful selections, and her beautiful romantic ballads. This duet combination with pianist Larry Vuckovich, showcases close musical chemistry. They have been performing since the 90s and have developed a powerful presentation. Don't miss this special program at Piedmont Piano where they always attract a large audience. Refreshments including various wines and cheeses are available. We suggest you Reserve Your Seat before this sells out.
Venue: Piedmont Piano New Oakland store 18th and San Pablo, Oakland, CA
Admission: $25 Donation
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday afternoon
Information: (510) 547-8188
Tickets: Ticket Taylor (link coming up soon.)
Featuring: Jackie Ryan, vocals / Larry Vuckovich, piano
May 16th, Saturday
Classic Jazz Piano/Guitar/Bass Trio format: Hits from Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, Vince Guaraldi, Ahmad Jamaal , Jim Hall and Wynton Kelly trios @ JB Piano, San Rafael
Larry Vuckovich presents an exciting jazz historic trio format. Before the modern jazz piano trios of piano/bass/drums such as Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson and Hank Jones trio formats, the original jazz piano trio included the combination piano/guitar/bass. Nat King Cole popularized this format. Art Tatum also at times played in this combination. Vince Guaraldi's first recordings were also in this format. One of Jim Hall's favorite recordings was done with Carl Perkins on piano and Red Mitchell on bass. Ahmad Jamal had a very successful trio combination with the guitar, and a hard swinging pianist Wynton Kelly recorded in this combination with Kenny Burrell. Larry Vuckovich is excited to bring this swinging jazz trio concept for the first time to the JB piano company in San Rafael featuring the outstanding veteran Doug Miller on bass, and the young, new discovery on the guitar, Kai Lyons. Doug Miller, at an early age of 20, performed with the Count Basie orchestra, including the Count himself on piano, and Freddie Green on guitar. Young guitarist Kai Lyons has been impressing everyone that hears him, and is making a strong mark on the Bay Area jazz scene. Wines and cheeses will be served. Don't miss this special concert!
Venue: JB Piano Company 540 Irwin St, San Rafael, CA 94901
Admission: Tickets: $25
Time: 7:30PM (doors open at 6:30 PM) 415.456 – 9280
Tickets: brownpapertickets (information coming up soon.)
Featuring: Kai Lyons, guitar / Larry Vuckovich, piano /Doug Miller, bass
May 20th, Wednesday
Year 2020 marks the 40th Anniversary of Larry Vuckovich’s Landmark LP 1980 recording of Blue Balkan, featuring Bobby Hutcherson & Eric Golub . The Blue Balkan Ensemble, now renamed Crosswinds: Global Jazz Journey comes to Yoshi’s on Wednesday, May 20th Celebrating this Pioneering Release, 8 PM @ Yoshi's Jack London Square
Original LP Release received ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ½ Stars in Down Beat; "Most convincing, most integrated combinations ever of ethnic music and straight ahead Jazz." Cadence magazine ; 2002 re-release in CD format with new music was praised as " being ahead of its time " prefiguring the releases of John Zorn and Dave Douglas. Additionally, esteemed New York critic, Gary Giddins chose this CD for his top list of 2002 in Village Voice.
Larry Vuckovich is recognized as a pioneer, being the first in America to fuse Balkan ethnic with American jazz in 1980. The frontline instrumentation of marimba and violin, creates a unique, original sound. Bobby Hutcherson's playing on the Blue Balkan LP is considered as some of his best playing in the 1980s decade. Master violinist Eric Golub is still around, performing in top form. The current, renamed crosswinds: global jazz journey ensemble includes the master Middle Eastern percussionist Vince Delgado on dumbek/Egyptian tambourine/bongos and his wife, Coralie Russo on oud. Veterans Jeff Chambers on bass and Akira Tana on drums will round out the rhythm section. Going beyond Balkan and Middle Eastern material, this new ensemble presents swinging contemporary jazz – Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Randy Weston & more. Also, the ensemble plays Afro-Cuban Latin, Brazilian, tango jazz, funky Boogaloo rhythms, boleros & more. This is a concert not to be missed!
Venue: Yoshi's Jack London Square 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA
Admission: $23 – $49 (meet and greet the artists)
Time: 8 PM
Tickets: Info coming soon
Featuring: Larry Vuckovich, piano /Eric Golub, violin/Tommy Kesecker, marimba/Coralie Russo, oud/Vince Delgado, dumbek, Egyptian tambourine, bongos/ Jeff Chambers, bass / Akira Tana, drums
May 24th, Sunday Afternoon
Vocal Accompaniment Workshop – Of all the jazz pianists remaining on the scene today, Larry Vuckovich has performed with the Widest Ranging, Different Styled Group of Vocalists in History: Jon Hendricks, Cab Calloway, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Bobby McFerrin, Leon Thomas, Annie Ross, Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, Cleanhead Vinson & more. Different styles include jazz, blues – funky Boogaloo – gospel, ballads, Latin, Brazilian & World Music @ California Jazz Conservatory – The JAZZSCHOOL
This large group of great jazz singers, who cover all the different styles and expressions in jazz, gave Mr. Vuckovich invaluable experience in learning to be at home in whatever style they sang. These wide-ranging forms and styles of jazz singing include bebop, swing era, vocalese, ballad style, blues/gospel, Latin and Brazilian jazz, and even experimental avant-garde singing. Many of the great names that Larry accompanied include Eddie Jefferson, Anita O’Day, David Allyn, Helen Humes, Ernestine Anderson, Big Mama Thornton, Big Miller, Jimmy Witherspoon, Maria Volonte (Argentina), Celia Malheiros (Brazil) and more. In today’s workshop. Mr. Vuckovich will demonstrate different aspects of accompanying various styles of jazz, including different tempos and moods, by using varying harmonic voicings and colors pertaining to particular compositions. Different areas and styles of jazz require specific harmonies and special rhythms to define that period of jazz. Attention will be given to the usage allowing space, not crowding the vocalist. Another particular accompanying area that Larry specializes in is rubato – free style accompanying. The pianist and vocalist can create sympathetic, spontaneous interplay, resulting in developing a creative result, which brings the music to a high artistic level. The Gypsy – Roma musicians are the masters of rubato playing. Originating from the Balkans, Larry has absorbed this unique concept.
In today’s workshop pianists can learn how to play for blues and gospel singers, how to accompany bebop/swing vocalists, and also how to use the correct rhythms/comping for Latin and jazz accompanying. There will be examples seen and heard, including videos of some of the great singers accompanied by renown pianists as Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Lou Levy, and lesser known great accompanists, such as Don Abney and Jimmy Jones. Special note: besides musicians, who learn from this workshop, the music heard and demonstrated today, can be also enjoyed by the jazz lovers, who are not musicians. They will leave this workshop uplifted, having heard and learned some exceptional music, something totally fresh. Besides vocal accompanying, Larry will also demonstrate how to comp for instrumentalists.
Venue: California Jazz Conservatory 2040 Addison St., Berkeley, CA
Admission: Advance $35 - Day of Workshop $45
Time: 12:00 PM (Noon) – 3:00 PM
Information: (510) 845-5373
Featuring: Larry Vuckovich, piano
May 30th, Saturday afternoon
Larry Vuckovich in Solo Concert @ Maybeck Hall, Berkeley
Larry Vuckovich returns to Maybeck once again and will do a program of more surprises- selections that are seldom heard, including the ones he hasn't played in a while. As always, it'll be a diverse/wide ranging program of rare standards, classic jazz, bebop, Latin/Brazilian, world music including Balkan Ethnic selections, funky/boogaloo, jazz tango, etc. He came to San Francisco in 1951 as a teenager from Montenegro – former Yugoslavia. He was fortunate to experience the heyday of jazz of which the '50s decade had some of the richest and most diverse developments happening. He heard such great big bands as Harry James, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Woody Herman as well as small groups as Miles Davis, MJQ, Bill Evans, Red Garland, Sonny Rollins, just to name a few. He brings to the solo piano format all the impressions he absorbed from that period and more which developed later throughout his performances with the masters Mel Torme, Jon Hendricks, Dexter Gordon, Philly Joe Jones, Bobby Hutcherson, Charlie Haden, Charles McPherson, Tom Harrell & more. He was fortunate to study classical piano at SF State with the noted Russian classical master pianist Vladimir Brenner. Larry Vuckovich is recognized for his piano touch where he incorporates some European classical themes fused with jazz. Larry is also recognized as a pioneer in the U.S. for combining the Balkan Folk influences with Jazz which is found on his landmark recording "Blue Balkan" featuring Bobby Hutcherson. We hope you will join us for a unique solo piano presentation.
Venue: Maybeck Studio 1537 Euclid Ave., Berkeley, CA 94708
Admission: $25 general, $15 students. Online reservations required: Reserve Tickets
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM
Information: info@maybeckstudio.org
Tickets: Eventbrite
Featuring: Larry Vuckovich, solo piano