BRATTLEBORO — The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) welcomes the Bobby Broom Trio on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 8 p.m.
Broom is one of Chicago's leading guitarists, according to a news release from the VJC, and rarely plays on the East Coast. He will perform with his long-standing trio of Dennis Carroll on bass and Makaya McCraven on drums.
The trio will travel from Chicago to Vermont for this “one-off” concert with no other East Coast gigs listed on their itinerary.
Broom stands out as one of the best guitarists in the world and has won the Downbeat Critic's Poll as Best Guitarist for three of the last four years. His music is both intelligent and soulful at the same time. He is a deep listener and an arranger who understands the power of space, according to the VJC.
He has played with greats such as Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Max Roach, Stanley Turrentine, Al Haig, Walter Bishop, Dave Grusin, Charles Earland, Hugh Masakela, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Ramsey Lewis, and Dr. John.
The repertoire from his latest release, My Shining Hour, will be featured at the VJC concert. According to his website, this album “is a personal and in-depth exploration of American Songbook classics and his first studio recording exclusively of this nature.” The New York Times' Nate Chinen wrote that it is “among the most satisfying jazz guitar albums likely to emerge this year” (2014) and Downbeat's Jon Corbett writes that “Broom is the full monty: ultra-refined timing and tone, continuous flow of ideas, a touch of grease, a treat for the connoisseur.”
Bassist Carroll, who came up on the Chicago scene playing with heavyweights like Jodie Christian, Bunky Green, and Clifford Jordan, has anchored Broom's trio for more than two decades. He has performed with artists such as Eddie Harris, Roy Hargrove, Eric Alexander, Ron Blake, and Ira Sullivan.
In the drum chair, there has been more turnover and it has become something of a launching pad for stellar young players, Makaya McCraven included. In the early 2000s, McCraven was a rising star in the Northampton, Mass., jazz scene. He then moved to Chicago where he is now considered “one of Chicago's most versatile and in-demand drummers” (Chicago Reader).