2023 Convergence Project

 “I always love listening to Eugene’s compositions; they make so much musical sense and bring you on a journey with a very healing, uplifting feel.”  —Jerry Bergonzi

Welcome to the Vermont Jazz Center. This evening we will present VJC Director, Eugene Uman with his group, the Convergence Project. This version includes members of The Fringe, a legendary saxophone, bass and drum trio that has been turning heads in Boston since 1972. This quintet will highlight Uman’s compositions and feature Fringe members George Garzone, John Lockwood on acoustic bass, and Francisco Mela on drums. A good portion of this concert will be dedicated to newly composed or rearranged material tailored specifically for this new configuration.

The Convergence Project is a vehicle for Uman to focus on performance and composing rather than the production and educational mission of the Vermont Jazz Center. He says “composing gives me permission to slow down, to take the time to study a variety of musical forms, learn different rhythms and dwell on the sounds of combinations of notes and chord patterns. My goal is to compose and arrange music that transmits an energy that positively transforms and uplifts those involved.”

The formation of this iteration of the Convergence Project was inspired by an opportunity Uman had to perform with Francisco Mela. He appreciated the Cuban drummer’s encyclopedic vocabulary of Latin rhythms, including a swinging command of 6/8 grooves which are essential ingredients in both Cuban and Colombian folkloric music. Uman then reached out to Mela’s bandmates in “The Fringe” including saxophonist/leader George Garzone and bassist John Lockwood. Trombonist Jeff Galindo will round out the quintet.

Members of the Convergence Project
Eugene Uman has brought high quality jazz artists and educational opportunities to a rural Vermont as Director of the Vermont Jazz Center since 1997. He is the 2022 recipient of the Ellen McCulloch-Lovell award in Arts Education offered by the Vermont Arts Council presented to individuals “who have made a sustained contribution to learning in and through the arts and/or have had a positive impact on the quality of education in Vermont.” He is an adjunct jazz piano instructor at Amherst College and performs regularly throughout the region. Uman was a key force in bringing jazz education to Medellín, Colombia in the early 1990s, where he taught, organized a festival, and performed for 5 years.

George Garzone is a powerful tenor saxophonist, recognized as “one of the most overlooked giants of modern improvisation” (All About Jazz). Garzone
has made a tremendous impact as an educator. His students include a who’s who of saxophonists including Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, Walter Smith III, Marcus Strickland, Seamus Blake, and Donny McCaslin. Garzone has released 21 albums as a leader and appears on over 200 recordings as a sideman with jazz luminaries George Russell, Bob Moses, George Schuller, Danilo Peréz, Ingrid Jensen, Rachel Z, Luciana Souza, Claire Daily, Joe Lovano, Jerry Bergonzi and many others.

Trombonist Jeff Galindo has toured with Phil Woods, Makoto Ozone, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, Irving Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. He was trombonist and musical director for Esperanza Spalding. Ganlindo has performed with Chick Corea, Clark Terry, Joe Lovano, George Russell, Slide Hampton, Johnny Griffin, Gunther Schuller, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Bergonzi, Bobby Shew, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Frank Sinatra Jr. and the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra among many others.

Bassist John Lockwood is originally from Capetown, South Africa. He came to Boston to study at Berklee and since then has made the United States his home. He is one of the most celebrated bassists in Boston, having earned his respect through international tours with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Gary Burton, the Mel Lewis Big Band, and The Fringe. Lockwood has performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, Pat Metheny, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Toots Thielemans, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Eddie Harris, Johnny Hartman, Dave Liebman, Makoto Ozone, Joe Pass, Danilo Perez, Pharoah Sanders, Clark Terry, Kenny Werner, James Williams, and others.

Drummer Francisco Mela is from Bayamo, Cuba. He moved to Boston in 2000 to attend Berklee College of Music, where he now teaches. In 2009, he was tapped by jazz legend McCoy Tyner to play in his band. He has also worked with Joe Lovano, Kenny Barron, Esperanza Spaulding, Lionel Loueke, Joanne Brackeen, Jane Bunnett, Anat Cohen, and many others. Latin Jazz.Net claims that “Mela also has one of the most mercurial and quickest-thinking brains in music.” Mela has released several albums as a leader and has appeared as a sideman on over 50 recordings including those of Joe Lovano, Melissa Aldana, Kenny Barron, and Esperanza Spalding. Mela is a drum instructor at the Vermont Jazz Center’s Summer Jazz Workshop.

Uman refers to the Convergence Project as his dream band. They are all strong soloists, each with a unique sound and an individualized vocabulary.  The entire band is fearless, willing to stretch-out into unfamiliar territory.