live jazz

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Johnathan Blake’s Trion

by vtjazz | Music

Three of the top musicians in jazz come together to perform as a “Trion” – a three charged particles unified as one – in an evening of energetic music at the Vermont Jazz Center on February 18th, 2023 at 7:30 PM

The Vermont Jazz Center is pleased to present an evening of adventurous music on Saturday, February 18th at 7:30 PM with Johnathan Blake’s Trion. This chord-less jazz trio (includes no chordal instrument such as piano or guitar) features three of the leading players of their generation: Chris Potter on tenor saxophone, Linda May Han Oh on acoustic bass and band leader Johnathan Blake on drums. Reviewing their self-titled recording Trion Apple-music states “Blake rides a hurricane as he convenes with two giants…Each player is amply and repeatedly featured but the trio sounds like a genuine collective, not stars hunkering down in their respective corners.” The repertoire of the group ranges from original compositions and pop tunes, to Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk standards, all performed with an open-ended concept.

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Champian Fulton Quartet

by vtjazz | Music

The Vermont Jazz Center is delighted to present pianist/vocalist Champian Fulton on Saturday, January 18th at 8:00 PM. Fulton, a DownBeat Magazine Rising Star, was recently lauded as 2019 Female Vocalist of the Year and 2019 Pianist of the Year by Hot House Magazine/Jazzmobile. She will be performing with her working quartet of over a decade including her father, Stephen Fulton, on Flugelhorn, Hide Tanaka on bass and Fuku Tainaka on drums.

Champian Fulton swings hard – she’s a top-shelf pianist and vocalist with an expansive repertoire and a broad stylistic vocabulary. She likes to leave her sets open-ended so that she and her band can choose between familiar and little-known gems from the Great American Songbook on the fly. Considering her youthful age (34 years old), it is intriguing that Fulton’s repertoire naturally gravitates to selections from the swing era. Her whole persona, public and private, resonates with a love for the music from that time period. She conveys the essence of swing effortlessly and authentically; her performances give listeners a fresh appreciation of the creative possibilities inherent in an older style. In Fulton’s hands, swing is a vibrant, living music that resonates with meaning and joyous playfulness.