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| The Vermont Jazz Center 5th Annual Emerging Artist Festival The Vermont Jazz Center will present its 5th Emerging Artist Festival on Friday and Saturday, November 4th and 5th. It begins with youth jazz ensembles performing at 118 Elliot Gallery on Friday, November 4th, continues on Saturday, November 5th with student groups performing from 1:00 to 5:00, and culminates on Saturday, November 5th with a clinic at 5:00 PM and a concert at 8:00 PM by Grammy-nominated guitarist Dan Wilson. The VJC Emerging Artist festival is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of up-and-coming musicians who have not yet acquired the name recognition of older artists but strongly deserve to be heard. Dan Wilson is a talent whose career is skyrocketing as demonstrated by his appearance as a headliner at both the Newport and Montreal Jazz Festivals. Called "one of the brightest new talents on the instrument today" by Pat Metheny. Dan Wilson's soulful music is equally informed by jazz, gospel and the music of Stevie Wonder. The youthful guitarist brings a fresh sound to jazz, replete with bluesy and sophisticated pop and gospel overtones. His sound clearly communicates how jazz is an inclusive music that thrives on adapting the most recent trends that are often conceived by Black artists. Wilson will be performing with his longstanding quartet that includes pianist Glen Zaleski, Paul Thompson on bass, and Dave Throckmorton on drums. Both days of the Emerging Artist Festival are entirely open to the general public, including the clinic and concert by Wilson. The festival is designed as an educational event that gives musicians of all ages the opportunity to learn from young masters. It also gives a chance for student musicians from area high schools, colleges, and universities to perform, learn and be inspired by each other and to glean from the headliner's wisdom and support. Student showcases will occur on Friday night in collaboration with Brattleboro's Gallery Walk at 118 Elliot, and during the day on Saturday, from 1:00 – 5:00 PM at the VJC. Schedule of Events Friday Evening, 5:00-8:00 PM, 118 Elliot Gallery VJC Youth Jazz Ensemble (Eugene Uman, Mike McKinney, dirs.) BUHS Jazz Workshop (Rob Freeberg, dir.) Northfield Mt. Hermon Jazz Ensemble (Ron Smith, dir.) Sunday Jazz Quartet from Keene State College (Steve Cady, dir.) Saturday Afternoon, 1:00-5:00 PM, Vermont Jazz Center Archive Stage 1:00 PM Sketch Ensemble, Amherst College 1:20 PM Pisces Ensemble, Amherst College 1:40 PM Blue Crayon, Amherst College 2:30 NMH Honors Jazz Combo (Ron Smith, dir.) 3:15 UMass Jazz Ensemble (Jeff Holmes, Matt Padula, dirs.) 4:15 BUHS Jazz Band (Steve Rice, dir) Saturday Evening, 5:00-10:30 PM, Vermont Jazz Center Main Stage 5:00 PM Clinic w/ Dan Wilson (open to all) 6:00 PM Dinner Break 8:00 PM Feature Concert: Dan Wilson Quartet About the festival headliner: Dan Wilson's musical path began in the church community of his hometown of Akron, Ohio. His influences include Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Joe Pass, and George Benson, but his musical identity has been shaped by everything from gospel and blues to traditional jazz, hip-hop and horn players like Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson. In an interview on Jazz Matters Podcast, Wilson stated "I've always been of the opinion that Black music exists in a continuum, especially in the African-American tradition: blues, spirituals, gospel jazz, hip-hop, they all have the same root. So, to transition from one to another is a lot of the time, seamless." He points out that R&B, soul and especially the music of Stevie Wonder has been particularly influential in his development. In the summer of 2022 Wilson put together a review of Wonder's music featuring his organ trio with three vocalists. In the above mentioned interview, Wilson commented that his parents "had an extensive record collection. So when I was younger I would go through their records. And when I landed on Stevie Wonder I heard all the stuff I loved about jazz like "Summer Song" from Songs in the Key of Life, which goes through all these complex harmonic changes. That's what I mean about the music existing in a continuum. I put Stevie Wonder up there as a composer [not as an orchestrator] with Duke Ellington…the strength of his songs, they're timeless." After graduating with a music degree from Hiram College, Wilson went on to tour the world three years with Joey DeFrancesco's organ trio. His appearance on DeFrancesco's Project Freedom album earned him a Grammy nomination. Wilson then spent four years with Christian McBride's Tip City, a trio project utilizing the instrumentation of the Oscar Peterson Trio (piano, bass and guitar) that also featured pianist Emmet Cohen. McBride was so enthralled with his young protégé that he served as producer of Wilson's third album as a leader, Vessels of Wood and Earth, which he then released on his personal label, Brother Mister Productions, through Mack Avenue Music Group. Wilson has had the honor of sharing the stage with jazz greats including Lewis Nash, Eric Marienthal, Russell Malone, Les McCann, René Marie, Jeff Hamilton, David Sanborn and Dave Stryker. He can also be heard on recordings and videos with Van Morrison. His current projects include an upcoming tour with NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington. Wilson's humility is reflected in his persona, his interviews and in the content of his music. When asked about the title of his latest release (Vessels of Wood and Earth), Wilson says that it comes from a verse from the bible that says "in a great house there are not only vessels of silver and gold but also of wood and earth." He explained "I took that to mean that a lot of times we see the shiny exterior things and we place such a high value on those, but those are not the things that are holding up the house. It's the things that you can't see." Wilson went on to discuss how he appreciates the behind-the-scenes musicians who so conscientiously contribute to the sound of his group, and how the engine of his music is the rhythm section. Wilson went on to say "I love James Brown, I love how funky he was. But it was the guys in his band like Fred Thomas, Bootsy Collins, Jabbo and Clyde Stubblefield who had to hold the groove for 20 minutes while James was talking. They should be celebrated just as much." This humility is reflected in Wilson's music which is all about collaboration, group sound and respect for the big picture. Wilson is a logical choice for the Emerging Artist Festival: he is a player with chops, and credentials, but he is also an experienced clinician who relates well to young audiences. Wilson's educational experience blends into technologies that are accessible to youth. He has designed an online curriculum where students can follow up on the materials learned at his Saturday clinic, delving into his approach on the blues, accompaniment and improvisation. All ages are encouraged to attend the VJC’s Emerging Artist Festival, to revel in the strength of the music and its capacity to engage young listeners and performers. This weekend would not be possible without the assistance of VJC’s board of directors and numerous volunteers who give unstintingly of their time and energy. The VJC also thanks the educators who have facilitated this festival. The VJC stands on the shoulders of the legacy of artists who have created, and continue to create, music we are so passionate about. But our existence is also dependent on the generous contributions of our sponsors. For this concert we celebrate the memory of Jonathan Flaccus, a staunch patron of the arts and a person who always advocated for the young and disenfranchised. Marcy Hermansader continues to follow through with his vision; this is the fourth Emerging Artist Festival she has sponsored in his memory. We are grateful beyond measure for her support and for the tradition that Jonathan so generously established during his lifetime. Publicity is underwritten by The Commons and The Brattleboro Reformer. The VJC is also grateful to the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Humanities Council and New England Foundation of the Arts for their support and increased efforts to stabilize the existence of arts organizations during the pandemic. The Friday evening and Saturday afternoon student events (including the clinic by Dan Wilson) are free and open to the public. Donations to the VJC Scholarship Fund are welcome in lieu of purchasing a ticket. Saturday evening’s feature concert will be both in-person and livestreamed (on VJC’s Facebook page and website). In-person tickets are offered on a sliding fee scale from $20 to $50 per person (all seating is general admission, mask wearing is required for entry). The livestream of the show is open to the public. We ask that those tuning in make a donation in lieu of purchasing tickets. Your donation will go directly towards supporting the costs of providing world-class music and educational programs at the VJC. write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |