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Larry Vuckovich Dynamic Duo
87th Birthday Celebration
Pianist Larry Vuckovich celebrates his 87th birthday in one of his favorite musical settings – Dynamic Duo featuring the creative guitarist Kai Lyons. The steadily growing dynamic chemistry between them brings their jazz expression to a higher level, showcasing a diverse palate of musical styles. They'll play some fresh, hardly-ever-heard material, the Great American Songbook, and more, including some vocal scat on hits of Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie from the Bebop era, and music from The Godfather films. Don't miss this powerful performance and chance to celebrate with Larry!
$25 General Admission
We are offering a limited number of tickets to attend this performance in person. Advance purchase is recommended. COVID-19 SAFETY: Masking is encouraged but no longer required.
LARRY VUCKOVICH
Larry Vuckovich has won acclaim from critics and jazz audiences for his deeply imaginative style and repertoire heard at prestigious North American and European jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals. He is as equally at home in world music/classically influenced modal jazz as he is in hard-swinging bebop, post-bop, contemporary jazz, and down-home blues. The New York Times notes that his unique outlook and collection of influences "set him apart from most pianists who are heard regularly in New York". The Village Voice comments on his "book of piano gems that will keep you guessing." The Toronto Globe and Mail calls him "a musician who sits apart from the rest by virtue... of his taste for both the exotic and the exquisite".
Larry Vuckovich is recognized as a pioneer, being the first in the US to fuse Balkan ethnic, Gypsy – Roma folk elements with American jazz. His 1980 LP, Blue Balkan, featuring Bobby Hutcherson, is a landmark recording in this genre. Here is a link to major reviews https://larryvuckovich.com/audio-blue_balkan_2002.htm
Cited by piano legend Barry Harris as "one of the premier West Coast pianists", Mr. Vuckovich brought his Jazz-Latin Trio/Quartet, featured on his two piano trio/quartet CDs, to Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in New York. On the same tour, Marian McPartland invited him to interview and perform with her on her Piano Jazz show, broadcast to national and global NPR affiliates. larryvuckovich.com
KAI LYONS
Kai Lyons is from the Excelsior District of San Francisco and was surrounded by music and community from an early age. He completed his studies at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in 2012 as the first to graduate from the acclaimed Classical Guitar Program, directed by Scott Cmiel. From 2012-2014, on full scholarship, Kai attended the prestigious jazz program at William Paterson University of New Jersey, directed by Mulgrew Miller. He studied with Vincent Herring, Gene Bertoncini, Harold Mabern, Rich Perry, and Hal Galper. Kai received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from San Francisco State University where he studied with Andrew Speight, Michael Zisman and Hafez Modirzadeh.
Ever since returning to the Bay Area in 2015, he has freelanced extensively and also traveled frequently to New York City, New Orleans, Brazil and the Caribbean on music trips. In 2018 he participated in Master Class: Orff-Afrique 2018 in Ghana, Africa.
Besides working with his own trio, Kai has performed with Mike Clark and Donald Harrison of Herbie Hancock’s Original Headhunters, Louis Romero, award-winning organist Wil Blades, Larry Vuckovich, Sueños and Illy Bogart. kailyons.com