Vermont Jazz Center

The African Rhythm Sextet, with special guest NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart, celebrates the enduring legacy of legendary pianist, composer, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Randy Weston. Weston championed the deep African roots of jazz. After visiting the continent in 1961, Weston created a groundbreaking musical vision that fused West African rhythms and traditions with the innovations of jazz icons such as Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. This group is led by Weston’s long-time musical director, saxoph

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

Friday evening: VJC joins with the 118 Elliot Art Gallery to present a showcase of high school and college jazz ensembles. Saturday daytime: VJC teams up with area schools to feature student groups from area high schools and colleges. Daytime activities will culminate in a no-cost clinic offered by Elena Pinderhughes Saturday evening: Headliner Concert: Elena Pinderhughes Bio: Elena Pinderhughes is expanding the possibilities of what the flute can do in contemporary music. As an award-winning fl

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

A gala dance to support the VJC’s Scholarship Fund! The 18-piece Vermont Jazz Center is excited to celebrate 22 years performing big band jazz. For this concert, the VJC Big Band will celebrate the legacies of Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, and in a swing-dance performance featuring acclaimed vocalist Charenée Wade. All profits from this concert will subsidize VJC’s educational programs. Vocalist Charenee Wade is renowned for her deep grooves and uncanny ability to bring energy and excitemen

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

Grammy Award-winning saxophonist David Sanchez is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished saxophonists of his generation. Renowned for his unmistakable sound and remarkable command of the instrument, Sánchez brings together a deep understanding on jazz and Latin music with the rich traditions that shaped both genres. The result is a distinctive and compelling musical voice. World-renowned jazz writer and critic Howard Reich has praised Sánchez’s artistry, noting that his “prowess on s

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

Grammy-winning saxophonist, composer and producer Joe Lovano is fearless in finding new modes of artistic expression. With a Grammy Win for his 52nd Street Themes and 14 other nominations, he has won DownBeat Magazine’s Critics and Readers Polls countless times as Tenor Saxophonist, Musician of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Triple Crowns from DownBeat. He has also received numerous awards from Jazz Times and the Jazz Journalists Association for Tenor Saxophone, Album of the Year and Music

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

Acclaimed pianist and composer Aaron Parks returned to Blue Note Records—where he released his influential label debut Invisible Cinema in 2008—with the 2024 release of Little Big III, the third studio album from his band Little Big featuring guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist David Ginyard Jr., and drummer Jongkuk Kim. The 2025 album By All Means expanded his acclaimed trio with bassist Ben Street and drummer Billy Hart into a quartet with the addition of tenor saxophonist Ben Solomon to explore a

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

Stéphane Wrembel is quite simply one of the finest guitarists of his generation. Renowned for his unparalleled breadth and depth as a musician, composer, and educator, Wrembel has spent over two decades shaping a sound that transcends genre and borders. Since his debut in 2002, he has released a steady stream of acclaimed recordings, establishing himself as one of the most distinctive and original guitar voices in contemporary music. His live performances are celebrated worldwide for their virtu

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

2027 Solo Jazz Piano Festival 2026 Headliners: Rachel Z, Donald Vega, Danny Grissett, Sylvia Courvoisier 2026 Emerging Artists: TBD FOR ALL MUSIC LOVERS interested in the development of piano styles and techniques throughout the evolution of jazz. Together we will hear six brilliant pianists perform and discuss their musical aspirations and the expansion of their approaches to the instrument. The VJC invites you to participate in a festival that showcases artists who have invested their lives in

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

Honored by The National Endowment for the Arts as a 2010 Jazz Master, Kenny Barron has an unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences with his elegant playing, sensitive melodies and infectious rhythms. The Los Angeles Times named him “one of the top jazz pianists in the world,” and Jazz Weekly calls him “The most lyrical piano player of our time.” Philadelphia is the birthplace of many great musicians, including one of the undisputed masters of the jazz piano: Kenny Barron. Kenny was born in 1943

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Aug 13, 2026

Eugene Uman is the director of the Vermont Jazz Center and performs as a pianist in numerous projects. His annual June concert is a representation of a year’s worth of composing and collaborating with various musicians and an opportunity for him to assemble a dream band that manifests his vision and unites his musical influences. Uman’s energetic playing and writing style is flavored with the Latin rhythms that he has absorbed during his tenure living in Colombia, where he initiated the jazz stu

Source: vtjazz.org · Last verified Sep 26, 2026