March 22nd: Tom Cleary & Amber deLaurentis

Community Concerts @ First presents jazz pianist Tom Cleary and vocalist Amber deLaurentis on March 22, 2026 at 3pm at the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction. The Sunday afternoon concert will highlight Cleary’s solo playing and will feature vocalist Amber deLaurentis on several tunes. Come out to enjoy one of Vermont’s finest jazz musicians!

Tom Cleary studied jazz improvisation with Yusef Lateef and Archie Shepp, and classical piano performance with Sylvia Parker and Elizabeth Metcalfe. He has had extended collaborations playing piano and keyboards with artists including Mike Gordon, James Harvey, Ray Vega, Patricia Julien, and Jamie Masefield. His collaboration with his wife, vocalist and composer Amber deLaurentis, in the jazz quartet Birdcode can be heard on the 2019 album You Are Here. He has played on jazz recordings including Cerulean by harmonicist John LaRouche, Burmese Panther by guitarist/composer Paul Asbell, and recent releases including Now And Then by saxophonist and flutist Marty Fogel and the debut album by Saturn People’s Sound Collective. His work as an arranger, lyricist and co-writer can be heard on deLaurentis’ solo albums Hey Sadie, Innocent Road,  and the recent Space Invader. He has accompanied artists including Lester Bowie, Fontella Bass, Clark Terry, Ernie Watts, Chris Vidala, Pete Yellin, Max Weinberg, Judi Silvano, Joe Lovano, Joan Rivers and Steve Earle. As a composer, his work has been commissioned and recorded by groups including Social Band, Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble and the Saint Michael’s College Fine Arts Department, where he composed and compiled the score for Mill Girls, a play with music that was most recently performed this past year. He teaches in the jazz studies program of the UVM Music Department, the Flynn Arts jazz program and his home studio; please visit his music blog, Birdfeed, at blog.uvm.edu/tgcleary. For an example of his solo piano playing, check out his recent recording of the Billy Eckstine standard I Want To Talk About You from an upcoming release.

Amber deLaurentis oversees the vocal jazz program at University of Vermont, where she teaches voice and co-directs the UVM Jazz Vocal Ensemble with husband Tom Cleary. Amber also maintains a private studio of voice and piano students. She performs regularly as a member of jazz quartet Birdcode, (which released its first recording, You Are Here) with Tom Cleary in 2019. As a songwriter, Amber just released her third full-length record Space Invader, preceded by her second release, Innocent Road, in 2019. She has performed with jazz artists including pianist Marcus Roberts and Judi Silvano. Amber has previously performed with Ben Folds, opened for Patti Larkin, Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, NRBQ, Tom Paxton, Marshall Crenshaw, Five for Fighting, Alana Davis, and Entrain. In 2002, Amber’s band won best of 1,200 in the northeast finals of Discmakers’ Independent Music World Series.

April 26th: Ray Vega

Community Concerts @ First presents the Ray Vega Afro Caribbean Jazz Ensemble on April 26 at 3pm at the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction.

A native of the South Bronx, RAY VEGA is a veteran of the bands of Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Mario Bauza, Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Hector LaVoe, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez and Louie Ramirez to name a few. Ray has performed and/or recorded with Nicholas Payton, Joe Henderson, Lionel Hampton, Mel Torme, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, The Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Paul Simon, Frank Foster’s Loud Minority Big Band, Diane Schuur, The Caribbean Jazz Project, Pete Escovedo/Sheila E, Michel Camilo, Eddie Palmieri, The Mingus Big Band and La Orquesta Sinfonica de Simon Bolivar (Venezuela) among numerous others. 

Ray has established himself as one of the innovators of the international Jazz and Latin music scenes. A multi-talented trumpeter, percussionist, composer, arranger and educator, he presents Jazz from a refreshingly original and contemporary perspective. His two recordings on the Concord Picante label, his self-titled debut “Ray Vega”, and “Boperation”, along with his 1st release on the Palmetto label “Pa’lante” have been well received by critics, audiences and musicians alike. Vega’s 2nd Palmetto CD “Squeeze, Squeeze” has also received critical acclaim including Four Stars in Down Beat Magazine.
Vega’s CD “East-West Trumpet Summit” was a collaboration with Seattle trumpeter Thomas Marriott. The CD was released in the summer of 2010 on Origin Records and it hit number 1 on the Jazzweek national radio Jazz charts during the week of June 21, 2010.
His latest CD “Chapter Two” is produced Thomas Marriott. It was released in the Spring of 2014 on Truth Revolution Records. The CD has already received much critical acclaim including a 3 and a half star rating in Down Beat magazine (Nov. 14, 2014). Vega’s latest release (2016) is his second collaboration with Thomas Marriott entitled “Return of the East-West Trumpet Summit”……it’s currently in major airplay rotation nationwide. 

Ray Vega now resides in South Burlington, Vermont. He is a senior lecturer at The University of Vermont (UVM) where he teaches Jazz History, Jazz Improvisation, directs 3 Jazz combos and directs the trumpet studio (Jazz Performance). UVM inducted Vega as a University Scholar for 2015-16. Vega is the first creative artist to receive this high honor and recognition at the university. Vega is the host of Vermont Public Radio’s Friday Night Jazz show.

His current music projects are Ray Vega and his New York Latin Jazz All-Stars, The Ray Vega Quartet, and Ray Vega Latin Jazz Sextet.

September 27th: Hair Peace

On Sunday September 27 at 3pm, Community Concerts @ First presents a rollicking concert by Hair Peace. A guitar and vocal duo, they perform acoustic music from the 60’s through today. Their harmonies and musicality will have you tapping your toe in no time. Join us for an afternoon of great music to support AgeWell.