Calendar of Events

Jazz Piano

with Larry Vuckovich

Master jazz pianist Larry Vuckovich offers a unique hands-on workshop highlighting the history of jazz piano. This event is designed for both musicians and jazz fans who would like to learn more about the history and origins of jazz piano from a nationally and internationally acclaimed musician. Larry will bring CDs of the jazz piano masters and also demonstrate on piano the signature styles of many of these legendary pianists. He starts with New Orleans sounds of Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines, moves through swing era piano of Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum, and on to bebop era innovations of Bud Powell,Thelonious Monk and Barry Harris, then, original jazz expressions of Erroll Garner, followed by hard bop bluesy inflections of Red Garland and Sonny Clark, and post bop changes of Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan, to further post bop extensions of Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea. He concludes with free jazz and atonal piano improvisation of Cecil Taylor. This versatile pianist has performed and traveled with many jazz giants throughout the years – as mentioned below – enabling him to capture the characteristic sounds, including harmonic, melodic and rhythmic expressions, of a wide spectrum of jazz piano masters.

Larry Vuckovich gained first-hand knowledge and authenticity from performances and/or recordings with many of the jazz greats, including: Dexter Gordon, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Charlie Haden, Bobby Hutcherson, Tom Harrell, Charles McPherson, Billy Higgins, Lucky Thompson, Joe Williams, Jon Hendricks, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Bobby McFerrin. He has been associated with several piano masters – some for a long period, others for a brief, but meaningful time – such as Bud Powell, Red Garland, Bill Evans, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and as the only student of Vince Guaraldi, untilVince’s passing. (Although Vince is mainly known today for his Peanuts fame, he gave to Larry true jazz and Latin elements that he obtained during his important tenure with Cal Tjader’s band, that included Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo and Al McKibbon. Larry was honored when Vince Guaraldi chose him as his partner in a two-piano quintet.

This workshop covers numerous arrangements of standards and original tunes using typical and less frequently encountered grooves.

Over the course of the workshop, students examine and play Brazilian, Latin and more groove-oriented jazz styles (funk, New Orleans second line, etc.) as well as more ‘exotic’ world-influenced rhythms from India and the Middle-East.

A key goal of the workshop is to see the thread of influence of African rhythms in new world styles starting with the blues and triplet-based beats going from slow blues to 6/8 and 12/8.

The event begins with a lecture/demonstration by the instructor followed by an interactive session with students analyzing, learning and playing arrangements taught by ear and standard notation.

Open to instrumentalists and vocal improvisers.

Prerequisites: basic knowledge of reading and improvising but also open to students who play more by ear than by reading. Some music is taught completely by ear.

Freddie Bryant received a Master’s degree in classical guitar from the Yale School of Music and is in demand in the New York jazz and Brazilian scenes, where he has worked with Elaine Elias, Tom Harrell and many others. He currently is a member of Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy Septet, the Mingus Orchestra and leads his own groups, Trio del Sol and Kaleidoscope.

Bryant has six CDs as a leader: Live Grooves…Epic Tales (just released in Oct. ’12 on HiPNOTIC records) Trio del Sol (Twinz Records); Brazilian Rosewood, Boogaloo Brasileiro, Live at Smoke (Fresh Sound Records); and Take Your Dance into Battle (Jazz City Spirit).

He has toured 50 countries and collaborated with musicians from a variety of backgrounds, including Indian classical musicians, African singers, oud players, traditional Arab groups and klezmer bands. In 2006, Bryant spent a week in Cuba , performing and working with other musicians.

As an impassioned educator, he has taught jazz to all ages around the world. Bryant is on the faculties of Berklee College of Music and Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen, Holland . His website is www.freddiebryant.com

$30 advance purchase/$45 day of the workshop

Brushes are among the most effective and essential tools available for drummers when playing in an acoustic jazz context.

This workshop provides an overview of brush techniques and concepts, including basic time patterns, variations, accents, textural possibilities, articulation, and finger control, and in moving beyond the fundamentals, covers the ways that brushes can open one’s playing up to new ideas, dynamics, and interactive possibilities.

Open to all drummers, as well as any musicians interested in learning basic time playing with brushes.

$30 advance purchase/$45 day of the workshop