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Guitarist Helmut Kagerer is one of VJC founder Attila Zoller’s foremost students. Helmut is currently living in his native Germany where he is a jazz guitar instructor at the Nuremberg Conservatory.

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2008 Summer Faculty

CLAIRE ARENIUS, Drums, Vocal accompanist

Recipient of NEA award to study with Charlie Persip
Tours with Archie Shepp, Melba Liston, Attila Zoller.
Numerous recordings

HOWARD BROFSKY, Trumpet, Theory

Professor Emeritus of Music, Queens College

President, Vermont Jazz Center

JAY CLAYTON, Voice

Many recordings including those with Fred Hersch, Vocal Summit, Jerry Granelli, Gary Peacock., Muhal Richard Abrams, Steve Reich, String Trio of New York and others. Faculty of Cornish College; clinician for many Universities and Jazz Workshops. Recipient of numerous awards and grants.

HARVEY DIAMOND, Piano

Pianist Harvey Diamond has been one of the unsung heroes of the Boston jazz scene since the mid-1960s. He was among Lennie Tristano's last students in the 1970s, and has done concert appearances accompanying Sheila Jordan and Art Farmer. He has been teacher and mentor to generations of Boston-area musicians.

PETER ELDRIDGE, Vocalist

Vocalist Peter Eldridge is best known as a member of the Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble “New York Voices,” with whom he has recorded six studio albums and toured internationally for almost twenty years.  But Eldridge’s career is multifaceted: he is a composer whose works have been recorded by Nancy Wilson, Paquito D’Rivera, Jane Monheit and others.  

Eldridge is a singer claimed by JazzTimes Magazine to be “perennially classy.” He has released three acclaimed solo recordings and is one of the esteemed “Four Brothers,” in the company of Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks and Mark Murphy. As a solo jazz vocalist, Eldridge has worked with Bobby McFerrin, Michael Brecker, Meredith Monk, George Benson, David Byrne, Jim Hall, the Roches, Jonatha Brooke, Bill Charlap, Betty Buckley, Joshua Redman, among others.  Peter Eldridge has served as Faculty of Manhattan School of Music since 1993.

STEVE JOHNS, Drums

Toured with Benny Carter, Mingus Big Band, Larry Coryell, John Hicks, and others; CDs with George Russell, Thomas Chapin, Gary Bartz, Billy Taylor, and others.

SHEILA JORDAN, Voice

Eight recordings as a leader; dozens of recordings with others. Faculty of New York's City College, Jazz In July (UMass), Stanford University and elsewhere. Recipient of two NEA fellowships, International Critic's poll winner and others.

HELMUT KAGERER, Guitar

Guitar instructor Helmut Kagerer is one of VJC founder Attila Zoller’s foremost students. Helmut is currently living in his native Germany where he is a jazz guitar instructor at the Nuremberg Conservatory.

JAMIE MACDONALD, Bass, Vocal accompanist, Theory

Jamie MacDonald is a first-call musician in Northern New England. He has studied formally with Michael Formanek, and Cameron Brown and holds a BM in music performance.

MacDonald is often paired with the noted drummer, Claire Arenius in groups such as  "The Ambassadors of Light" with Eugene Uman,  "The Diamond Cosmos" with Harvey Diamond and others led by Gene Rush and Draa Hobbs.  MacDonald has performed with Sheila Jordan, Carlos Averhoff, Bobby Bradford, James Williams, Helmut Kagerer, Mitch Seidman, Scott Mullett, Bob Gullatti, Michael Ray, the VJC Big Band, The Rod Levitt orchestra, Keene Chamber Orchestra, the BMC string quartet and the Raylnmor Opera Company; he had also worked extensively with Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

MARCUS MCLAURINE, Bass

Marcus McLaurine is a touring artist with Count Basie, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson, Cleo Laine, Abbey Lincoln, Abdullah Ibrahim and a long and current association with trumpeter Clark Terry. Co-leader of Line=of=Reason.

VALERY PONOMAREV, Trumpet

Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (1977-81); performs and records with his own group "Universal Language"; featured on numerous CDs

EUGENE UMAN, Piano, Theory

Executive Director, Vermont Jazz Center

Music Faculty, UMass-Amherst, Greenfield Community College

PETE YELLIN, Saxophone

Director, Jazz Studies Program, Long Island University

Board of Advisors, Vermont Jazz Center

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