Larry Vuckovich's Biography

Yugoslavian born Larry Vuckovich, a highly versatile jazz pianist, has performed with top musicians from various jazz influences, including Anita O'Day, Joe Williams, Helen Humes, Cab Calloway, Red Norvo, Don Byas, Charlie Haden, Bobby Hutcherson, Larry Grenadier, Tom Harrell, and Charles McPherson. Accompanist for vocalist/lyricist Jon Hendricks for many years, Larry has appeared at major festivals and clubs in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

While in Europe, Larry met and toured with Dexter Gordon and Philly Joe Jones. In the late '60s, he led the house trio for one of Germany's top jazz clubs, The Domicile, in Munich, where he backed such greats as Slide Hampton, Lucky Thompson, Pony Poindexter and Clifford Jordan. He returned to San Francisco and became house pianist at the famous Keystone Korner from 1978 until its closing in 1983, working with Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate, Charles McPherson, Leon Thomas, and Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson.

Larry moved to New York in the 1980s. He appeared at major jazz clubs, including Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Bradley's, Zinno's, West End, and Hanratty's, working with Billy Higgins, Cecil Payne, Al Cohn, Curtis Fuller, Milt Hinton, and Mel Lewis and received top reviews from the New York Times, the Village Voice and The New Yorker.

Larry now lives in Calistoga, in the wine country north of San Francisco with his wife and co-producer, singer-percussionist Sanna Craig. He performs and records on their label Tetrachord Music with a variety of combos, including Young at Heart Ensemble and Blue Balkan Band (whose CD was selected among the top jazz CDs for 2002 by Gary Giddins in the Village Voice.) He currently performs at Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco and DGs in Napa.

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