Vic Juris (1953 - 2019)
The jazz guitar world recently lost one of it's great players Vic Juris . I toured with Vic along with Barney Kessel and Bireli Lagrene back in the 1980's and was always so impressed by him both as a guitarist and a as a person.
Vic was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1953. In 1963, at the age of 10, he began learning guitar. At 11, he studied guitar at the home of his teacher, Ed Berg, and got interested in jazz listening to Berg's records of guitarists Django Reinhardt, Jim Hall, Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney, and Johnny Smith.
Vic recorded with Richie Cole during 1976–78 and released his debut album as a leader, Road Song, in 1979. In the early 1980s, he turned to acoustic guitar in duos with Larry Corell and Bireli Lagrene, and in the late 1980s he worked with Gary Peacock band.
During the 1990s, he worked as sideman with Lee Konitz and Peggy Stern, Benny Waters, Jeannie Bryson, Gary Peacock, Steve LaSpina, Judi Silvano, and Ken Serio.
Juris taught at The New School for Contemporary Music, LeHigh University, and Rutgers University and wrote instructional books for guitar.
Vic will be missed by all of us that knew him but his music lives on. Our condolences to Vic's family.
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