San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom decrees December 8, 2006, "Larry Vuckovich Day"

[rocketjk]

SF Mayor Gavin Newsom decrees December 8, 2006, "Larry Vuckovich Day"
Legendary pianist Vuckovich to celebrate 70th birthday with three nights of performances at Jazz at Pearl's, Friday-Sunday, December 8-10, 2006. 256 Columbus Avenue (near Broadway). Shows at 8:00 & 10:00. Doors open at 7:30.

(San Francisco, CA) San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has named Friday, December 8th, 2006, “Larry Vuckovich Day” in San Francisco. By so doing, Mayor Newsom is honoring the 70th birthday of a legendary San Francisco-based jazz pianist, bandleader and concert presenter. Vuckovich will kick off the celebrations with a series of weekend concerts, Friday through Sunday, December 8-10, at Jazz at Pearl’s nightclub in San Francisco’s historic North Beach District. Vuckovich, of course, was a major force during the heyday of the North Beach jazz scene of the 60’s and 70’s.

Joining Vuckovich for his Pearl's celebration will be longtime collaborators Buca Necak (bass), Akira Tana (drums) and Hector Lugo (Latin percussion). And given the community of friends Vukovich has developed over the year, it's quite possible that some interesting guests will be showing up during the weekend.

Over a 50-year career, Vuckovich has performed extensively in San Francisco, as well as in New York and Europe, playing alongside such jazz giants as Don Byas, Elvin Jones, Art Farmer, Mel Torme, Red Norvo and Cab Calloway.

Herb Caen called Vuckovich, whose career has stretched from the City’s ‘50s bebop era to today, a “demon pianist” and wrote about him often. Celebrities, from jazz to Broadway to Hollywood, sat in when he presided at the Grand Hyatt’s Bosendorfer grand piano in Club 36 above Union Square in the early ‘80s and later in the ‘90s. There, he hosted visiting musicians, San Francisco Jazz Festival events, and tribute concerts, including a Bop City Night honoring the famed after-hours club, its popular owner Jimbo Edwards, and the Bop City musicians then still on the scene.

Classically trained, Vukovich became part of the SF jazz scene soon after his family’s arrival here in the ‘50s, having been granted political asylum from post-war Communist Yugoslavia. He had heard jazz on Armed Forces Radio and Voice of America. To Vuckovich, jazz meant freedom. He loved warmth, harmonic structure and swinging rhythms. He also fell in love with the City.

For more information about Larry Vuckovich, please contact Sanna Craig at (707) 942- 9007 or (707) 299-9965, or email sftreat1@pacbell.net. For more information about Jazz at Pearl’s, please contact Jerry Karp at (415) 731-6468 or email jerry@rocketwords.com.