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Larry Vuckovich 88th Birthday Celebration
Dynamic Duo
Larry Vuckovich celebrates his 88th birthday playing the 88 keys Fazioli concert grand on his actual birthday! He will be playing with his favorite guitarist, Kai Lyons. For the last number of years Kai has become the hottest guitarist in the Bay Area. Larry and Kai have been regularly expanding their diverse/wide-ranging repertoire – unmatched in the jazz arena. Besides the great jazz classics of top composers, their repertoire covers seldom heard standards, great Latin/Brazilian pieces, World Music gems, and as always funky, boogaloo blues selections. Additionally, they present special jazz vocals of rarely heard selections. Don’t miss this special event!
SF Chronicle article about Larry:
Larry Vuckovich’s 88 keys in the song of life
$25 General Admission
We are offering a limited number of tickets to attend this performance in person. Advance purchase is recommended. Masking is encouraged but no longer required.
LARRY VUCKOVICH
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 ; just now, the landmark Blue Balkan recording has been remastered into an attractive CD digipak format with enhanced sound. The airplay starts on October 21.
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.
In 2019 Larry Vuckovich received a Lifetime Achievement Award from his former country Yugoslavia – this time being in Serbia at the Nišville Jazz Festival, where he also performed. He also holds the recognition for being one of the very few musicians on the scene today who for over a period of 6 decades has performed with such greats going back to the 30s and on: Red Norvo, Cab Calloway, Don Byas, Dexter Gordon, Tony Bennett, Jon Hendricks, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Joe Williams, Bobby McFerrin + many more. He has been selling out major venues such as the SF Jazz Festival – doing a tribute to Thelonious Monk, Bach Society in Half Moon Bay, Sonoma Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s and the Meyhouse Jazz Venue in Palo Alto. larryvuckovich.com
KAI LYONS
San Francisco native Kai Lyons B.A. is the first and only foreigner to win 1st prize on the Cuban guitar known as the “tres cubano” at the international changüí festival in Guantánamo, Cuba. He was the music director of Loco Bloco, winning 1st prize in the 2022 Carnaval parade of San Francisco with an original composition as the group’s theme song. He travels the world studying ancient and obscure music stylings of Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Ghana and Morocco. He has worked with Arturo O’Farrill, John Santos, Marcus Shelby, Scott Amendola, Wil Blades, Atta Kid, Honey Knuckles, Snow Tha Product, San Francisco Philharmonic, SF Ballet Orchestra, Mike Clark, Merril founder of TuneYards, Donald Harrison, Ches Smith and various members of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He is currently adjunct professor of jazz guitar at Cal State East Bay Hayward and teaches groups at the Jazzschool in Berkeley. kailyons.com