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Norwood Village Green presents Bill Vitek & Laura Brown double-billed with Larry Ham & Friends July 31

Posted 7/26/16

NORWOOD -- The Norwood Village Green Concert Series presents a double bill with pianist Bill Vitek accompanying vocalist Laura Brown along with pianist Larry Ham and friends in an evening of jazz …

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Norwood Village Green presents Bill Vitek & Laura Brown double-billed with Larry Ham & Friends July 31

Posted

NORWOOD -- The Norwood Village Green Concert Series presents a double bill with pianist Bill Vitek accompanying vocalist Laura Brown along with pianist Larry Ham and friends in an evening of jazz standards and original compositions July 31.

The Sunday concert begins at 6 p.m.

Before the double bill concert, The Norwood Brass Firemen will entertain with live music during a July 28 show at 7 p.m.

Also known as The Norwood Fire Department Band, the legendary group will be performing its signature community concert. The band has been ambassadors of community, of good times, of street music, of brass bands, of national heritage.

Looking ahead, Northbound hit take the stage Thursday, Aug. 4, for a 7 p.m. concert. A variety of well-known and best-loved pop/rock/folk music will be chosen from this group’s vast repertoire of the past 5 decades, and will be performed by some our favorite local performers.

Pianist Bill Vitek and vocalist Laura Brown have been working together for only two years, but they have already established an approach to the Great American Songbook that is fresh and surprising.

Laura never studied music, but growing up she was constantly surrounded by it. Her father, a percussionist in the 1930’s and 1940’s, always had a record playing, and he often invited his children to listen and sing and dance.

Bill grew up in New York’s Capital District and started playing music there nearly forty years ago. He studied with Ray Bozenski and Frank Stagnitta, and worked the Albany jazz scene in the 1980s. Vitek moved to the North Country in 1987 where he teaches philosophy at Clarkson University and is currently Chair of Clarkson’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. He and bassist Dan Gagliardi have worked together as A Fine Line for a dozen years and have two CDs: “A Fine Line” (1995), and “A Fine Line: Conversations, Vol. 1” (with drummer Mike Magilligan), released last year.

Vitek and Brown cover a range of classic standards from blues to swing, and many things in between. Brown delivers the lyrics like a seasoned storyteller. Vitek offers rhythmic and harmonic support with some improvisational surprises along the way. Vitek and Brown are starting work on a recording that is projected to be out before the end of 2016.

Pianist, composer, and arranger Larry Ham is a veteran New York sideman, performing, touring, and recording with many great jazz artists. His own recordings have also received international critical acclaim: "Carousel" featuring his own compositions and trio arrangements, and a solo piano release "Just Me, Just You." on Arbors Jazz Records.

Larry began his professional career in the Lionel Hampton Orchestra in the late '80's. He was pianist in the Illinois Jacquet Big Band 1990-95 and has worked extensively with countless other jazz legends, including the late Junior Cook and Dakota Staton. He has appeared at jazz festivals, concerts and nightclubs throughout the United States, Europe, West Africa, and Japan. His recent New York appearances include Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Iridium, The Village Vanguard, Small's, The Kitano Hotel, and Harlem's historic Lenox Lounge.

He also performed at the White House for President Reagan and for President Clinton's 1992 Inaugural Ball. Larry appeared in the jazz film "Texas Tenor" and has been a guest on TV programs including "The Today Show" (NBC) "Breakfast Time" (FX) and has been featured on NPR programs such as "Jazz Set with Dee Dee Bridgewater" and on Judy Carmichael's "Jazz Inspired."

During the past few years he has toured extensively in the US, and performed in Japan, Canada, Germany, Poland, England, Switzerland, Austria and France.

Admission is free but there is a “pass the bucket.

Info: nvgcs.org or 353-2437.