Etienne Charles and Creole Soul
2024-09-21 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Halifax)
This Trinidad-born trumpet star claims “jazz is Creole music.” His performances incorporate the songs and rituals of the Caribbean carnival that influenced him to pursue music: danceable, percussive and with captivating melodic lines. Charles is a Guggenheim Fellow and a 2022 Creative Capital Awardee. He is a recipient of a Lincoln Center Millennial Swing Award, a Caribbean Heritage Trailblazer Award and a CMA New Works Grant. Charles has released ten highly acclaimed albums as a leader; his most recent, Creole Orchestra, features vocalist René Marie. Charles has performed/recorded with luminaries including Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Monty Alexander, Maria Schneider, the Count Basie Orchestra and Roberta Flack. He is a dedicated educator and professor at the Frost School of Music. In his compositions, Charles investigates the real-life connections between music and ritual. In a promo video for his San Jose Suite, he explains this naturally inspiring fusion: “We went to not only be with the people, but to partake in their rituals; to learn about why the rituals happen so that we know why things are in the music… Then we can use that music with knowledge and respect to the ritual and the traditions, and make the music lively.”

Something Else: All-Star Tribute to Soul Jazz
2024-10-05 19:30 - 22:00
Something Else is a seven-piece Soul Jazz revue led by Vincent Herring. The all-star rotating lineup, according to Herring, features “music that is meant to be a celebration of life.” The band plays new arrangements of soul jazz classics, originally recorded by composers like Donald Byrd, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock and Eddie Harris. Soul jazz, born in the early 1960s, provided a pathway for the funky grooves of contemporary soul and R&B to infuse the muscular hard bop of the day. Soul jazz helped form the soundtrack for that generation, but, as it turns out, this music is multigenerational and has served as a springboard repertoire for up-and-coming young jazzers as well. It’s groove-oriented and fun to play—and to hear! Band organizer Herring states, “When we get together and play, we are having as good of a time as anybody else—we listen to each other and the music that we’re producing, and enjoying every aspect of it. One thing that will never go out of fashion is good-feeling music, and that’s what we provide!”

DAY 1 Emerging Artist Festival feat. Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
2024-11-01 17:00 - 20:00 | 118 Elliot Gallery, 118 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, Vermont, 05301
7th Annual Emerging Artist Festival
Friday evening: On November 1st the VJC, in collaboration with 118 Elliot Gallery, will present a selection of student groups as part of Brattleboro’s Gallery Walk hosted by Downtown Brattleboro Alliance. From 5:00 – 8:00 pm, audiences will groove on hour-long sets of young musicians stretching out playing jazz tunes, some bravely improvising for the first time in public. This year’s performers include the BUHS vocalists, VJC’s Young Lions Trio, Northfield Mt. Hermon Honors Ensemble, PVPA Jazz, Pop, and R&B Ensemble.
Saturday daytime: On Saturday, November 2nd, the VJC, in association with area high schools and universities, will present student groups performing half-hour sets on our archive stage from 11:00 – 4:00 pm. This year’s groups include performers from Amherst College/Hypatia Ensemble, the University of Massachusetts Jazz Ensembles 1 & 2, Northfield Mt. Hermon Jazz Trio, BUHS Madrigals (Jazz Vocal Group), and BUHS Jazz Band (Instrumental). At 4:00 pm, Emerging Artist Headliner Nkwelle and her quartet will offer a masterclass to these young, striving musicians and to the general public (free of charge).
Saturday evening: Headliner Concert Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
Ekep Nkwelle, a 24-year-old Cameroonian-American jazz vocalist, has carved her musical path from the vibrant streets of Washington, DC, to the heart of New York City’s jazz scene—from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, to Howard University, to Julliard’s graduate program in jazz. Nkwelle has sung with numerous jazz luminaries including Russell Malone, Cyrus Chestnut, Peter Washington, Emmet Cohen, and Endea Owens. She has performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra as a featured artist, and sung for audiences in iconic venues nationwide, including Radio City Music Hall, the Library of Congress, Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the Strathmore. She has sung for audiences at Newport, Montclair, Hudson, and DC jazz festivals as well. In 2023 Nkwelle was nominated by Wynton Marsalis to receive the Juilliard Career Advancement Grant; this recognition was soon followed by her performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts.” Ms. Nkwelle was chosen by Dee Dee Bridgewater to participate in her exclusive, all-women artistic residency, The Woodshed Network. As one of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s newest rising stars, Ekep Nkwelle is poised to shape the future of jazz.
FULL SCHEDULE LISTED BELOW

DAY 1: Friday, November 1 @ 118 Elliot St. Gallery
5:00 – 8:00 pm: Youth musicians perform as part of Gallery Walk (no reservations required)
On Friday, November 1st, the VJC, in collaboration with 118 Elliot Gallery, will present a selection of student groups as part of Brattleboro’s Gallery Walk hosted by Downtown Brattleboro Alliance. From 5:00 – 8:00 pm, audiences will groove on half-hour-hour sets of young musicians stretching out playing jazz tunes.
Line up:
5:15 BUHS vocalists – Emily Matthew-Muller, Miriam Diallo, AJ Lalanne
6:00 Northfield Mt. Hermon Honors Ensemble
6:45 VJC – Young Lions Trio (Hartmann/Parks/Lazzaro)
7:30 PVPA Jazz, Pop + R&B Ensemble
Day 2: Saturday, November 2 @ Vermont Jazz Center
Student group performances, Ekep Nkwelle clinic for student musicians & Concert with Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
11:00 to 4:00 pm: Student group performances. Location: Vermont Jazz Center Main Stage (New!)
On Saturday the VJC, in association with area high schools & universities, will present student groups performing half-hour sets on our main stage from 11:00 – 4:00 pm.
Line up:

11:00 UMass Jazz Ensemble 1
11:45 UMass Jazz Ensemble 2
12:30 Northfield Mt. Hermon Jazz Trio
1:15 Amherst College – Hypatia Ensemble
1:45 VJC Youth Jazz Ensemble
2:30 BUHS Madrigals (jazz vocal group)
3:15 BUHS Jazz Band
4:00 pm: Ekep Nkwelle clinic for student musicians and the general public
7:30 pm Concert with Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
In 2023 Nkwelle was nominated by Wynton Marsalis to receive the Juilliard Career Advancement Grant; this recognition was soon followed by her performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk.” Ms. Nkwelle was chosen by Dee Dee Bridgewater to participate in her exclusive, all-women artistic residency, The Woodshed Network. As one of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s newest rising stars, Ekep Nkwelle is poised to shape the future of jazz.

DAY 2 Emerging Artist Festival feat. Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
2024-11-02 | Vermont Jazz Center, 72 Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
7:30 pm Concert with Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
Ekep Nkwelle, a 24-year-old Cameroonian-American jazz vocalist, has carved her musical path from the vibrant streets of Washington, DC, to the heart of New York City’s jazz scene—from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts to Howard University, to Julliard’s graduate program in jazz. Nkwelle has sung with numerous jazz luminaries including Russell Malone, Cyrus Chestnut, Peter Washington, Emmet Cohen, and Endea Owens. She has performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra as a featured artist, and sung for audiences in iconic venues nationwide, including Radio City Music Hall, the Library of Congress, Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the Strathmore. She has sung for audiences at Newport, Montclair, Hudson, and DC jazz festivals as well. In 2023 Nkwelle was nominated by Wynton Marsalis to receive the Juilliard Career Advancement Grant; this recognition was soon followed by her performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts.” Ms. Nkwelle was chosen by Dee Dee Bridgewater to participate in her exclusive, all-women artistic residency, The Woodshed Network. As one of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s newest rising stars, Ekep Nkwelle is poised to shape the future of jazz.
SATURDAY SCHEDULE LISTED BELOW

Day 2: Saturday, November 2 @ Vermont Jazz Center
Student group performances, Ekep Nkwelle clinic for student musicians & Concert with Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
11:00 to 4:00 pm: Student group performances. Location: Vermont Jazz Center Main Stage (New!)
On Saturday the VJC, in association with area high schools & universities, will present student groups performing half-hour sets on our main stage from 11:00 – 4:00 pm.
Line up:
11:00 UMass Jazz Ensemble 1
11:45 UMass Jazz Ensemble 2
12:30 Northfield Mt. Hermon Jazz Trio
1:15 Amherst College – Hypatia Ensemble
1:45 VJC Youth Jazz Ensemble
2:30 BUHS Madrigals (jazz vocal group)
3:15 BUHS Jazz Band
4:00 pm: Ekep Nkwelle clinic for student musicians and the general public
7:30 pm: Ekep Nkwelle Quartet Concert (ticketed)

VJC Big Band Celebrates its 20th Year w/ Vocalist Carmen Bradford
2024-12-06 19:30 - 22:00
TICKETS SOLD OUT — LIVESTREAM STILL AVAILABLE ON NIGHT OF SHOW
The 18-piece Vermont Jazz Center Big Band is excited to celebrate 20 years of music, and what better way to celebrate than by honoring the legacy of Count Basie. For this year’s annual scholarship gala, which takes place on Friday, December 6th at 7:30 PM, they will pull out all the stops with a swing-dance performance featuring Grammy-award-winning singer Carmen Bradford.
Carmen Bradford is a third-generation vocalist who has ascended to jazz royalty through pedigree, talent, and hard work. For nine years she was the featured vocalist with Count Basie (1904 -1984) and continues to tour and record with the Count Basie (Legacy) Orchestra. She received a Grammy Award for her contributions to Basie Swings the Blues with the Count Basie Orchestra. She also appears on the Grammy-award-winning album organized by Kenny Rankin called The Benny Carter Songbook Project. Bradford has been nominated five times for a Grammy Award, is the recipient of the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s Jazz Vocalist Award, and was recently elected to the Austin Jazz Society’s Hall of Fame.

Ms. Bradford has performed and/or recorded with Patti Austin, Tony Bennett, George Benson, Shelly Berg, James Brown, Benny Carter, Dori Caymmi, John Clayton, Freddie Cole, Lena Horne, Kurt Elling, Wynton Marsalis, Jeremy Monteiro, David Murray, Willie Nelson, James Newton, Kenny Rankin, Lou Rawls, Doc Severinsen, Frank Sinatra, Byron Stripling, Tierney Sutton, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Liz Wright, and countless other artists from around the world. Bradford has also performed and/or recorded with the Dallas Symphony, the Dani Felber Big Band, the Detroit Symphony, the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the National Symphony, the Philadelphia Pops, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Vancouver Philharmonic, and many other musical institutions. She continues to tour with the Count Basie Orchestra, stating “When the Count Basie Orchestra calls me – I go.” In 2016, Bradford was the voice on the album “Imagination Nation,” a tribute to Nelson Mandela by South African trumpeter Darren English. This critically acclaimed album won the Pledge for Peace award from the Global Peace Song Awards.
The VJC Big Band is made up of area professional musicians who come together to enjoy the rewards of playing invigorating, challenging and historically significant repertoire while raising money for the VJC’s Scholarship Fund. December’s Annual Gala is the primary fundraiser for the Fund which grants an annual average of $20,000 worth of scholarships to students, offsetting fees for ensembles, private lessons, and their world-renowned summer jazz workshop. By attending this event you will be contributing to the scholarship fund; all proceeds will be earmarked towards benefitting students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to pursue their musical objectives.
This year the VJC Big Band celebrates its 20th year thanks to the decade-long leadership of musical director Rob Freeberg, and to the organizational persistence of baritone saxophonist, Sherm Fox. Each year the VJC Big Band performs a dance concert on the first Friday of December that features a special guest artist. Past headliners have included Evan Arntzen, Alexis Cole, Amanda Carr, Houston Person, Dave Stryker, Samirah Evans, Rich Greenblatt, Mark Anagnostopulos, Rebecca (Bella) Holtz, Kevin Mahogany, Miles Griffith, Peter Eldridge, Wanda Houston, and timbalero Eguie Castrillo.
Members of the VJC Big band include trumpeters Don Anderson, Rick Anderson, Haneef Nelson, Bunny Saranita, and Rob Freeberg; woodwind players Michael Zsoldos, Sherm Fox, Bruce Diehl, Carl Clements, and Donna Morse; trombonists John Wheeler, Amaranth Cole, Dave Sporny, and Tim Atherton; and rhythm section members Eugene Uman (piano), Wes Brown (bass), and Steve Rice (drums).
This concert will be a hybrid event with both live stream and in-person components. Live streamers can create intimate dance parties in their homes or choose to come to the Jazz Center to dance in person to the sounds of an 18-piece big band. The live stream for home viewers can be accessed on the Vermont Jazz Center’s website (www.vtjazz.org) or via its Facebook Live page. Livestream viewers are encouraged to make an online donation to the Scholarship Fund in lieu of purchasing a ticket.
The VJC Big Band is fortunate to have trumpeter Rob Freeberg’s guidance as musical director. He is a seasoned trumpeter and big band conductor who leads the VJC’s large ensemble with finesse and skill, drawing on his respect for the jazz legacy, an unerring ear, and decades of experience leading his own Big Band in the New York City region. Freeberg moved to Dummerston, VT in 2012, after retiring from his position as Director of Bands at New Rochelle High School, NY, where he taught for 30 years. He is also the musical director of the VJC Sextet and also performs with the Windham Orchestra, its brass quintet, the Bennington County Choral Society, and the Keene Chorale. The VJC’s longevity is thanks in great part to band manager and baritone saxophonist Sherm Fox. His continued persistence and organizational efforts have provided the glue that has held the band together since 2004. The VJC Big Band was originally a project initiated by Fox and Howard Brofsky (a.k.a Dr. Bebop), the VJC’s mentor and former board president who passed away in 2013.
The VJC is especially grateful for sponsors Dianne and Steve Lieberman, medical professionals from Amherst, Massachusetts who have demonstrated their belief in the music and the VJC community by sponsoring this annual concert for many years. The VJC also appreciates the support of the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Humanities Council, the New England Foundation of the Arts, and the National Endowment of the Arts. Thanks also to media support from The Commons and The Brattleboro Reformer.

2024 Fall Semester Student Showcase
2024-12-07 11:00 - 17:00
On Saturday, December 7th from 11 AM to 5 PM, the VJC will host its Fall 2024 semester student showcase during the Cotton Mill Holiday Open House. This student showcase will highlight the student successes from a semester’s worth of hard work and practice. During this open house celebration, you can enjoy the offerings of small local businesses and some great local talent! This event is free. All donations will go directly to the student scholarship fund.

December 7th Program

11:00 AM Guitar I — Led by Draa Hobbs: Benjamin Breton, Guitar, Weldon Hendricks, Guitar, John Janiszewski, Guitar, Michael McKinney, Guitar, Aaron Weinstein, Piano, Steve Frankel, Bass, Sam Lazzaro, Drums

11:30 AM Guitar II — Led by Draa Hobbs: Steve Bychowski, Guitar, Jesse Peters, Guitar, Doug Morton, Bass, Sam Lazzaro, Drums

12:00 PM Language of Improv — Led by John Clark: Ani Schaeffer, Vocal, Masako Yanagita, Violin, Dennis Avery, Steel Guitar, Rob Adams, Guitar, Julian Gerstin, Percussion

Set List –

“Una Stanza in Milano” by John Clark
Ani Schaeffer: open improvisation
“Blue Nile” by Alice Coltrane
Dennis Avery: open improvisation
“Silver Rain” by John Clark

12:30 PM VJC Sextet — Led by Rob Freeberg: Rob Freeberg, Trumpet, Bill Ballard, Alto Saxophone, Jim Heffron, Tenor Saxophone, Cathy Martin, Piano, Wim Auer, Bass, Steve Rice, Drums

Set List –

Pearls, by David Hazeltine
The Soulful Mr. Timmons, by James Williams
Can’t Hide Love, by Skip Scarborough
In Walked Horace, by J. J. Johnson
Pools, by Don Grolnick, arr. by Bill Ballard

1:15 PM Soubrette Choir and the Daybreak Trio — Led by Anna Patton: Marie Gorst, Ruth Allard, Susan Barduhn, Elise Burrows, Beth Kiendl, Collin Leach, Andi Matthews, Ruth Sessions, Terry Sylvester, Carrie Walker, Lani Wright, Rebecca Mandel, Louise Zak, Laura Goldblatt, Hadley Yakir, Carlene Raper, Deborah Nunn

Accompanied by Owen Morrison on guitar, with additional Guests: Hadley Yakir on violin and Julian Gerstin on percussion
Set List –

Li’l Darlin by Neal Hefti and Jon Hendricks
No More Blues by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Jon Hendricks, featuring soloist Becca Mandel
Let’s Walk by Madeleine Peyroux and Jon Herrington
That Oo oo oo by Miss Tess

2:00 PM Sambaganza Brazilian Percussion Ensemble — Led by Julian Gerstin and Ron Kelley: Susan Rosano, Bob Everingham, Jenny Kilgore, Erik Schickendanz, Linda Simoneaux, Peter Simoneaux, Rick Stone, Andree Zaleska, Jay Cook, Victoria Provost

2:30 PM Latin Jazz — Led by Julian Gerstin and Eugene Uman: Marsha Stern, flute, Mark Baker, violin, Anders Burrows, trumpet, Declan O’Donnell, trumpet, Michael Barnett, sax, Jim Heffron, sax, Bob Stabach, sax, Bill Pastuszek, piano, JJ Hartmann, bass, Jeanushka Fishelle, percussion, Henry Zacchini, drums, Joshua Green, tumba/conga

Set List –

The Egyptian – by Curtis Fuller
Crazy Cat Calypso – by Eugene Uman
Circle – by Eugene Uman
Un Paso pa’ Aqui – by Julian Gerstin

3:15 PM Youth Jazz — Led by Eugene Uman and Michael McKinney: Jacob Howe, trumpet, Jules Bowen, trombone, Ash Lyman, alto sax, Samadhi Mathes, tenor sax, River Olsson, baritone sax, Ben Antin, piano, Addison Sticklor, guitar, Lucas Majer, drums

Set List –

Sweet and Lovely – by Gus Arnheim
Quizás, Quizás,Quizás – by Osvaldo Farres
Cheryl – by Charlie Parker
Snowy Day Bossa – by Eugene Uman

4:00 PM Blue Note I — Led by Claire Arenius: Jerry Carbone, trumpet, John Skorupski, sax, Clay Contee, piano, Andrew Cancellieri, sax, Steve Frankel, bass, Harly Isgur, drums

Set List –

Five Spot After Dark — by Benny Golson
Swingin’ Shepherd Blues — by Moe Koffman
Fungii Mama — by Blue Mitchell
Come Sunday — by Duke Ellington

4:30 PM Blue Note II — Led by Claire Arenius: Jeanushka Fischelle, vocal/percussion, Judith Williams, piano, Louise Ewing, alto saxophone, John McClellen, bass, Robert Ronnow, Drew Kovach, drums

Set List –

Chan’s Song (Never Said) — by Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock
Airegin — by Sonny Rollins
Never Make Your Move Too Soon — by Will Jennings and Nesbert Hooper
Little Niles — by Randy Weston
For All We Know — by J.Fred Coots

Brandee Younger Trio
2025-01-18 19:30 - 22:00
Brandee Younger is revolutionizing the harp, an instrument most of us don’t often think of as part of jazz’s front line. Inspired by the work of harp-pioneers Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, Younger has developed a new vocabulary that is simultaneously fresh and connected to the instrument’s ancient sound (there are indications that the harp was used as far back as 3000 BC). Younger forges a deep connection with listeners of all genres, her unique approach is simultaneously free and reverential, informed by classical repertoire and the jazz tradition. Younger is being recognized across the genres. In 2022 she was nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best Instrumental Composition). She is the winner of a 2024 NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Jazz Album for her album Brand New Life. Her expansive career includes recordings and touring opportunities with such cultural icons as Common, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Pharoah Sanders, and Christian McBride. She was featured in the Netflix Concert Documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming, and recognized for her original composition “Hortense,” which was featured in Quincy Jones and Steve McQueens’ “Soundtrack of America.” Younger has made it a point to reach out to new audiences, exposing a multigenerational cache of listeners to her compelling sound and concept. Younger is on the faculty at New York University, Steinhardt School, and The New School College of Performing Arts.

Billy Childs Quartet
2025-02-09 16:00 - 18:30
Billy Childs is one of North America’s most lauded musicians. He has earned seventeen Grammy nominations and six Grammy awards. He is also the recipient of Chamber Music America’s Composer’s Grant, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a music award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This year he continued his success by winning Best Instrumental Jazz Album for his album “The Winds of Change” (2024). Several groups have commissioned Childs’s orchestral compositions, including the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, and the American Brass Quintet. Jazz critic Don Heckman writes: “Words fail in an effort to describe the complexities and the subtleties of Childs’s musical imagination which is far-reaching…Childs’ works do not simply place genres side by side. Instead, they find a common, creative ground reminiscent of Rumi’s ‘community of spirit.’”
Childs has released 16 albums as a leader. Each is unique, presenting thematic material that focuses on meaningful concepts and illuminates his intelligent, heartfelt approach. He has appeared on hundreds of recordings with such luminaries as J.J. Johnson, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Renee Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Ron Carter, Gladys Knight, Chris Botti, Allan Holdsworth, Dianne Reeves, Grover Washington, Dori Caymmi, Lou Rawls, the Headhunters and Eddie Daniels. His penultimate recording, Map to the Treasure, Reimagining Laura Nyro, received two Grammy Awards and features Alison Krauss, Renée Fleming, Wayne Shorter, and Diane Reeves.
Billy Childs’ musical development as a youth included tours with hard-bop jazz legends concurrent with classical, academic training. As a youth, he was chosen to perform and record with jazz legends J.J. Johnson (with whom he recorded At Yokohama and Concepts in Blue) and Freddie Hubbard (Skagly, Live at North Sea Jazz Festival). In the liner notes for his new album Rebirth, Childs reflects on his experience playing in two of the most intense, aggressive, hard-bop ensembles when he was only in his early twenties, “J.J. and Freddie are responsible for the jazz part of my pedigree… I learned about comping from Freddie… I learned to expand accompanying into creating environments for the soloists…You couldn’t listen to him and not know what to play.” Childs remained a member of Hubbard’s ensemble for six years. The influence of hard bop on Childs’ music is undeniable and is reflected in his penchant to deconstruct and re-harmonize jazz standards. Furthermore, the thread of excitement in Childs’ work and his appreciation for muscular playing provides a perfect balance to his more introspective and delicate selections.

Huntertones
2025-03-08 19:30 - 22:00
Huntertones are a rare exception – a true band that has been touring and recording together for over 10 years. The six members of the Huntertones met while studying jazz at Ohio State University. They formed a group outside of the curriculum with the objective of forming a house band for the parties they hosted at their apartment on Hunter Avenue (hence the name – Huntertones). The now legendary parties grew in fame, as did their connection with each other. Their incessant touring has brought them to twenty-five countries including four state department-sponsored tours. Their tight frontline has also been recognized as a superlative horn section for others including Lake Street Dive, Kurt Elling, Ricky Martin, and Louis Cato, including an appearance as part of the house band on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Huntertone’s collective influences are wide-ranging, their disparate influences include gospel, hip-hop, rock, blues, and soul – from Peter Gabriel to Sonny Rollins, from David Bowie to Hiatus Coyote, from James Cleveland to Frank Zappa. In an interview with an ABC affiliate in Rochester, NY, when asked to summarize their music they said, “High energy, horn-driven, danceable, up-tempo, we want people to feel good.” Huntertone’s music is tailored to modern sensibilities. They are social media savvy and eager to play within the constructs of modern culture with some of their repertoire including mashups of arrangements by Queen, Michael Jackson, Snarky Puppy, and Stevie Wonder.

Huntertones are playful, but they are very serious – their music is of the highest quality, precise and tight. Lionel Louke, guitarist with Herbie Hancock, sums up their vibe well: “Soulful, tasty and groovy. I dare you not to dance or be in a good mood during and after listening to this beautiful music.”

Heat Fund Benefit with Rhythm Future Quartet
2025-03-29 19:30 - 22:00
CONCERT TICKETS AVAILABLE AT DOOR. If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation to the Windham County Heat Fund using the button below:
DONATE TO 2025 HEAT FUND
The Rhythm Future Quartet is passionate about keeping the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive. The group, named for a popular Django Reinhardt tune, is influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet its influences embrace the broad diversity of jazz today. Founded by violinist Jason Anick, the quartet performs lyrical arrangements of Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions. The group also features guitarists Max O’Rourke and Henry Acker, as well as bassist Greg Loughman. Rhythm Future is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of a vital musical genre that continues to imbue the imagination of jazz in the 21st century.

Rhythm Future Quartet has released three albums; their most recent, Rhythm Future Quartet and Friends, features the critically acclaimed singer Cyrille Aimée, Brazil’s top bandoneonist, Hamilton de Holanda, and world-renowned guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg. Their penultimate release, Rhythm Future Quartet and Travels, was picked as one of the best jazz albums of 2016 by All About Jazz and the Huffington Post. As an indication of their popularity, their version of Django’s “Minor Swing” has over four million views on YouTube, and their version of “Bushwick Stomp” from Travels has over three million Facebook views.
Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and violin professor at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, has shared the stage with an array of artists including Grammy award-winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel.
Henry Acker is a young powerhouse jazz guitarist who performs both in the style of Django Reinhardt as well as traditional jazz. Henry has already shared the stage with jazz greats Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Julian Lage, Bireli Lagrene and Vic Juris. He is a five-time winner of the Downbeat Magazine Student Award for jazz guitar soloist.
Guitarist Max O’Rourke was the winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest and at 22 has already toured/recorded with many of the top American Gypsy Jazz musicians including John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara.
Greg Loughman is a top-call bassist in Boston and has been heard with such luminaries as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller and George Garzone.
This event will not be livestreamed. All the net proceeds of the Rhythm Future Quartet concert will go directly towards the Windham County Heat Fund. The goal of this event is to raise a minimum of $5,000 to provide much-needed fuel assistance and cultivate awareness of the organization’s mission.
More Information on Windham County Heat Fund

2025 Solo Jazz Piano Festival
2025-04-18 19:30 - 2025-04-19 10:00
At this celebration of solo piano in the jazz tradition, a collaborative spirit imbues the presentations of four distinguished headliners. The Festival includes performances, master-classes, a Q+A session plus interviews with the artists.
2025 headliners include Carmen Staaf, Johnny O’Neal, Sean Mason, and Luther Allison
2025 emerging artists include Estefanía Núñez Villamandos and Michael B. Carabello
For all music lovers, not just pianists, who are interested in both the practical and spiritual aspects of jazz and improvised music. We will hear six brilliant pianists (4 headliners and 2 emerging artists) perform and discuss their relationship to the instrument, to the jazz lineage, to structure and to artistic freedom. The piano is a finely crafted instrument that has been improved upon over the past three hundred years. It has been called “the orchestra of all instruments” because it gives musicians simultaneous access to harmonic, melodic and rhythmical possibilities, all with a refined sense of dynamics and touch.
In the Solo Jazz Piano Festival you will experience the myriad ways that artists who have invested their lives in the piano relate with the instrument. Since the festival started, in 2017, the VJC has hosted 54 pianists including NEA Jazz Masters Joanne Brackeen and Toshiko Akiyoshi. Other well-known musicians who have participated in the festival include Stanley Cowell, Helen Sung, Sullivan Fortner, Benny Green, Aaron Parks, Jacky Terrason, Sullivan Fortner and many others. In this year’s festival, each headliner will offer a masterclass and perform a 50 minute concert, emerging artists will perform 25-minute sets, and all pianists will come together for a lively panel discussion. All events will take place at the Vermont Jazz Center and will be livestreamed.
The VJC Solo Piano Festival was inspired by the donation of a Steinway Concert Grand piano by the McKenzie Family Charitable Trust. The VJC is extremely grateful to the Trust for this inspiring instrument, it continues to serve as a vehicle for artists to seamlessly transform their personalities and energy into musical sound and communicate directly with audiences.
Schedule
Friday, April 18
Feature Concert
7:30 Carmen Staaf
Pianist/composer Carmen Staaf is a rising force in the NYC and global music scenes and serves as the pianist and Musical Director for NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater. She has performed with icons like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, and Kenny Barron and graced stages such as the Playboy Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, Village Vanguard, Blue Note, SFJazz, and major jazz festivals worldwide.
8:30 Johnny O’Neal
Johnny O’Neal is a world-renowned neo-bop jazz pianist and vocalist from Detroit known for his virtuosic playing and natural swing. Influenced by jazz greats like Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum, he has performed with legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Nancy Wilson, Joe Pass and Kenny Burrell. A former member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, O’Neal made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1985 and portrayed Tatum in 2004 film, Ray.

Saturday, April 19 (starting at 10 am EST)
Educational Presentations & Emerging Artists’ Concert

10 am Carmen Staaf – “Rhythmic Frameworks for Improvisation”: A short introduction to the Cuban clave, thinking about the underlying rhythmic structures of bebop tunes and other jazz pieces and showing how we can use it in our improvisations and arrangements. Then we will look at some bebop tunes like Anthropology and Evidence; we will find their “claves” and explore ways to use them when we improvise.
11 am Johnny O’Neal – “Q&A Session”: Johnny will take questions from the audience about his long and storied career, demonstrating from his vast repertoire of tunes. He will discuss his early years and influences and share anecdotes from the road as well as offer advice for both aspiring and working musicians.
12 pm Sean Mason – “Music and Personal Growth”: This masterclass is a space for reflection on the profound relationship between music and personal growth, emphasizing the role of integrity and intuition in navigating both artistic and life challenges. We’ll explore how the spirit of jazz can inform a broader understanding of purpose and fulfillment.
1 pm Luther Allison – “Broadening our Understanding of the Art of Accompaniment”: In this session, we will study different approaches to the art of accompaniment across different ensemble configurations. From supporting the melody to backing a soloist, we will break down what it means to accompany, then listen to recordings and analyze the different techniques used by rhythm sections and event horn sections to comp behind a melody.
2:00 Lunch Break
3:30 Estefanía Núñez Villamandos, Emerging Artist – Estefanía Núñez Villamandos is a Cuban pianist, film composer, and arranger known for blending Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz, and film soundtrack influences. Currently a student in the Global Jazz Institute Master’s Program, she is working on a new album with her band, Meszas, while developing a thesis on music and schizophrenia.
4:00 Michael B. Carabello, Emerging Artist – Michael B. Carabello is a versatile pianist based in the tri-state area, trained at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz. He’s performed with artists like Nat Reeves and Rene McLean at venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Newport Jazz Festival. Mike has also played at the White House and leads projects like Erica T. Bryan and the New Mosaic. He’s currently the Music Director at the Artists Collective, developing curriculum to teach African Diaspora music to children in Greater Hartford.
4:45 Pianist Panel Discussion (Juried Questions)
5:30 Dinner Break

Saturday Feature Concert (7:30 pm EST)
7:30 Sean Mason
Sean Mason, a renowned jazz pianist, composer, and music director, is celebrated for blending traditional jazz with contemporary influences. His debut album The Southern Suite garnered critical acclaim, and his recent project My Ideal was GRAMMY® Nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album. A versatile artist, Mason has collaborated with jazz legends such as Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, and Dave Liebman. He has also worked with contemporary artists like Masego and contributed to Broadway productions with stars such as Babyface.
8:30 Luther Allison
Luther is a bandleader, educator, composer and clinician based in New York City. He performs nationally and internationally with his trio and sextet and has performed on both drums and piano alongside Etienne Charles, Jazzmeia Horn, Rodney Whitaker, Samara Joy, Joe Farnsworth, Ulysses Owens Jr., Helen Sung. Currently, Luther is touring with vocalist Ekep Nkwelle.

Endea Owens and the Cookout
2025-05-10 19:30 - 22:00
You’ve seen Endea Owens as the bassist on the Late Show’s house band, or heard her on Jon Batiste’s Grammy-winning album “We Are.” Come dig The Cookout, her acoustic bass-led sextet of rhythmically charged music. Endea Owens is known as one of Jazz’s most vibrant emerging artists. As a Detroit-raised Recording Artist, Bassist, and Composer, she has been mentored by jazz icons such as Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter, as well as toured/performed with Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Holliday, Diana Ross, Rhonda Ross, Solange, Jon Batiste, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Steve Turre, to name a few. Endea was a part of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert house band, won an Emmy Award, Grammy Award, and a George Foster Peabody Award, and her work has appeared on Jon Batiste’s Grammy Award-winning album “We Are,” Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah, and H.E.R’s widely acclaimed Super Bowl LV performance. She has composed a piece entitled “Ida’s Crusade” for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, which was later performed by the NYO Carnegie Hall Orchestra, has written for brands such as Pyer Moss and Glossier, and has been commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
read our program below…

Welcome to the Vermont Jazz Center. Tonight we are honored to present Endea Owens and the Cookout. Owens is a familiar presence to late-night TV buffs; she’s the double-bassist who propels Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show house band with her swinging, low-end grooves. The Detroit native is a graduate of Juilliard who has toured and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Diana Ross, Solange, Jon Batiste, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Steve Turre, and many others. She appeared on Jon Batiste’s Grammy Award-winning album We Are, and can be heard on the Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah. If you were watching Super Bowl LV, then you caught Endea performing as part of H.E.R.’s widely acclaimed half-time show.
But these accolades don’t even come close to conjuring the feelings and messages that Endea conveys in live performances. Like Charles Mingus, Ron Carter, and Stanley Clarke, Owens is one of those rare bass-playing leaders who steps into the frontline of the band and leaves no question about who’s in charge. Publicity for one of Endea’s shows at Jazz at Lincoln Center (where she was hailed as their 2019 Emerging Artist) summarizes her impact: “Endea Owens evolves the legacy of great leaders behind the bass, she approaches her sets with commanding presence, sensitivity, and an elastic foundation primed for spontaneity.”
Endea Owens is an old spirit whose music continues to be influenced by the intensity and fullness of groups from the hard bop era – when there was an authentic bridge between popular and art musics, and Black R&B, and jazz circles overlapped. In several interviews, Owens mentions that her first jazz epiphany occurred when she heard the sounds of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers as a 13-year-old. She emulates that big sound by touring with large-sized groups, noting: “I wanted to honor his [Blakey’s] legacy.” In an interview with the Pace Report, Owens relates “…it’s empowering to lead a band…the way that I function with my band is to exemplify equal opportunity because it’s not all about me. I want everyone to have their time to shine. We’re a collective.”
The Cookout’s vocalist is Nia Drummond. She is known for combining her jazz roots, operatic training, gospel beginnings, and R&B stylings into a unique, “genre-fluid” sound. Nia has been featured at the Apollo Theater, Playhouse Square in Cleveland, the New World Center, the Kennedy Center, and other renowned venues. She has also been featured in Great Performances: American Voices with Renée Fleming on PBS. Drummond has appeared as a background vocalist for the likes of Sir Elton John, Bette Midler, Valerie Simpson, Fantasia, John Legend, and many others.
Trumpeter Anthony Hervey, is, like Endea, a graduate of Juilliard’s Master’s in Jazz program. He has toured, performed, and recorded with luminaries such as Christian McBride, Jon Batiste, and Michael Bublé. Hervey performs regularly with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the Christian McBride Big Band, the Mingus Big Band, the Future of Jazz Orchestra, and the Ulysses Owens Jr. Generation Y Quintet.
Saxophonist Irwin Hall attended Princeton University on a full scholarship to study East Asian philosophy. He was invited by vocalist Melody Gardot to tour with her band after she heard him perform at the Tokyo Jazz Festival and has since recorded three albums with Ms. Gardot. Hall has toured and/or recorded with NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater, John Legend, bass virtuoso Charnett Moffett, Lauryn Hill, Theo Croker and many others.
Originally from France and Madagascar, The Cookout’s pianist, Mathis Picard is an ASCAP Next Generation of Songwriters recipient, a member of the Montreux Jazz Foundation, and a Juilliard School graduate. He now spends his time touring and recording as a leader. His latest album, Heat of The Moment, was given a 5-star review from The NY Times. When not leading his own projects, Picard has shared the stage with artists such as Ron Carter, Lillias White, Lee Ritenour, Kindness, Wynton Marsalis, Veronica Swift, Etienne Charles, Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater and more.
The ensemble’s drummer is Diego Joaquin Ramirez who has performed with Vijay Iyer, Cyrille Aimee, Marc Cary, Duane Eubanks, Michael League, Jazzmeia Horn, Alina Engibaryan, Grace Kelly, Stacy Dillard, Greg Tardy, Theo Hill, Luques Curtis, Walt Weiskopf and many others. Ramirez has played at festivals including the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Fest, Montreal Jazz Fest, SXSW, The Kennedy Center, The DC Jazz Fest, Barranquilla Jazz Fest (Colombia), Umbria Jazz Fest (Italy), Cork Jazz Fest (Ireland) and many others.
When the online music magazine, The Pace Report, asked Endea Owens to describe her music, she called it “a buffet of the Black music experience: very unique, with mostly jazz influences but also inspired by gospel, funk, R&B and swing.”
The VJC is especially grateful for the sponsorship of this event by David Salzberg and Elissa Barr, two dear friends who for several years have actively shown their belief in the power of music to bring the community together to enhance the quality of life.

Convergence Project
2025-06-14 19:30 - 22:00
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 studies programs at la Universidad de EAFIT and el Colegio de Música de Medellín. Several of his compositions employ forms and grooves adapted from Colombian music such as cumbia, pasillo, puya, bambuco, and currulao. They are also strongly influenced by his bebop mentors: Sheila Jordan, Howard Brofsky, Mike Longo and Jimmy Heath as well as by the sounds of his youth when he played in rock and blues bands. Uman’s compositions draw from a vocabulary of modern jazz, hard bop, rock, soul, Latin American rhythms and gospel; listeners can expect a “convergence” of the music he loves in a mash-up of styles where groove is king.
This presentation of the Convergence Project is the last show of the Vermont Jazz Center’s 2024-25 season.
Read the program below…
Welcome to the Vermont Jazz Center’s final concert of the season. I’m really excited for the opportunity to present my original material to you; it is an honor to be joined by these artists who I deeply respect and whose music I enjoy. I am also grateful to you for being here.
The Convergence Project is a rotating band that includes musicians whose creative contributions enhance my own hand. I find great joy in putting together a musical program. Each detail – from the setlist to the order of solos, to the choice of musicians, is part of an organic whole. Each selection (tune) is guided by a chart, or map, that generally defines that composition’s journey: an introduction, a clear melody and a form that listeners and players can follow. This form includes improvisational sections, a recap of the melody and a coda (ending). Although this form is consistent for each tune, the personalities of the musicians and the way that they relate with each other and the road map is what changes the journey’s color and scenery. The improvising soloists guide the group’s energy, and their creativity welcomes unpredictable responses and interactions.
Over the years I have enjoyed matching up different combinations of bassists and drummers to impart a totally different flavor, even over the same tunes. In this music, rhythm is king – the rhythm section players are the engine and their attitude is what gives the music life. When listening tonight, try to single out the bass, drums and percussion. Check out how the musicians focus on locking into specific, repetitive patterns. These rhythms are the thumbprint of each tune and they impart an identifiable flavor. Many of the tunes you will hear tonight were inspired by the rich variety of rhythms of Colombia. Ethnomusicologist Guillermo Abadía Morales cataloged over 1025 distinct rhythms in Colombian folk and traditional music. Colombian music is about precision, but it’s also about feeling and communicating. I love how Colombian people incorporate rhythm into their everyday way of life – it’s embedded in everything they do – the way they talk, walk, work, dance, laugh and sing. I try to infuse my compositions with that rhythm of life while never negating my own upbringing and influences, including the huge impact of my mentor, Howard Brofsky.
For this iteration of the Convergence Project, we welcome Peru-born percussionist Jhair Sala. Jhair is known for his deep roots in Afro-Peruvian and Afro-Cuban traditions, blending them with a fresh, contemporary edge. He has performed and recorded with legends including Ruben Blades, Pedrito Martinez, Eric Clapton, and Steve Gadd, and was twice named Rising Star Percussionist of the Year by *Drum Magazine*. Jhair will primarily be playing cajon and congas tonight, but he’s equally at home on bongos, timbales, and a wide range of traditional Latin percussion instruments.
I can’t wait to hear how Samuel locks in with trap drummer Brian Shankar Adler. A world-class educator and performer, Brian has analyzed how to apply folkloric Colombian rhythms to the drum set. He is comfortable playing a wide range of styles and can swing hard on straight-ahead jazz tunes as well. His specialties include South Asian classical music, jazz, and experimental soundscapes. Brian has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center and appears on over 40 recordings, including several as a leader.
I first heard New York bassist Mimi Jones in 2012 when she played with Tia Fuller here at the Jazz Center and then at a clinic at Amherst College. At that clinic, Mimi demonstrated her concept of creating a sound based on a full and unhurried quarter note: her groove is huge and danceable. As a Jazz Ambassador, Mimi toured Africa, Europe, Russia, China, South and Central America, and the Caribbean for the U.S. State Department. Her work as a side woman includes gigs with Kenny Barron, Beyonce, Dianne Reeves, Ingrid Jensen, Roy Hargrove, Ravi Coltrane and Ralph Peterson. Jones has released three albums as a leader and appears on recordings with Terri Lyne Carrington’s Mosaic Project, Rudy Royston, Lizz Wright, Tia Fuller, Luís Perdomo, Camille Thurman and others.
In the frontline, saxophonist Michael Zsoldos has been a cornerstone of the Convergence Project since its first incarnation in 2009. One of the things I love about Michael’s playing is his seamless integration into any horn section – he is a leader who understands the art of blending with other musicians in order to create magic. He is also a consummate improviser. Michael has performed with Paquito D’Rivera, Shelia Jordan, Kevin Mahogany, Houston Person, Luis Perdomo, Jason Palmer, Helen Sung, George Schuller, Armen Donelian, Bernadette Peters, Carole King, the Temptations and many others.
Flutist Anabel Gil Díaz is from Havana, Cuba currently teaching at the VJC’s Summer Jazz Workshop and the John Payne Music Center in Brookline, Ma. She attended the Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice at Berklee School of Music on a full Presidential Scholarship and then received her master’s degree from Longy School of Music. Anabel combines a fearless jazz attitude with a vast knowledge of classical repertoire and the spirit of Cuba. Anabel can be heard on Terri-Lyne Carrington’s Grammy Award-winning album New Jazz Standards Vol. 1.
The list of artists with whom French hornist John Clark has recorded and/or performed includes Gil Evans, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Turtle Island String Quartet, Joe Lovano, Julius Hemphill, Jaco Pastorius, George Russell, Sting, Ornette Coleman, Paquito D’Rivera, and the Mingus Orchestra, among many others. He has released 7 albums as a leader and appeared on over 20 as a side-person. John received a composition grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, and his work has been performed and/or recorded by the Gil Evans Orchestra, McCoy Tyner Big Band, Paul Winter and Imani Winds, among many others.
Thank you for being here! Music is a reciprocal experience and your trust in me is humbling. Thanks especially to Torin Koester and Mike McKenzie of the McKenzie Charitable Trust for their sponsorship and enduring support.
-Eugene Uman

2025 Summer Jazz Workshop
2025-08-03 - 2025-08-09
More Info
LOCATION: THE PUTNEY SCHOOL IN PUTNEY, VERMONT
Registration is now open. First-time applicants, please send your audition recordings before registering.
Greetings! The Vermont Jazz Center’s 50th Summer Jazz Workshop will take place on the beautiful campus of The Putney School.
Come join us and participate in a hands-on program heralded for giving participants ample playing time and direct access to caring, high-level, professional instructors who are both working musicians and experienced educators.
We ask vocalists and instrumentalists interested in a focused week of creating music together to contact us as soon as possible to ensure placement.
The VJC Summer Workshop creates a community through music that includes improvisation. For 50 years we have brought people together using jazz as the catalyst. Jazz is an ensemble-oriented art-form that relies on listening and relationships; it pays homage to the wisdom of the masters who have developed an improvisational language propelled by innovations in rhythm. Our program is dedicated to creating playing situations that honor the historical context but embrace forward-thinking concepts through jam sessions, ensembles and listening opportunities. At the Vermont Jazz Center we believe in hands-on learning, so theoretical information is fused with playing opportunities (including late night jam sessions) that create a seamless bridge of information and application.
START HERE

2025-2026 Season: Jason Moran
2025-09-20 19:30 - 22:00
Jason Moran is a visionary jazz pianist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist whose work blends music with performance art, film, and visual media. Known for his adventurous spirit, he draws from a wide spectrum of influences including Thelonious Monk, hip hop, stride piano, classical, and avant-garde jazz. Moran first gained recognition through his collaborations with Greg Osby and released his debut album, Soundtrack to Human Motion, on Blue Note Records in 1999. He has since led the acclaimed trio, The Bandwagon, and created acclaimed projects such as In My Mind (a multimedia homage to Monk), Fats Waller Dance Party, and numerous commissions for major museums and international festivals.
Moran’s musical collaborators include Charles Lloyd, Cassandra Wilson, Joe Lovano, Don Byron, Steve Coleman, and Marian McPartland. He has also composed scores for choreographers Alonzo King and Ronald K. Brown and Ava DuVernay’s Selma and 13th. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship in 2010, Moran has taught at the New England Conservatory, held residencies at Juilliard and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, and up until June served as Artistic Director for Jazz at the Kennedy Center.
Dubbed “the most provocative thinker in current jazz” by Rolling Stone, Moran plays a pivotal role in shaping jazz’s cultural legacy. Inspired by the music of Duke Ellington, he currently has embarked on a solo piano journey up what he calls “Mount Ellington,” celebrating Ellington’s contributions as a composer, pianist, and bandleader. Now, 125 years after Ellington’s birth, Moran reimagines his canon as a defining event, one that elevated jazz from populist entertainment to a national art form.
Opening for the Vermont Jazz Center 2025-2026 season, he will perform his solo piano project “Mount Ellington”, a tribute to Duke Ellington that reimagines the legendary composer’s work through his unique lens.

2025-2026 Season: Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott)
2025-10-11 19:30 - 22:00
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) is a two-time Edison Award–winning, six-time Grammy-nominated musician, composer, producer, and cultural leader. As Chief of the Xodokan Nation and Grand Griot of New Orleans, his artistry blends Afro-Indigenous heritage, ancestral ceremony, and forward-thinking innovation.
Adjuah’s takes a leap towards a nontraditional music style described as “increasingly infectious with repeated listens and marks yet another step forward for one of the most innovative artists of our time” by Glide Magazine. His latest album, Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning (2023), is his first release after reclaiming his name as a tribal leader and his first recorded release with his invented instrument the Adjuah Bow. This bow, a harplike, ancestral-inspired creation is a double‑sided hybrid of kora and ngoni, and a European Harp. Giovanni Russonello in The New York Times called his blend of vocals and ancestral percussion on this album “a paean to the legacy of Black Indian music”.
Expect a deeply immersive performance: Adjuah will weave together spiritual storytelling, original instrumentation, and a genre-defying journey through New Orleans, West African, and Maroon traditions… all of which are central to his ongoing mission of decolonizing sound and elevating ancestral expression.

DAY 1 Emerging Artist Festival
2025-11-07 17:00 - 20:00 | 118 Elliot Gallery, 118 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, Vermont, 05301
8th Annual Emerging Artist Festival
Friday, November 7, 5:00 – 8:00 pm (118 Elliot, Gallery Walk Student Showcase): VJC joins with the 118 Elliot Art Gallery to present a showcase of high school and college jazz ensembles, including Vermont Academy Trio, Emily Margaret Ensemble, Amherst College Ensemble: Agra, Northfield Mt. Hermon Honors, and PVPA Jazz, Pop + R&B Ensemble.
5:00 Vermont Academy Trio
5:30 Emily Margaret Ensemble
6:10 Amherst College Ensemble: Agra
6:50 Northfield Mt. Hermon Quintet
7:30 PVPA Jazz, Pop + R&B Ensemble
Saturday, November 8, 11:00 – 5:00 pm, Student Performances & Free Clinic (4 pm) with Ulysses Owens Jr.: VJC teams up with area schools to feature additional student groups from area high schools and colleges. Daytime activities will culminate in a no-cost clinic offered by three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. to area youth and older aficionados. This year’s participants include: Amherst College Ensemble: Petra, Putney School (tentative), VJC Youth Jazz Ensemble, UMass Ensemble 1, Northfield Quintet, UMass Ensemble 2, BUHS Madrigals, and BUHS Big Band.
Saturday, November 8 at 7:30 pm Headliner Concert Ulysses Owens Jr. & Generation Y Ensemble: Three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer, composer, and bandleader Ulysses Owens Jr. is a drummer who “take[s] a back seat to no one,” and “a musician who balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation” (New York Times). He is one of the most dynamic and multifaceted artists of his generation. As a multifaceted artist, Owens is equally at home behind the drum set, directing large ensembles, authoring acclaimed educational books, and building community through the arts.
Cost:
Friday and Saturday Daytime Events: Free
Saturday Evening Concert: $25+ (Sliding Scale)

DAY 2 Emerging Artist Festival feat. Ulysses Owens Jr. and Gen. Y
2025-11-08 | Vermont Jazz Center, 72 Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Saturday, November 8, 11:00 – 5:00 PM, Student Performances & Free Clinic (4 PM) with Ulysses Owens Jr.: VJC teams up with area schools to feature additional student groups from area high schools and colleges. Daytime activities will culminate in a no-cost clinic offered by three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. to area youth and older aficionados. This year, we’re thrilled to feature student groups from Amherst College Ensemble: Petra, Putney School (tentative),VJC Youth Jazz Ensemble, UMass Ensemble 1, Northfield Quintet, UMass Ensemble 2, BUHS Madrigals, and BUHS Big Band.
Clinic Topic: Communication on the Bandstand
Owens and Generation Y will play a few tunes and then they will discuss the ways in which they communicate with each other through words and examples. How do we signal each other that we want another improvised chorus, communicate that we want to bring the energy up or down, or let the horn players know that it’s time to join in for background figures? Owens and Generation Y have worked together to develop their personalized communication and they look forward to sharing their knowledge with us!

Saturday, November 8 at 7:30 pm Headliner Concert Ulysses Owens Jr. & Generation Y Ensemble: Three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer, composer, and bandleader Ulysses Owens Jr. is a drummer who “take[s] a back seat to no one,” and “a musician who balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation” (New York Times). He is one of the most dynamic and multifaceted artists of his generation. As a multifaceted artist, Owens is equally at home behind the drum set, directing large ensembles, authoring acclaimed educational books, and building community through the arts.
Cost:
Friday and Saturday Daytime Events: Free
Saturday Evening Concert: $25+ (Sliding Scale)
Saturday, November 8, 7:30 PM Concert with Ulysses Owens Jr. & Generation Y Band:
Three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer, composer, and bandleader Ulysses Owens Jr. is a drummer who “take[s] a back seat to no one,” and “a musician who balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation” (New York Times). As a multifaceted artist, Owens is equally at home behind the drum set, directing large ensembles, authoring acclaimed educational books, and building community through the arts.
Owens has appeared on multiple Grammy Award-winning recordings with Kurt Elling and the Christian McBride Big Band, and received his third Grammy in 2023 for his work with Steven Feifke, Bijon Watson, and the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra. As a bandleader, his acclaimed albums Songs of Freedom, Soul Conversations, and A New Beat have received honors from Rolling Stone, DownBeat, and Jazziz, with A New Beat topping the JazzWeek charts for eight weeks in 2024.
He is the founder and drummer of the Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band (named DownBeat’s 2022 Rising Star Big Band) and Generation Y, a group of emerging artists who recently toured globally and gained viral attention for their Nirvana cover “Heart-Shaped Box,” reaching over five million views.
A respected educator, Owens serves on the jazz faculty at The Juilliard School and is the inaugural jazz drum instructor for Drumeo’s global platform. He has published three books on jazz drumming and career development, and regularly contributes to DownBeat, JazzTimes, and The New York Times. He is also the Artistic Director of “Don’t Miss a Beat,” a nonprofit organization using the arts to empower youth in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
For this performance, Owens leads his Generation Y ensemble. Like the legendary drummer Art Blakey, Owens pays close attention to the leading young artists of our time and asks them to join his powerful ensemble. For this performance, he will be joined by Anthony Hervey on trumpet (performed at VJC with Endea Owens), Erena Terakubo on alto saxophone (Mingus Big Band, Kenny Barron Quartet), Liya Grigoryan on piano (Thelonious Monk Competition finalist) and Guillermo Lopez on bass (first prize winner of the Scott LaFaro Prize at the 2025 International Society of Bassists).

VJC Big Band Celebrates its 21st Year w/ Vocalist Peter Eldridge
2025-12-12 19:30 - 22:00
A gala dance to support the VJC’s Scholarship Fund!
The 18-piece Vermont Jazz Center Big Band returns for its annual swing dance gala, this year featuring the acclaimed vocalist, pianist, and composer Peter Eldridge. Eldridge is known for bridging the worlds of jazz and singer-songwriter traditions with ease and emotional depth. A founding member of the Grammy-winning vocal ensemble New York Voices, Eldridge has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and The Kennedy Center, and has recorded and toured with legendary artists including Bobby McFerrin, Michael Brecker, George Benson, Paquito D’Rivera, and Chanticleer.
Eldridge’s solo projects – including Disappearing Day (Sunnyside Records), which was called “an out-and-out masterpiece” by All About Jazz—have landed on Best of the Year lists from DownBeat, Jazziz, and NPR. Eldridge’s recent collaboration with pianist Kenny Werner, Somewhere features a 40-member orchestra and a world-class jazz quartet.
The VJC Big Band, comprised of professional musicians from the region, performs classic and contemporary big band arrangements to raise funds for the Vermont Jazz Center’s Scholarship Fund. Now in its 21st year, the ensemble thrives thanks to the steadfast leadership of Music Director Rob Freeberg and the unwavering dedication of Band Manager and baritone saxophonist Sherm Fox, who helped establish the group in 2004.
Each year, the VJC Big Band performs a dance concert on the first Friday of December that features a special guest artist. Past headliners have included Carmen Bradford, Evan Arntzen, Alexis Cole, Amanda Carr, Houston Person, Dave Stryker, Samirah Evans, Rich Greenblatt, Mark Anagnostopulos, Bella Holtz, Kevin Mahogany, Miles Griffith, Wanda Houston, and timbalero Eguie Castrillo.
2024/2025 VJC Big band
Trumpets: Don Anderson, Rick Anderson, Haneef Nelson, Bunny Saranita, Rob Freeberg (Geoff Cunningham)
Woodwinds: Michael Zsoldos, Sherm Fox, Bruce Diehl (Aedan Madden), Carl Clements, and Donna Morse
Trombones: John Wheeler, Amaranth Cole, Dave Sporny and Tim Atherton (Kim Clark)
Rhythm section: Eugene Uman (piano), Wes Brown (bass), and Steve Rice (drums).

2025-2026 Season: Zaccai Curtis Cubop Quintet
2026-01-17 19:30 - 22:00
Zaccai Curtis is a pianist, composer, and producer known for fusing the essential elements of Latin jazz and bebop languages. Most recently, his album Cubop Lives!, released under his own, collective label (Truth Revolution), won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album. This concert will feature the actual musicians who recorded with Zaccai on his Grammy-winning release.
A three-time ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award recipient, Zaccai Curtis has also been honored with the Connecticut Artist Fellowship, Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works grant (2017), and toured with the U.S. State Department’s Jazz Ambassadors program. In 2020, he was named a Rising Star in the DownBeat Critics Poll. As co-founder of the artist-run label TRRcollective, he has produced Grammy-nominated work, including Entre Colegas by the legendary Latin bassist, Andy González.
Curtis has performed with a wide range of artists, including Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), Donald Harrison, Santana, Cindy Blackman, Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch, the Mambo Legends, and Avery Sharpe. A dedicated educator, Curtis teaches at the University of Hartford and Western Connecticut State University, and is the author of two instructional books on jazz theory and Latin rhythms.
For the VJC’s event, Curtis’ quintet will expand upon the Cubop era of the late 40s, exploring and reimagining Afro-Cuban jazz concepts. Their repertoire is a mix of new compositions and classics from Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Dorham to Machito and Mario Bauzá.

2025-2026 Season: Miguel Zenón Quartet
2026-03-07 19:30 - 22:00
Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón is widely regarded as one of the most visionary artists of his generation. A MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow and 2024 Doris Duke Artist, Zenón blends the rich traditions of his Puerto Rican heritage with the language of modern jazz.
Zenón has received 13 Grammy nominations, released seventeen albums as a leader, and won a Grammy for his beautiful duo album El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023) with pianist Luís Perdomo, who will be performing at this concert as well.
Zenón has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band and Bobby Hutcherson.
For this performance, Zenón is joined by his long-standing touring/recording ensemble: pianist Luís Perdomo, Hans Glawischnig (bass) and Henry Cole (drums).

Windham County Heat Fund Benefit Concert Cameron Brown’s 80th Birthday Celebration
2026-03-21 19:30 - 22:00
Cameron Brown and Dannie’s Calypso
Dave Ballou (trumpet and flugelhorn), Jason Rigby (saxophones), Lisa Parrott (saxophones), Cameron Brown (bass), Tony Jefferson (drums)
About Cameron Brown:
Detroit-born bassist Cameron Brown has been playing jazz and free music professionally since the mid-1960s when he toured Europe with the bands of George Russell, Archie Shepp, Don Cherry and Donald Byrd. Career highlights include a fifty-year musical relationship with NEA Jazz Master, Sheila Jordan, a tour of Japan with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, and a long tenure with the legendary George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet.
Brown’s discography includes six albums under his own leadership and over two hundred recordings as a sideman with such legends as Dannie Richmond, Joe Lovano, George Russell, Archie Shepp, Lee Konitz, Chet Baker, Mal Waldron, Grover Washington Jr., Charlie Persip, Luicano Pavarotti, Ed Blackwell, Ronnie Cuber, Ricky Ford, Beaver Harris, Grady Tate, Mike Longo, Sheila Jordan, Jim McNeely, Steve Grossman, Betty Carter, John Hicks, Dewey Redman, Houston Person, Etta Jones, Jane Ira Bloom, and many others.
For this concert, Cameron brings the NYC-based group he formed to celebrate the music of his former band-mate, Charles Mingus’ famed drummer, Dannie Richmond. Dannie’s Calypso is a piano-less quintet with a three-horn front line: Dave Ballou, Trumpet; Lisa Parrott, saxes; Jason Rigby, Saxes; Cameron Brown, upright bass; Tony Jefferson, drums. VJC expects other surprise guests to join Cameron, including a duo set with Harvey Diamond.

2025-2026 Solo Jazz Piano Festival
2026-04-10 19:30 - 2026-04-11 22:00
10th Annual Solo Jazz Piano Festival
For all music lovers, not just pianists, who are interested in both the practical and spiritual aspects of jazz and improvised music. We will hear six brilliant pianists (4 headliners and 2 emerging artists) perform and discuss their relationship to the instrument, to the jazz lineage, to structure and to artistic freedom.
In the Solo Jazz Piano Festival, you will experience the various ways that artists who have dedicated their lives to the study of jazz piano relate with the instrument. Since the festival started, in 2017, the VJC has hosted 60 pianists including NEA Jazz Masters Joanne Brackeen and Toshiko Akiyoshi. Other well-known musicians who have participated in the festival include Stanley Cowell, Helen Sung, Sullivan Fortner, Benny Green, Aaron Parks, Jacky Terrason, Sullivan Fortner and many others. 2025’s headliners included Carmen Staaf, Johnny O’Neal, Luther Allison, and Sean Mason. The emerging artists for that event were Estefanía Nunez Villamundos and Michael Carabello.
The structure of each year’s festival includes one-set performances and hour-long masterclasses by each headliner, half-hour sets by 2 emerging artists and a lively panel discussion with all the participants. All events take place at the Vermont Jazz Center and will be live-streamed.
The VJC Solo Piano Festival was inspired by the donation of a Steinway Concert Grand piano by the McKenzie Family Charitable Trust.
Confirmed artist at this date: Rachel Z and Mathis Picard, others TBA
SCHEDULE TO BE ANNOUNCED

2025-2026 Season: Sean Jones
2026-05-16 19:30 - 22:00
Sean Jones is one of the leading trumpeters in the jazz world. He is also a distinguished educator who has toured with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Jones has released eight acclaimed albums as a leader and performed on over 100 as a sideman.
Sean Jones first discovered music through the church choir, where the emotional depth of gospel laid the foundation for his sound. Known for his commanding presence and versatility, he moves seamlessly across genres – leading his own ensembles, collaborating with orchestras, and mentoring emerging talent.
As a featured artist, he has recorded with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, and with Nancy Wilson on her Grammy-winning album Turned to Blue (2006). He has performed as lead trumpet with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis (2004–2010), the SFJAZZ Collective (2015–2017), and currently appears with the Baltimore Jazz Collective. In 2011, he was selected by Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter to join the international Tribute to Miles tour.
A leading voice in jazz education, Jones is Chair in Jazz at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz. He previously chaired the Brass Department at Berklee College of Music and served as President of the Jazz Education Network (JEN).

2026-2026 Season: Convergence Project
2026-06-13 19:30 - 22:00
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 studies programs at la Universidad de EAFIT and el Colegio de Música de Medellín. Several of his compositions employ forms and grooves adapted from Colombian music such as cumbia, pasillo, puya, bambuco, and currulao. They are also strongly influenced by his bebop mentors: Sheila Jordan, Howard Brofsky, Mike Longo and Jimmy Heath, as well as by the sounds of his youth when he played in rock and blues bands. Uman’s compositions draw from a vocabulary of modern jazz, hard bop, rock, soul, Latin American rhythms and gospel; listeners can expect a “convergence” of the music he loves in a mash-up of styles where groove is king.
This presentation of the Convergence Project is the last show of the Vermont Jazz Center’s 2025-26 season.
