Piedmont Piano Company is pleased to present
Maxine Gordon, Nicolas Bearde, and the Larry Vuckovich Trio
"Sophisticated Giant: The Life & Legacy of Dexter Gordon"
Maxine Gordon, Dexter Gordon's widow, will be showcasing her new book: Sophisticated Giant – The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon. Oakland’s own Nicolas Bearde will read passages from the book and the venerable pianist Larry Vuckovich (who played with Dexter in Europe in the 60s) and his trio featuring Rob Roth (tenor sax) and Jeff Chambers (bass) will perform some of Dexter's originals, some of his hits and Larry’s composition "Dexter's Mode," which he recorded and dedicated to Dexter.
FREE Admission
Space is limited.
RSVP is a must for this special event.
Maxine Gordon is an independent scholar with a lifetime career working with jazz musicians. As an oral historian and archivist in the fields of jazz and African American cultural history, Sophisticated Giant fulfills the promise she made to her late husband, jazz saxophonist and Academy Award-nominated actor Dexter Gordon, to complete his biography. maxinegordon.com
Recording artist, Nicolas Bearde, a seasoned and highly respected showman, has established himself as a powerful presence in the contemporary jazz vocal mileu over the past couple of decades. His silky baritone sound invites comparisons to Johnny Hartman, Lou Rawls, and Joe Williams, and his wit and engaging rapport captures and draws the audience into his live performances. Nicolas has 5 CD's out on his own label, Right Groove Records… his most recent album release, "Invitation" in January 2016, rose quickly to the Top 20 on the Jazz Week Charts, garnering rave reviews at home and abroad. nicolasbearde.com
Larry Vuckovich has won acclaim from critics and jazz audiences for his deeply imaginative style and repertoire heard at prestigious North American and European jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals. He is as equally at home in world music/classically influenced modal jazz as he is in hard-swinging bebop, post-bop, contemporary jazz, and down-home blues. The New York Times notes that his unique outlook and collection of influences "set him apart from most pianists who are heard regularly in New York". The Village Voice comments on his "book of piano gems that will keep you guessing". The Toronto Globe and Mail calls him "a musician who sits apart from the rest by virtue...of his taste for both the exotic and the exquisite". larryvuckovich.com