Sheila Jordan and Steve Kuhn Duo

Jazz Legends Sheila Jordan and Steve Kuhn to perform an Intimate Concert at the Vermont Jazz Center on March 24th

The Vermont Jazz Center is extremely pleased to present a concert with the Sheila Jordan - Steve Kuhn Duo on March 24th at 8:00 PM. Vocalist Sheila Jordan is a 2012 recipient of the nation's highest honor in jazz, the National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters Award. She has been on the faculty of the Vermont Jazz Center's Summer Jazz Workshop since 1997 and as such has positively influenced the lives of hundreds of members of our immediate community. Pianist Steve Kuhn is also a living legend. He emerged on the scene in 1959 and immediately began playing and recording with some of the very best artists of that fertile period including Kenny Dorham, John Coltrane, Max Roach, Stan Getz, Roy Haynes, Clark Terry and Scott LaFaro. He has been called "a major pianist of our time."

Sheila Jordan and Steve Kuhn have been performing together since 1979 when Jordan joined Kuhn's quartet (with Bob Moses and Harvie Schwartz). During this two-year chapter of their association, they recorded Kuhn's groundbreaking ECM album Playground, toured Europe and were featured in major clubs and festivals. After a long hiatus, their recorded career resumed in 1996 with Kuhn appearing as pianist on two of Jordan's recent albums (Jazz Child and Little Song). The two are now preparing to record a duo album in the near future. When asked who she wanted to perform with on this date, Sheila was quick to respond: "a duo with Steve Kuhn, he's my favorite pianist in the world!"

Sheila Jordan is an unassuming woman who has positively affected the lives of thousands of people. She chooses her performance and teaching options carefully and is extremely loyal to organizations with whom she has worked prior to the recent surge in her career. Her willingness to continue to perform and teach at the Vermont Jazz Center's intimate venue is not taken lightly. This performance is a gift to our community and should not be missed.

On stage, Sheila always champions bebop and the tremendous contributions made by her mentor, Charlie Parker. She performs many of his classics including Ornithology, Confirmation, Anthropology and Barbados, she also sings other bebop gems like Little Willie Leaps by Miles Davis and Rhythm-a-ning by Thelonious Monk. Unlike most performers today, Jordan was a member of the close-knit community of bop musicians while that style was thriving. She was personally acquainted with all of bebop's greatest figures and even had a chance to perform with many of its shining stars. She was married to and had a daughter with Duke Jordan, Charlie Parker's pianist. Sheila remains close friends with saxophone titan Sonny Rollins and never misses an opportunity to shine a light on the vast accomplishments of her close friends who've recently passed including Dr. Billy Taylor and Max Roach.

Although Sheila is known for her work bearing bebop's flame, she is not constrained by style - her sound is her own. Unafraid to venture into open structures, Jordan's music asserts that bebop is a language that gives access to creative choices and can even be used in Free situations. Along with bebop tunes, her broad repertoire includes classic standards by the Gershwins, Ray Noble,Vernon Duke, Frank Loesser and many others. She has performed "outside" repertoire with George Russell, Bob Moses, Rowell Rudd, George Gruntz (singing a libretto by Allen Ginsberg) and has a group with Cameron Brown that emphasizes the compositions of Don Cherry.

Sheila believes that the music needs to be fresh, exciting and delivered straight from the heart. In a recent three-part interview (www.jazzwax.com/2012/01/interview-sheila-jordan-part-1.html) when asked how she would describe her musical style, Sheila's response was: "I don't' know. Honest, I guess. I don't try to be anything else but that. I just sing for the joy of singing. I never worried about why some singers were making it and I wasn't. I just wanted to keep the music alive, especially Bird's music."

Due to his restraint in self-promotion, pianist Steve Kuhn's work is appreciated mostly by those devoted to the history of the music; his participation in projects of creative significance are reflected in his extensive discography where examples of his deft, lyrical playing can be found in the company of jazz's finest artists.

As a precocious youth growing up in Boston, Kuhn began his professional jazz career at age 13 playing in baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff's group. Throughout his teens Kuhn continued to play in Boston jazz clubs with visiting celebrities including Coleman Hawkins, Chet Baker and Vic Dickenson. After graduation from Harvard College, Kuhn attended the Lenox School of Music where he met and played in a group with fellow-students Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. The faculty included Bill Evans, George Russell, and Gunther Schuller. While at Lenox, Kuhn met trumpeter Kenny Dorham and began a two-year stint, interrupted when Kuhn was asked to join John Coltrane's newly-formed quartet.

Kuhn next joined Stan Getz's band, which included bassist Scott LaFaro. After a year with Art Farmer, he formed the first Steve Kuhn Trio, with drummer Pete LaRoca and bassist Steve Swallow. At the end of the 1960's he spent four years living in Europe, where his performances had a significant impact upon local players. Upon returning to the United States, Kuhn began his long-term affiliation with the ECM record label, resulting in a string of important albums. In the mid-80's, Kuhn co-founded the popular 'All Star Trio', with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster. The piano trio continues as Kuhn's most consistent vehicle for musical expression. His most enduring group is with drummer Joey Baron and bassist David Fink. Kuhn continues to tour widely throughout the world and enjoys a strong following in Europe and especially Japan.

Participate in this remarkable opportunity to listen to two of jazz's luminary figures perform together in an intimate duo setting. This concert is being sponsored by William Schutt of Matcor Inc., a company specializing in rust resistant materials for bridges and other heavy construction. Mr. Schutt is himself a jazz saxophonist and a generous patron of the arts, especially around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This concert is also sponsored by a grant from the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment of the Arts.

General admission to hear the Sheila Jordan/Steve Kuhn Duo on March 24th at 8:00 PM is $20.00, $15.00 for students with valid ID. Purchase tickets online at www.vtjazz.org, at In the Moment, downtown Brattleboro, or call the VJC ticket line, 802-254-9088, ext. 1. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. This concert is handicapped accessible, but please call in advance (802-254-9088) if someone in your party will require the use of an elevator. Reserve or purchase your tickets early. It is anticipated that this exciting concert will sell out quickly.

Jazz Guitar Summit - A Tribute to Attila Zoller

The VJC's founder, Attila Zoller (1927 - 1998) was a top-tiered guitarist who performed and recorded with the most note-worthy jazz musicians of his time. His stature was confirmed by the New England Foundation on the Arts in 1995 when they presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award; he was lauded by JazzTimes Magazine as one of the 10 most underrated guitarists in History. A prolific composer, Zoller's catchy tunes with complex harmonic variants were his calling card. Sadly many of those compositions today lie dormant.

This year's concert will focus on the music of Zoller as performed by those who knew him well. It is being organized by one of Attila's distinguished students, Draa Hobbs, who remains passionate in his drive to keep Zoller's music alive. Also appearing are pianist Jon Raney, (the son of guitar legend, Jimmy Raney - one of Attila's closest friends), bassist Ron McLure and drummer Eliot Zigmund. Guest artists TBA

Howard Brofsky and Friends

Brofsky's sublime sound on cornet is at the core of the Vermont Jazz Center's identity. Whether performing a gentle ballad or tearing up an obscure bebop "head," Brofsky never forgets that the melody is what it's all about! An old-school learner, his jazz education came from listening to Charlie Parker live and transcribing classic solos from the original 78 RPM recordings.

He continues to teach at Queens College where students of jazz history realize that his classes are a remarkable opportunity to learn from a brilliant individual who drank from the original well. Now in his 80s and at the tope of his game, Brofsky seeks out young players to discover like-minded, energized performers. Last year the Octo-bopper's band spanned four generations. His penchant for the music of Charlie Parker, Sonny Clark and Dexter Gordon has earned him the name "Dr Bebop." At this concert listeners will be drinking water from bebop's deepest well.

Eugene Uman Project

Pianist Eugene Uman composes sizzling pieces of jazz that draw from a range of influences and cultural traditions. Embroidered through his works are heavy harmonic strands from Columbia and Cuba, with modal and rhythmic borders from India and regions of North Africa, all overlain with the format of jazz and free expression. The one constant coursing through Uman's music is energy, sometimes raw, other times refined, but always pushing forward, charting new territory.

Eugene Uman has served as artistic director of the Vermont Jazz Center since 1997, where he has produced more than 160 concerts and built the program to a renowned venue and educational hub. He has performed with a long list of jazz masters, including Sheila Jordan, George Mraz, Jimmy Heath, Donald Byrd and many more. Uman's Convergence Project melds the virtuoso talents of Jeff Galindo on trombone, Michael Zsoldos, saxophones, Stomu Takeishi, bass, and Satoshi Takeishi, drums, into a compelling amalgam of musical innovation.