History
The Jazz Center is the leading jazz venue in New England. Its emphasis is threefold: 1) presenting world-class jazz concerts, 2) providing abundant educational opportunities and 3) community outreach. All three of these areas focus on enhancing the quality of life and culture in rural Vermont.
The Jazz Center takes pride in the high level of artistry found in their performance series. Musicians who perform regularly at the Village Vanguard, Dizzy’s at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center can also be found on the VJC’s schedule. In 2014, the VJC received a Chamber Music America Acclaim Award that recognizes “extraordinary cultural contributions in a locality or region.” Musician’s/Ensembles who have performed here include NEA award winners Sheila Jordan, Kenny Barron, Dave Liebman, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Jimmy Heath. Other noteworthy performers include Jazzmeia Horn, Snarky Puppy, Helen Sung, Pedrito Martinez and Alredo Rodriguez, Fred Hersch and many others.
Educational opportunities are generously subsidized. In FY 2019, the VJC offered over 30K in scholarship assistance. Offerings include afternoon ensembles such as Youth Jazz, bebop, guitar, vocal, and Latin Jazz and Samba groups. There are also two choruses and an in-house big band affiliated with the VJC. There is also a renowned summer jazz workshop run by the VJC held at the Putney School since 1975 where 90 multigenerational students study with world-class instructors/presenters (including Sheila Jordan and Jay Clayton, Helen Sung, Francisco Mela, Cameron Brown, Jason Palmer, Camille Thurman and others).
Community Outreach includes sharing musical resources with area schools, prisons, assisted living homes and area businesses. The VJC has an outreach Sextet that performs these duties, but board members and staff are also directly involved, especially with the local schools.
The history of the Vermont Jazz Center reaches back to the early 1970s, when the late founding director and jazz guitarist Attila Zoller would invite numerous musicians from New York City to unwind and create at his home in Newfane, Vermont. Renowned jazz artists such as George Mraz, Sir Roland Hanna, Ron Carter, Lee Konitz, Don Friedman, Jimmy Raney, and Gene Rush grew to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of southeastern Vermont. From these beginnings grew the renowned summer workshop series, which evolved into the Vermont Jazz Center.
In 1997 Zoller passed the torch to pianist Eugene Uman who, together with his wife Elsa Borrero and Board President Howard Brofsky, developed the Jazz Center into a year round program that hosts monthly concerts featuring some of the world’s most innovative jazz musicians. Thanks to Borrero’s financial and production skills, Brofsky’s wisdom, Zoller’s tremendous contacts, the help of generous supporters, a deeply committed Board of Directors, and numerous friends and volunteers, the Jazz Center evolved to manifest Uman’s vision of providing a nurturing environment where concerts, workshops, weekly jam sessions, classes in jazz history, ensembles and private lessons are held. In 1997, the VJC was incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit.
Today, the Vermont Jazz Center continues to grow under the team of Uman and Borrero. The VJC’s Board of Directors are actively involved as invaluable working volunteers for the organization, providing assistance in financial services, communications, grant-writing, graphics, concert production and other collaborations. The VJC is also reliant on the support of generous donors and a strong grassroots community of musicians and jazz lovers who volunteer at many levels.
The Vermont Jazz Center is located in Brattleboro’s Cotton Mill Hill Complex; the site includes two offices, a 250-seat performance hall and an archive/library. The loft-style space is reminiscent of New York’s SoHo district; it claims superb acoustics and is equipped with state of the art gear, including a Steinway D concert grand, a Canopus drum set and professional lighting and sound gear.