Larry Vuckovich's Euro Trash International Quartet

May 28, 2009

featuring: Larry Vuckovich (Montenegro), Buca Necak (Serbia), Akira Tana (USA/Japan), and Hector Lugo (Puerto Rico)

8pm $16 & 10pm $16

Please listen to Larry's KCSM (91.1 FM) interview on Monday, May 25th at 1 PM regarding his upcoming Yoshi's performance, and hear more about the exciting jazz and Latin music being featured, as well as the addition of the lively singer-vocalist Valeriana Quevedo to the show.


Dear Jazz Friends,

We are excited to announce the addition of the sizzling vocalist-dancer Valeriana Quevedo and her exciting dance partner Adrian Burmudez to the Larry Vuckovich Euro-Trash International Quartet on Thursday evening, May 28th, at Yoshi's in Jack London Square, Oakland.  Valeriana is an exciting singer of jazz and Latin standards, and the addition of her dance partner Adrian Bermudez provides a unique opportunity to combine this creative Jazz and Latin art form.

Many of you have heard Larry's quartet in other fine Bay Area venues.  However, there is something special when they perform at Yoshi's, because of its special listening setting, that includes its wonderful 9-foot Steinway grand piano and an excellent sound system.  Yoshi's, with its new menu, also offers some of the best Japanese cooking in the area.

Following Valeriana's vocals, the dance couple will present creative swing-jitterbug jazz dancing and salsa for an exciting finish to each of the two 8 PM and 10 PM sets.  The presentation will be reminiscent of the highly successful, classic concept of combining dance and jazz featured in the famous Lester Young Jammin' the Blues documentary, in which vocalist-dancer Marie Bryant does a fantastic dance sequence with noted swing dance performer Archie Savage, in the middle of her song.

This international quartet headed by pianist Larry Vuckovich (Montenegro) with bassist Buca Necak (Serbia), percussionist Hector Lugo (Puerto Rico), Akira Tana (Japan/USA), and guest artists: vocalist-dancer Valeriana Quevedo (Mexico/USA), and dancer Adrian Burmudez (Nicaragua/USA), will present an evening of hard-swinging, contemporary Jazz-Latin plus world music.  Yoshi's is located at 510 Embarcadero West in Oakland, 510-238-9200.  www.yoshis.com  Tickets for both shows are $16.

Valeriana Quevedo is a multi-talented, exciting vocalist, actress, dancer and percussionist, whose mother was a singer-dancer-comedian, and father was a singer-Latin percussionist- guitarist.  Valeriana sings with the San Francisco salsa band Tito Garcia y Orquesta de Internacional, and with the Afro-Cuban jazz orchestra The Fair Weather Band.  She is also featured with the Larry Vuckovich La Orquesta El Vuko and can be heard on the Listen to Larry page on his webiste:  www.larryvuckovich.com  Valeriana, who toured extensively as a dancer with Sammy Davis, Jr., also possesses a fine jazz singing voice.  She has appeared in several off-Broadway roles such as Maria and Anita in West Side Story and Morales in A Chorus Line.  Look for Valeriana on My Space at www.myspace.com/valerianaq

Her dance partner Adrian Bermudez is a Nicaragua-born, San Francisco-raised dancer and instructor in the Bay Area for the past 24 years.  He has danced in casino shows in Reno, and has also performed with various dance companies including Dance Through Time, Sanda da Nova Hot Energy, and other companies performing Jazz, Brazilian and Salsa.

Buca Necak is a creative, fluid, powerful acoustic bassist who has been featured with a number of jazz artists, including Chet Baker, Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, Freddy Cole, Anita O’Day, Jessica Williams, among others. 

Akira Tana, a top New York drummer for 20 years, has played/recorded with such jazz greats as Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Hubert Laws, Milt Jackson, Jim Hall, Art Farmer, Paquito D’Rivera, James Moody, J.J. Johnson, Lena Horne, the Paul Winter Consort and the Manhattan Transfer. 

Hector Lugo is at home in both Latin music and jazz, and is a mainstay of Larry's Jazz-Latin quartet.  He has performed, toured and/or recorded with many local and international artists, including Conjunto Céspedes with Bobby Céspedes and Luis Romero y Orquesta Mazacote.

Please spread the word about this creative Jazz and picante Latin show that is spiced with swing and salsa dance presentations at Yoshi's in Jack London Square on Thursday, May 28th.  We  promise you one of our most memorable, caliente evenings. 

Arriba y ritmos calientes!

*/