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| Blue Valentine Cabaret and Dance with Black Olive Jazz and the Eurotrash Latin & Swing Band |
| Date |
From February 14, 2009 7:30 PM
Until February 14, 2009 10:30 PM |
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| Location |
All Saint's Episcopal Church
555 Waverly Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301 |
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[map it!] |
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| Info Line |
415-289-6655 |
| Website |
http://www.blackolivejazz.com |
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| Contact |
Kay Kostopoulos
1608 Baker Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-289-6655
blackolivejazz@gmail.com
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Sales have ended for this event. Tickets may still be available at the door.
Tickets will be available at the door for $25 on a first come first served basis. |
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| Description |
Valentine from a Stanford "Lover"
Stanford Drama teacher and actress, Kay Kostopoulos, will appear with piano jazz legend, Larry Vuckovich, in a Valentine's concert celebrating love and lust. The concert will feature love letters and poetry from Byron, Browning, Bernhardt, Beethoven, and Heloise and Abelard; and a music program that will include jazz standards, latin, and swing. " I thought the show would be a fun thing to do for the Palo Alto community for Valentine's Day since many had seen me perform at Stanford Summer Theatre in Pinter's The Lover, and as the lusty "other woman", in Amy Freed's Restoration Comedy", says Kostopoulos. After her sell out Valentines concert at the Dragon Theatre a few seasons ago, Kay chose the All Saints Church in Palo Alto for the venue, to feature dancing in the large, lovely space. There will be wine and chocolates sold at intermission. Part of the proceeds will benefit the church and Palo Alto Community. "You can bring your Valentine, whether it's a lover, a dear friend, or your momor come alone and maybe meet someone at the dance who knows?" says Kostopoulos.
Tickets will be sold in advance for $15, at the door for $20. To reserve, log onto the website www.blackolivejazz.com for more information, or call 415-289-6655.
Kay Andreas (Kostopoulos) is a former dancer, a classical actress and teacher of Drama at Stanford University. Kay has always been attentive to rhythm, range, and textural meaning in her teaching and acting. Middle Eastern riffs and Shakespearean texts have helped to inform her delivery of the complex time, sensitive lyrics and multiple shades of jazz. Her theatrical background lends an emotional sensitivity to her lush and sensuous three octave range. Kays CD, Black Magic, has received frequent airplay on the local jazz station of the San Francisco Bay area, KCSM and is available on CD Baby. She did the arrangements on two of the tunes, Senor Magic, and Whatever Lola Wants. Her newest CD, "Blue Valentine", set for a February release, features Larry Vuckovich, piano; Bill Douglass, bass and Eddie Marshall, drums. It includes an original jazz tune by Larry Vuckovich, View from Telegraph Hill, with lyrics written by Kay; and exciting new arrangements of Dancing in the Dark, Caravan, East of the Sun, and Cole Porters Get Out of Town.
Kay has been fortunate to perform with many San Francisco Bay Area treasures: pianist, Larry Vuckovich, and guitarist, Josh Workman, bassist, Bill Douglass, and drummers, Eddie Marshall, Omar Clay and Ian Dogole. She has also performed as lead vocalist for David Hardiman's Big Band and City Swing Big Band. In addition to her own CDs, Kay has recorded with the jazz group, Topaz, and on guitarist Lenny Carlsons CD, Seat of the Pants, featuring pianist, Rebeca Maleon. Kay performs at many venues, educational institutions and benefits in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sonoma, including The Sausalito Arts Festival, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Art Deco celebration at Union Square San Francisco, Herbst Theater Green Room, , Presidio Caf, Corte Madera Center Summer Music Series, Jazz at Pearls, The Cliff House, Agenda Lounge, Santana Row, Hotel Donatello, Octavia Lounge, Turtle Bay Restaurant, Cafe Fino, Caffe d'Melanio, Ledson Winery, Bartholomew Park Winery, Gunlach Bunschu Winery, Carneros Winery, River Rock Casino, Joes of Lafayette, Stanford University, City College of San Francisco, UCSC, and Santa Clara University among others.
Her web site is www.blackolivejazz.com
Larry Vuckovich: www.larryvuckovich.com
PROCLAMATION
City and County of San Francisco
Whereas, It is appreciated that after performing in many parts of the country and world, Larry Vuckovich came back to the City that cradled his American dream, and continues to pay tribute to the city and musicians of San Francisco; now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Gavin Newsom, Mayor of City and County of San Francisco, encourage all citizens to join me in recognizing Larry Vuckovich on the occasion of his 70th birthday and do herby proclaim December 8th, 2006 as LARRY VUCKOVICH DAY In San Francisco!
FAckowledgements
Larry was acknowledged as a "Jazz Legend" and a "Fillmore Heritage Pioneer" at the groundbreaking ceremony. Larry was honored along with Eddy and Vernon Alley, Willie Bobo, Vince Guaraldi, Paul Desmond, Jimbo Edwards, John Handy, Noel Jewkes, Frank Jackson, Jon Hendricks, Bobby Hutcherson, Pat Nacey, Cal Tjader, Allen Smith, and others who contributed to the greatness of the San Francisco jazz scene. Click here to view Larry Vuckovich's San Francisco Biography including famous clubs and musicians.
Larry Vuckovich was born in Kotor, Yugoslavia on December 8, 1936. He came to San Francisco in 1951 at the height of a flourishing jazz scene. Classically trained but an ardent jazz fan (thanks to Armed Forces radio), he began hanging out at clubs like the Black Hawk and the Jazz Workshop. Here he heard such greats as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bill Evans. At the Black Hawk he met Cal Tjader and Vince Guaraldi, who was Cal's pianist at the time. Larry studied jazz piano with Pat Tjader and afterwards became Guaraldi's only piano student. During this period he was also completing his music studies at San Francisco State University where John Handy was a major influence on the school's jazz program. As well as performing with the students, John brought visiting greats who also performed with the students including Milt Jackson, Rahsan Roland Kirk. Micky Roker, Bob Cranshaw, Larry Gales, and others.
Larry began his professional career in 1959 with the legendary Lester Young inspired tenor saxophonist Brew Moore. He began subbing for Guaraldi in 1960 accompanying singers David Allyn, and Irene Kral. Around this time he also performed with such instrumentalists as John Handy and Monk Montgomery. In 1963 while accompanying Mel Torme he developed a close musical rapport with him and was his first call pianist in San Francisco.
Two years later, he began a 25-year association with vocalist and lyricist Jon Hendricks, appearing at major festivals and clubs around the country and the world. Larry toured with Hendricks, appearing at major festivals and clubs in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, as well as performing in Hendricks' long-running musical stage production, "Evolution of the Blues." He also appeared on two Hendricks recordings.
Besides touring with Hendricks, in the late '60s Larry led the house band at what was then Germany's top jazz club, The Domicile, in Munich. In that role, he backed visiting jazz greats including Lucky Thompson, Slide Hampton, Pony Poindexter, Clifford Jordan, and Dusko Goykovich. Larry was a member of Dusko's International Quintet, recording a live album with the Quintet at the Domicle. It was also at the Domicile in Munich where he worked with the master drummer Philly Joe Jones, with whom he went on to tour Europe (see the Gallery shots here). He also performed with Dexter Gordon in Austria and in Copenhagen at the famous Montmartre jazz club.
Later in the '70s Larry worked with Jones again in San Francisco when Larry was the house pianist at the Keystone Korner. At this club he performed with jazz masters Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate, Charles McPherson, Leon Thomas, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and Scott Hamilton until the club closed in 1983. A CD released on Savant Records featuring "Cleanhead" Vinson recorded live at Keystone Korner features Larry Vuckovich with James Leary and Eddie Marshall.
Two years later, Larry moved to New York where he appeared at the major jazz clubs including the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Bradley's Zinno, West End, Hanratty's, and others. Some of his musical associations there included Billy Higgins, Cecil Payne, Al Cohn, Curtis Fuller, Milt Hinton, Mel Lewis, Michael Moore, Tom Harrell, and Charles McPherson (the latter two have appeared on Larry's CDs). While in New York Larry between 1985-1990 he received excellent reviews from the New York Times and the Village Voice including such critics as John S. Wilson, Jon Pareles, and Gary Giddins (see New York page).
In 1990, Larry returned to San Francisco where he is one of the mainstays of the jazz scene . Fans remember his years as house pianist at Club 36 where he also presented top jazz programs including world-class musicians. He was also the music director for the West Coast Jazz Festival and Napa Valley Jazz Festival, and appeared numerous times at the Monterey and San Francisco Jazz Festivals. Most recently his Young At Heart Ensemble was a hit at the San Francisco Jazz Festival in a Tribute to Phil Elwood. His current CD "Reunion" with Jon Hendricks, featuring the Young At Heart Ensemble, has received heavy airplay and reached the number 24 spot on the national jazz charts. At this time he appears at the major San Francisco venues such as, Pearl's, Yoshi's, and in concerts in such places as the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Herbst Theater and Palo Alto Jazz Alliance. Also Larry presented a very successful piano clinic featuring the styles of Bill Evans, Erroll Garner, Bud Powell, and Red Garland at the 2005 IAJE convention in Long Beach. Larry's oustanding trio included Isla Eckinger on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums received a standing ovation.
Currently Larry lives in Calistgoga/Napa Valley with his wife, Sanna Craig (who is a vocalist, percussionist, producer, and co-partner in Larry's label, Tetrachord Music), and his son Alexi who is also a talented young pianist. Larry has been appearing at jazz venues in Napa Valley including the two major concert halls, The Napa Valley Opera House and COPIA . He appears in Napa Valley regularly with the top Bay Area instrumentalists and vocalists including his own ensembles, such as, Blue Balkan, Young At Heart, and La Orquesta El Vuko.
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| Notes |
| Event will begin as a vocal/piano duo with poetry, letters and music from 7:30-8:00. After a short break, the beautiful wood dance floor will be cleared for dancing with a full 5 piece band. Conveniently located in downtown Palo Alto. Admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Cash only at the door, please. |
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