Vic Juris
Encyclopedia
Victor E. Jurusz, Jr., known professionally as Vic Juris (b. September 26, 1953, New Jersey
) is an American jazz
guitarist.
Juris played with Lyn Christie
early in the 1970s and made his first recordings with Eric Kloss
in 1975. Soon after he joined Barry Miles (musician)
's group, remaining with Miles well into the 1980s. He recorded with Richie Cole
during 1976-78 and released his first albums as a leader in the late 1970s. He then played with Don Patterson
(1977), Wild Bill Davis
, Jimmy Smith
, and Mel Torme
(1977). He put together his own quartet in 1981. Later in the 1980s he played with Bireli Lagrene
(1985), Larry Coryell
(1985-86), Richie Cole again (from 1986), and John Etheridge
(1988). In the 1990s, he became increasingly active as a sideman, working with Dave Liebman
(1991-97), Ron McClure
(1992), Lee Konitz
and Peggy Stern
(1992), Benny Waters
(1993), Jeanie Bryson
(1993-94), Gary Peacock
(since 1994), Steve LaSpina
(since 1995), Judi Silvano
(1996), Ken Serio
(1996, 2007) and Joe Locke
(1998).
His song "Horizon Drive" was sampled by Gang Starr
in 1994 for the song "Mass Appeal
" though Juris was not paid for its use.
Juris has held teaching positions at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
, Mason Gross School of the Arts
, William Paterson University
and Lehigh University
.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) is an American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist.
Juris played with Lyn Christie
Lyn Christie
Dr. Lyn Christie is a jazz double bassist. Born in Australia, he became a medical doctor and played in the Australian jazz scene until he moved to New York City in the mid 1960s. There he initially worked as a medical doctor, continued to play jazz and attended the Juilliard School of Music...
early in the 1970s and made his first recordings with Eric Kloss
Eric Kloss
Eric Kloss is an American jazz saxophonist.Blind since birth, Kloss first played professionally in the Pittsburgh area in the 1960s, and played with Pat Martino in 1965; later that year he made his first recordings at age 16 for Prestige Records...
in 1975. Soon after he joined Barry Miles (musician)
Barry Miles (musician)
Barry Miles is an American pianist, drummer, composer, producer, arranger and author.Miles was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in North Plainfield, New Jersey....
's group, remaining with Miles well into the 1980s. He recorded with Richie Cole
Richie Cole (musician)
Richie Cole is a jazz alto saxophonist composer and arranger born in Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. and is a graduate of Ewing High School, Ewing New Jersey....
during 1976-78 and released his first albums as a leader in the late 1970s. He then played with Don Patterson
Don Patterson (organist)
Don Patterson was an American jazz organist.Patterson played piano from childhood and was heavily influenced by Erroll Garner in his youth. In 1956, he switched to organ after hearing Jimmy Smith play the instrument...
(1977), Wild Bill Davis
Wild Bill Davis
Wild Bill Davis was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis.Davis was born in Glasgow, Missouri...
, Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith (musician)
Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician whose performances on the Hammond B-3 electric organ helped to popularize this instrument...
, and Mel Torme
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
(1977). He put together his own quartet in 1981. Later in the 1980s he played with Bireli Lagrene
Biréli Lagrène
Biréli Lagrène is a French guitarist and bassist. He came to prominence in the 1980s for his Django Reinhardt-influenced style on the classical guitar, as well as for being a jazz fusion virtuoso on the electric guitar...
(1985), Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
(1985-86), Richie Cole again (from 1986), and John Etheridge
John Etheridge
John Michael Glyn Etheridge is a British jazz/fusion guitarist associated with the Canterbury Scene....
(1988). In the 1990s, he became increasingly active as a sideman, working with Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman is an American saxophonist and flautist. In June 2010, he received a NEA Jazz Masters lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.-Biography:...
(1991-97), Ron McClure
Ron McClure
Ron McClure , a bassist, has played in hard bop, jazz-rock, and free and bebop sessions and bands.He started on piano at age five, and later played accordion and bass...
(1992), Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
and Peggy Stern
Peggy Stern
Margaret "Peggy" Stern is an American jazz pianist and synthesizer player.Stern studied piano at the Eastman School of Music, achieving her bachelor's in 1968, then attended the New England Conservatory of Music...
(1992), Benny Waters
Benny Waters
Benny Waters was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist known, in part, for the longevity of his career....
(1993), Jeanie Bryson
Jeanie Bryson
Jeanie Bryson is an American singer with a combination of jazz, pop and Latin music. The singer's repertoire is based on durable jazz and pop standards, firmly rooted in The Great American Songbook and the legacies of Peggy Lee and Dinah Washington.-Personal life:Bryson is the daughter of...
(1993-94), Gary Peacock
Gary Peacock
Gary Peacock is an American jazz double-bassist.-Biography:After military service in Germany, in the early sixties he worked on the west coast with Barney Kessel, Bud Shank, Paul Bley and Art Pepper, then moved to New York. He worked there with Bley, the Bill Evans trio , and Albert Ayler's trio...
(since 1994), Steve LaSpina
Steve LaSpina
Steven Frank LaSpina is an American jazz bassist. He plays both upright and electric bass.LaSpina was born in Wichita Falls, Texas; his father and grandfather both played in dance bands. He attended the University of Illinois and DePaul University, and first began playing professionally in Chicago...
(since 1995), Judi Silvano
Judi Silvano
Judi Silvano, born 1951, is a jazz singer and composer. A native of Philadelphia, her singing style bears similarity to Norwegian jazz singer Karin Krog. She is a scholar of Sheila Jordan and of Jeanne Lee. Her husband is tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano....
(1996), Ken Serio
Ken Serio
Ken Serio is a session drummer from Rhode Island. A drummer since the age of 11, he moved to New York City to pursue the craft professionally, studying with Joe Morello and Kenwood Dennard, among others...
(1996, 2007) and Joe Locke
Joe Locke
Joseph Paul Locke is a US American jazz vibraphonist, composer, recording artist and educator.-Biography:Locke was born in Palo Alto, California, but raised in Rochester, New York...
(1998).
His song "Horizon Drive" was sampled by Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
in 1994 for the song "Mass Appeal
Mass Appeal
Mass Appeal is a two-character play by Bill C. Davis. The comedy-drama focuses on the conflict between a complacent Roman Catholic pastor and the idealistic young deacon who is assigned to his affluent, suburban parish.-Plot:...
" though Juris was not paid for its use.
Juris has held teaching positions at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music is the second conservatory of The New School university. It is located on 13th Street in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood.-History:...
, Mason Gross School of the Arts
Mason Gross School of the Arts
Mason Gross School of the Arts is the arts conservatory at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It is named for Mason W. Gross, the sixteenth president of Rutgers...
, William Paterson University
William Paterson University
William Paterson University is a comprehensive public institution located in Wayne, New Jersey serving nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five colleges: , , , , and ....
and Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
.
Discography
- Roadsong (Muse RecordsMuse RecordsMuse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
, 1979) - Horizon Drive (Muse, 1979)
- Bleecker Street (Muse, 1981)
- Night Tripper (Steeplechase RecordsSteepleChase RecordsSteepleChase Records is a jazz record label based in Copenhagen, Denmark. SteepleChase was founded in 1972 by Nils Winther, who was a student at Copenhagen University at the time...
, 1994) - Pastels (Steeplechase, 1996)
- Music of Alex Wilder (Double-TimeDouble-timeIn music and dance, double-time is a type of meter and tempo or rhythmic feel. It is also associated with specific time signatures such as 2/2. Contrast with half time....
, 1996) - Moonscape (Steeplechase, 1996)
- Remembering Eric Dolphy (Steeplechase, 2000)
- Songbook (Steeplechase, 2001)
- Songbook 2 (Steeplechase, 2002)
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Steeplechase, 2004)
- Blue Horizon (Zoho Music, 2004)
- A Second Look (Mel Bay, 2005)
- Journey (Jardis Records, 2005)
- Bohemia (Jazzpoint, 2006)