The ‘Balkan Bopper’ Mixes Jazz With Yugoslav Folk

Pianist Larry Vuckovich combines conventional jazz influences with something a bit unconventional--Yugoslav folk music. That’s why Yugoslavia-born Vuckovich, who performs at the Jazz Note in Pacific Beach tonight, has been dubbed the “Balkan Bopper.”

“You could compare me to an actor who can do comedy and real serious roles, someone real versatile, like Spencer Tracy,” Vuckovich said. “I feel the same way about music. I respect people who do one style and do it well, but I enjoy playing different music, like working with Bobby Hutcherson, who plays the most contemporary vibes, then working with an older player like (tenor saxophonist) Arnett Cobb.”

You can hear several pianists in Vuckovich’s playing: the lyricism of Bill Evans, the driving be-bop lines of Barry Harris and Bud Powell, the relentless, modal attack of McCoy Tyner. But Latin and Afro-Cuban undercurrents are often close at hand.

Vuckovich, 54, moved to San Francisco from Yugoslavia in 1951 and worked his way into the city’s burgeoning jazz scene that included the Latin jazz of Cal Tjader’s band. He studied piano with Vince Guaraldi, and during the mid-1960s, hooked up with vocalist Jon Hendricks, playing in the band for Hendricks’ musical, “Evolution of the Blues” and recording two albums with Hendricks.

On his 1990 recording “Tres Palabras,” Vuckovich used Latin rhythms more than ever, courtesy of percussionist Pete Escovedo, a longtime associate. Trumpeter Tom Harrell, another longtime collaborator, also played on the recording.

“I met Tom in 1965. When I first heard him play, he was only 16 or 17, but he played with the maturity of an old man,” Vuckovich said. “We’ve been playing together ever since.”

The combination of Vuckovich, Escovedo and Harrell on “Tres Palabras” is explosive, and all three will be on hand tonight, along with drummer Harold Mason and bassist Al Obidinski.

Shows at the Jazz Note, the new club over Diego’s restaurant, are at 9 and 11 p.m. Tickets are $6.

In conjunction with his appearance at the Jazz Note, Vuckovich will tape one of KPBS-TV’s “Club Date” programs. This is the first time a club besides Elario’s has been involved with the program, and this could be the beginning of heated competition between these clubs: Elario’s, the established jazz room, and the Jazz Note, the newcomer opened last month by former Elario’s talent coordinator Steve Satkowski.

Since Rob Hagey took over Satkowski’s job at Elario’s last year, the club has diversified its musical offerings from straight-ahead jazz to include blues, light jazz and even some avant-garde jazz. Satkowski is presenting many of the straight-ahead acts that used to play Elario’s: Harry (Sweets) Edison, Papa John Creach, Joe Henderson.

KPBS, under the direction of executive producer and jazz lover Paul Marshall, has taped about 30 “Club Date” shows since the late 1970s, often working with Satkowski, who coordinated many of the shows while still with Elario’s.

Not only is the Jazz Note working with KPBS on this week’s show--supplying the wine, with Satkowski helping coordinate the talent--but the club is underwriting the earliest batch of “Club Dates,” and will receive credit when the shows air locally this year.

For the taping of each show, Elario’s typically puts up $1,200, about 10% of the production cost, Marshall said. The Jazz Note is not contributing money toward today’s taping, he added. In exchange for the $1,200, Elario’s is guaranteed three years of credit on the programs as they re-run locally.

There are five batches of “Club Dates,” one of which comes up for underwriting renewal each year. Which means that, besides the first batch of shows already picked up by the Jazz Note for underwriting, the club may eventually have the opportunity to attach its name to several more shows originally produced by the station in conjunction with Elario’s.

Marshall said KPBS’s fledgling relationship with the Jazz Note doesn’t necessarily mean anything about its relationship with Elario’s. The Vuckovich program is one especially dear to Marshall, who met Vuckovich in high school in San Francisco during the early 1950s (Marshall was a trumpeter). It just so happened that the Jazz Note had a night open for Vuckovich, while Elario’s did not.

Marshall said he has a good working relationship with Hagey, who has helped expand “Club Date” this year to include such young artists as trombonist Ray Anderson and keyboard player Rob Mullins.

Last week, Marshall was on vacation in San Francisco, but he said by phone that he plans to talk with the management of both clubs about long-term involvement with “Club Date.” At this point, he’s not ruling out working with either club, or the possibility of choosing the best talent from both. And he hopes to line up a larger corporate sponsor to underwrite the entire $12,000 to $14,000 cost of each new show.

RIFFS: Trombonist Kevin Quail, who had been in Chicago for 2 1/2 years, has moved back to San Diego, where he spent the previous 10 years. Quail has been playing dates around town. He will appear at 6 p.m. July 19 with Charles McPherson at Stagecoach Park in Carlsbad. . . .

Ira Liss and the Big Band Jazz Machine play the final show of Rusefest ’91 at 8 tonight at the Marquis Public Theater. . . .

Spyro Gyra, which has just released a greatest-hits CD titled “Collection,” plays Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay this Friday night at 6:30 and 9. . . .

The Duke Ellington Orchestra, under the direction of Mercer Ellington, will play the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach at 7 and 9:30 Sunday night.