FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 31, 2024

CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING AT VIC’S LAS VEGAS

WHAT:         Celebrate Thanksgiving at Vic’s Las Vegas with a savory prix fixe menu featuring traditional favorites and all the trimmings for $45 per person. Vic’s will also offer their full menu featuring Italian-American cuisine, and guests can enjoy complimentary live jazz from the award-winning Las Vegas Academy’s Jazz Trio from Noon – 3 p.m. and 4 – 7 p.m.

Starter – choice of Vic’s House Salad or Butternut Squash Soup with Cream

Entrée – choice of Roasted Turkey Breast, Honey Glazed Ham, or a Turkey and Ham Combo

Sides – choice of three: Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Candied Yams, Green Beans, Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Mac & Cheese, or Homemade Vegetarian Stuffing

Dessert – choice of pie served a la mode: Apple, Pecan, or Pumpkin

WHEN:         Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024
No cover. No minimum purchase required. Reservations are encouraged.

WHERE:       Vic’s Las Vegas
355 Promenade Place in Symphony Park

ABOUT VIC’S LAS VEGAS

Created by Porchlight Hospitality in 2023, Vic’s Las Vegas is located in Symphony Park at 355 Promenade Place. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. – 1 a.m., Vic’s features Italian-American cuisine, a full-service bar, gaming, and live entertainment nightly. Reservations can be made by calling 725-755-5299 or visit vicslasvegas.com. Follow on Instagram @vicslasvegas.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Hillary Smoot, SRO PR
310-367-9056
Hillary@sropr.com

Image is courtesy of Vic’s Las Vegas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2024

LIVE JAZZ IS BOUNTIFUL AT VIC’S LAS VEGAS THIS NOVEMBER

WHAT:                 Vic’s Las Vegas brings world-class jazz artists to entertain diners throughout the month, in addition to nightly live jazz from the Las Vegas Academy’s Jazz Program.

WHO/
WHEN:                 Nov. 1 & 2                         NICOLE ZURAITIS – 7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
                             Nov. 8 & 9                         KEN PEPLOWSKI – 7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
                              Nov. 21 & 22                     LARRY FULLER TRIO – 7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 29 & 30                     GRAHAM DECHTER & FRIENDS featuring Konrad Paszkudzki, Ryan Shaw, Alex Frank, and Melissa Morgan – 7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

WHERE:               Vic’s Las Vegas
                              355 Promenade Place in Symphony Park
No cover and no minimums. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

ABOUT NICOLE ZURAITIS

Nicole Zuraitis is a GRAMMY winning and 2X GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, New York-based bandleader, and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole has positioned herself as one of the top artists and “prolific songwriters” (Broadway World) to watch in jazz and beyond.

As a recording artist, Nicole has released five albums as leader, and her sixth album, How Love Begins, co-produced with eight-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride, won BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM at the 2024 GRAMMY® awards and features all original music. Besides leading her quartet, Nicole is the premier vocalist for the Birdland Big Band and frequently headlines iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle, 54 Below and the late, great 55 Bar. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony and Macon Pops and has supported iconic singers like Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss and Livingston Taylor on piano and vocals.

Nicole’s arrangement of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, co-written with renowned drummer and bandleader Dan Pugach, was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY®, spring boarding her career and making her a household name in the modern-day jazz landscape. In 2020, she was named in the top 40 under 40 for 2020 in Connecticut Magazine, and her weekly live stream during the Covid-19 crisis, “Virtual Piano Lounge,” was featured in Forbes Magazine.

Nicole has collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim, Rachel Z, Helen Sung, and Bernard Purdie. She is a proud educator and currently vocal faculty at NYU, SUNY Purchase, and the Litchfield Jazz Camp.

An ardent activist with a decade-long track record of giving back, her album release coincided with a self-produced music festival and day of activism for Save the Sound.Org.

ABOUT KEN PEPLOWSKI

“When you grow up in Cleveland, Ohio, playing in a Polish polka band, you learn to think fast on your feet”, says Ken Peplowski, who played his first pro engagement when he was still in elementary school. “From my first time performing in public, I knew I wanted to play music for a living.”

Ken, and his trumpet-playing brother Ted, made many local radio and TV appearances and played for Polish dances and weddings virtually every weekend all through high-school. “That’s where I learned to improvise, ‘fake’ songs, learn about chord changes, etc.- it’s exactly like learning to swim by being thrown into the water!” By the time Ken was in his early teens, he was experimenting with jazz by playing in the school “stage” bands, and by jamming with many of the local jazz musicians. “By the time I hit high school, I was teaching at the local music store, playing in our family band, and playing jazz gigs around town while still getting up early every day for school.”

After a year of college, Ken joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under the direction of Buddy Morrow. “Buddy heard me with my quartet at a Cleveland jazz festival along with Teddy Wilson’s trio and the Dorsey band and made an offer right then and there for me to not only play lead alto, but to have a feature spot on the clarinet with the rhythm section. It was a great ‘road-school’ – we learned the discipline that goes with playing one-nighters every day for 48 weeks out of the year, and Buddy was a great, very generous bandleader.”

Peplowski met Sonny Stitt while on the road with the Dorsey band and studied with him. “He was, and is, an inspiration to all of us who make a living ‘on the road’ – I’ve never heard anybody play with such amazing consistency as Sonny, through all kinds of settings. In 1980, Ken moved to New York City, and was soon playing in all kinds of settings, from traditional to avant-garde jazz. “Everything’s a learning experience in jazz music – there’s always an element of the unpredictable.” In 1984, Benny Goodman came out of retirement and put together a new band, hiring Ken on tenor saxophone.

Peplowski signed with Concord Records, under the tutelage of Carl Jefferson, the founder and president, and recorded close to 20 albums as a leader, including “The Natural Touch” in 1992 which won Best Jazz Record of the Year by the Prises Deutschen Schallplatten Kritiken, and “The Other Portrait”, recorded in Sophia Bulgaria with the symphony orchestra and highlighting Ken’s classical side. He also recorded two records on the Nagel Heyer label, “Lost In The Stars” and “Easy To Remember,” the latter of which features Bobby Short on his last recording. “I loved Bobby Short’s approach to the American songbook, and we’d talked about doing a record together for a while – I’m glad we got this one ‘in the can.’

ABOUT LARRY FULLER

Based out of New York City, Larry Fuller is an internationally acclaimed American jazz pianist known to “swing like a beast!”.  He is a Yamaha Artist. Early in his career, Fuller’s undeniable talent earned him the position of musical director and pianist for vocalist Ernestine Anderson, pianist in drummer Jeff Hamilton’s Trio, and final pianist in legendary bassist Ray Brown’s Trio.  He also recorded and toured with vocalist-guitarist John Pizzarelli’s Quartet.

Harnessing his extraordinary bandstand experience – Fuller now leads The Larry Fuller Trio.  He presents a musical program rarely experienced today – consistently praised for his emotive, swinging style, monster technique, and program versatility.  From bop, to stride, to swing, to blues, Fuller’s live performances are simply not to be missed!  At Vic’s, expect to hear anything from Stevie Wonder to Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery to Cedar Walton, George Gershwin to Joni Mitchell.  And a special tribute to Fuller’s mentor and former boss – bass legend Ray Brown – a tribute inspired by years on the road with The Ray Brown Trio.

Larry Fuller has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, Bern International Jazz Festival, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Shanghai Center Theater, Blue Note (Milan, Tokyo, NYC), Auditorio Ibirapuera with Symphony Orchestra Brazil, and many more.

ABOUT GRAHAM DECHTER

Graham, an accomplished guitarist, composer and arranger, began studying music at the age of 5 when he began taking violin lessons and composing orchestral pieces. He discovered his passion for guitar and jazz at the Idyllwild Academy of the Arts. Upon graduation, Graham entered the Jazz Studies program at the Eastman School of Music.

After completing a year at Eastman, Graham returned to Los Angeles after being invited by Jeff Hamilton to join the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (CHJO); he became the youngest member of the acclaimed orchestra being only 19 years old at the time.

He has traveled extensively in North America, Europe and Asia and has performed and recorded with some of the most respected names in music, including Michael Bublé, Eliane Elias, Benny Golson, James Moody, John Pizzarelli, Larry Goldings, Jon Hendricks, Nancy Wilson, Kurt Elling, Billy Taylor, Benny Green, Bill Charlap, Paquito D’Rivera, Curtis Fuller, Wycliffe Gordon, Terell Stafford, Clark Terry, Snooky Young, and Wynton Marsalis.

KONRAD PASZKUDZKI

Although raised in Western Australia by Polish parents, Konrad’s musical affinity and passion for swingin’ American jazz revealed itself early on. He was accepted into university at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth at the tender age of 15, studying jazz piano and finishing his undergraduate degree a few weeks after turning 19. The precocious instrumentalist swiftly established a reputation as a leading jazzman in Australia, touring for the next two years and playing with his mentor, jazz trumpeter James Morrison. After being offered a scholarship to the University of Miami, he relocated to the United States in 2009, receiving his master’s degree in 2011 at the age of 22. Upon graduation, he spent a year in Los Angeles playing piano with the likes of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the Jeff Hamilton Trio. Konrad returned to the East Coast in 2012 after being offered a position to lead the house trio at the coveted New York venue, 54 Below.

​Following a yearlong residency and two self-released trio recordings, he joined the John Pizzarelli Quartet in November of 2013, leading to over 1000 performances worldwide in the following four years.  In 2015 Konrad became a Yamaha artist, and in 2016 began working for Venus Records in Japan. Between 2016-2017 the Konrad Paszkudzki trio recorded seven albums for the label. Aside from touring and recording, Konrad also commenced his role as Artistic Director of Jazz at the Ballroom in 2017, a not-for-profit organization committed to delivering the highest caliber of swinging American jazz across the West Coast.

ALEX FRANK

Alex Frank is a guitarist, composer, and educator based in Kansas City. As a working guitarist, Alex currently leads a trio and quartet under his name, playing at clubs around Kansas City and holding down a nearly two-year residency playing his music at the Green Lady Lounge.

RYAN SHAW

Ryan Shaw is a drummer who performs and/or records with Michael Bublé, Seth MacFarlane, Bill Holman, Gilbert Castellanos, Richard Shelton, Graham Dechter, Melissa Morgan and many more. Performing throughout Southern California, Ryan has performed at most of the best Jazz clubs in the area including the Blue Whale, Catalina, Vitello’s, Vibrato, Spaghettini, and more. He can also be seen traveling regularly throughout the United States and internationally.

Ryan Shaw began his musical pursuits at the age of five on piano. By age 8, he began studying percussion and got his first drum set at the age of 10. He began playing at his church regularly while participating in his school’s Band, Marching Band, and Jazz Band and eventually graduated from the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music with a degree in Jazz Studies.

In addition to his vast experience as a performer in many Jazz contexts, Ryan can also be seen frequently performing with various Pop and Indie groups as well as at a variety of churches in the Los Angeles area. Ryan has had the opportunity to perform with John Clayton, Russell Malone, Larry Koonse, Bob Sheppard, Dan Higgins, Gerald Clayton, Chuck Berghofer, Christian Jacob, Bob McChesney, Graham Dechter, Alex Frank, Bruce Forman, Rob Lockhart, Holly Hofmann, Mike Wofford and more, and has had the opportunity to study with Jeff Hamilton, Peter Erskine, Roy McCurdy, Aaron Serfaty, and Joe LaBarbera.

Ryan currently lives in Los Angeles and spends his time outside of music entertaining several hobbies including video editing, baseball, and watching classic movies.

MELISSA MORGAN

Born in New York City, she grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. Her first musical instrument was the piano, which she began practicing at age four. Her singing began while in high school with local choirs and performing with a few select classical vocal groups across the U.S. and other venues abroad. Most memorable was a seven-country tour of Europe in 1996 with the U.S. Youth Chorale. As a student Melissa received numerous awards including 3 gold cups in the New Jersey Federation of Music solo piano competition, top ranking in the New Jersey all-state choir, and runner up for the New Jersey Governor’s award for vocal music.

Inspired by the classic recordings by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughn, Melissa pursued her love of Jazz through studies of music.  She attended the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music, studying with many prominent artists. During her tenure, she appeared with the conservatory’s Jazz and Latin Jazz Orchestras and was featured vocalist with the Purchase Jazz Band during a 1999 tour of Spain. She graduated from the Purchase in 2002 with a B.A. in music.

She has since performed as a regular at several of New York’s top jazz venues; Cleopatra’s Needle, Flute, G Bar, Smalls, Smoke and St. Nick’s Pub to name a few. At that time, Melissa performed with her own trio, as well as with other artists in the New York area. She was featured in performances with Jon Faddis and the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars at the Blue Note in New York in 2001. In 2002 Melissa performed at the New York Women of Jazz Festival at Smoke jazz club. Around this time, she was also a guest on the Metro TV-NY program “Where to hear jazz in New York City”.

Melissa competed and became a semi-finalist in the 2004 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in Washington D.C., “the most prestigious jazz competition in the world, hosted by Billy Dee Williams and Herbie Hancock. Judges for the competition were luminaries Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling, Jimmy Scott, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Flora Purim.” Melissa moved to Los Angeles, California where she pursued a recording career for a few years. She has now moved to the Bay Area, where she continues to perfect her art, and can be heard performing in numerous venues.

ABOUT VIC’S LAS VEGAS

Created by Porchlight Hospitality in 2023, the award-winning Vic’s Las Vegas is located in Symphony Park at 355 Promenade Place. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. – 1 a.m., Vic’s features Italian-American cuisine, a full-service bar, gaming, and live entertainment nightly. Reservations can be made by calling 725-755-5299 or visit vicslasvegas.com. Follow on Instagram @vicslasvegas.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:

Hillary Smoot, SRO PR
310-367-9056
hillary@sropr.com

*Artist images available upon request.