Welcome to the online home of Larry Vuckovich, called by Barry Harris "one of the premier west coast pianists." You can hear selections from Larry's latest CDs, "High Wall", "Street Scene," "Reunion," "Blue Balkan," and "Young At Heart," check out photos, see Larry's scheduled appearances, and more. Enjoy the straight-ahead and world music from this exceptional musician's site. NEW!!! Click here to go to the NPR website with Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Show that features Larry. While in New York Larry also performed at the Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Coca-Cola Club.  Also check out the Chuck Sher's newly released "European Real Book" featuring "the best in contemporary jazz from Europe" which includes two of Larry Vuckovich's originals and compositions from other famous musicians such as Toots Thielmans, Joe Zawinul, Django Reinhardt, Victor Feldman and others. Website also includes MP3 samples.

NEW RELEASE
High Wall: Real Life Film Noir
High Wall (MGM film theme by Bronislaw Kaper - premier jazz recording)

High Wall has reached the #8 spot on the 'JazzWeek' radio
charts.

"Vuckovich continues to reveal that he is the most poetic interpreter of film noir. The title track is an unknown minor masterpiece composed by Branislav Kaper for a 1947 film. Vuckovich crystallizes it's ambivalent melancholy. His own "View From Telegraph Hill," commissioned for a film noir festival, is a mystery of brightness and shadow. The lush, archaic 1940 romanticism of Jack Lawrence's "A Handful of Stars," in a luminous solo piano unfolding, beautifully belongs."
-Thomas Conrad
-Eighty-Eights column, JazzTimes

Read movie critic Leonard Maltin's reviews of High Wall and Street Scene.
-Leonard Maltin's MOVIE CRAZY  A Website for People Who Love Movies.

"... any discussion of the best jazz piano players in the world must now include Larry Vuckovich!"
-Brad Stone - Music Director and on-air host KSJS - San Jose, CA

    4 1/2 Stars    -Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

"A MONSTER of a player who should be much more well known. (High Wall: Real Life Film Noir) is one of his best recordings to date."
-Gary Walker - Music Director and Morning Host of WBGO NJ/NYC

More High Wall: Real Life Film Noir reviews

Street Scene
Street Scene has reached the #1 Spot on XM Satellite Radio.

Street Scene has reached the #10 spot on the 'JazzWeek' radio charts.

"...a pianist whose evocative touch and poetic (but unsentimental) sensibility convey the wisdom of deep musical life experience"
 -Thomas Conrad, Jazztimes.com 

“… he creates an earthy post-bop style of richly varied improvisational expression.”
- Jazz Podium (Germany)

"A true musician's musician...originality, elegance, dexterity and most of all...great sense of swing, time, space and phrasing. For those who are keen on a superior jazz trio, Street Scene is highly recommended."
-Gilbert Mathieu, Jazz Improv

"Larry's creative flow is always purely of the present moment...a true delight for the ears, heart and mind."
-Pianist, Benny Green

"A beautiful CD...Larry's vision and musicality come at you from a slightly different angle."
-Alto saxophonist, Charles McPherson

More Street Scene reviews

Blue Balkan: Then & Now
Included in Gary Giddins'  "Best Jazz CDs of 2002" list, Village Voice.

"Drawing from his ethnic background as well as his blues roots, pianist Larry Vuckovich makes a warm and rich statement with Blue Balkan."
 4 1/2 Stars
--Down Beat, October 1981

"most convincing, most intergrated combinations ever of ethnic music and straight ahead Jazz."
--Cadence, June 1981

"...ahead of its time...intriguing, fresh-sounding jazz...."
--Cadence, June 2002

"Vuckovich has mixed his idioms with skill and is aided in no small measure by Bobby Hutcherson on marimba and vibes, Erik Golub on viola and violin."
--Leonard Feather, L.A. Times 1981

"Prefiguring the much-lauded work of Dave Douglas and even John Zorn  ...  modern context ... angular, cubist, post-bop compositions ...  the gypsy-style melodies, authentically believeable on their own work effortlessly" 
--Matt Collar, AllMusicGuide.com 2002

"hailed for its diverse talent and global influences ... re-released with new music ... global jam session ... Vuckovich can swing hard ... killer blues"
--Mark F. Turner, Allaboutjazz.com 2002

Keystone Korner
House pianist Larry Vuckovich and trio are featured on this CD during a special live recording from 1979, with "Cleanhead" Vinson. AMG review