Jazz fans always look forward to an annual concert, and those in Bratteboro will be happy to see it is on the schedule.
Eugene Uman is a composer, pianist, and director of the Vermont Jazz Center. Every June, he shares the music he has created over the previous year, either by collaborating with others, or performing on his own. The concert gives him the chance to put together a band that shares his vision.
Uman started his professional life in an entirely different direction—he was a forester and had his own forestry business. However, in the 1980s he and Howard Brofsky, a trumpeter, met at a jam session. Brofsky invited Uman to study at Queens College as a Master’s candidate, in a program Brofsky established. Uman got his Master’s and taught in New York City.
In 1994, he moved to Colombia, where he began jazz studies programs at el Colegio de Música de Medellín and la Universidad de EAFIT. His residence in Colombia gave him access to the Latin rhythms, such as pasillo, puya, and more, that now characterize his writing and playing style.
Today, Uman draws on these Latin American influences, as well as soul, rock, hard pop, and modern jazz works to create a “mash-up” that listeners enjoy.
Eugene Uman will give his annual concert, the “2024 Convergence Project,” on Sunday, June 15 at the Center, 2 Cotton Mill Hill. When events like this are planned, organizers often work with poster printing to create suitable advertising.
