Good vibes only

Hamilton, OH – Musicians love an encore.

As Rusty Burge – musician, recording artist, professor, author – approaches retirement from the UC College Conservatory of Music next spring after 35 years teaching percussion, he makes time to revisit some favorite music and bring it back to the stage.

Burge teams up with the Phil DeGreg Trio (featuring John Taylor and Aaron Jacobs) for Vibrations: The Music of Milt Jackson celebrating the mid-century master of the vibraphone on Friday, September 25, to open the Fitton Center’s 2026-2027 Jazz & Cabaret series.

A similar show with the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra in 2023 prompted Fitton Center Executuive Director Ian MacKenzie-Thurley to approach Burge last summer about mounting this version.

“I was thrilled because I love playing this music,” he said. “But also, nice because we have already played many of these tunes. It was just a matter of getting out that folder, going over the tunes again, listening to those recordings. That’s always a joy.

“For most vibe players the essential history comes down to Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo and Milt. They’re kind of at the root of the instrument, so you dive in. Obviously, many other great players came after them.”

Jackson started playing guitar at age 7, piano at 11 and vibraphone at age 16; Dizzy Gillespie hired him in the 1940s during Jackson’s early 20s. He recorded his first Modern Jazz Quartet album in 1952 at the age of 29.

Burge grew up a percussionist, mostly playing drum set. However, his focus shifted toward the end of his undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

“I started getting interested in the harmonic aspects of the music,” he said. “On drums I found myself drawn to the harmony. I was listening to the piano, the horns, and it took a turn. I was already a mallet player, so vibraphone was a natural place to land.”

Burge said Jackson’s music pulls together several influences that make it interesting, approachoachable and keeps it fresh.

“His playing is very blues oreiented,” Burge said. “There’s also a church element to his playing. But he was also the first one to bring be-bop – the music of Charlie Parker - to the vibes. The combination of those two things makes him so unique.

“The the Modern Jazz Quartet was one of the first combos to play the same stages orchestras would play. Their arrangements had a lot classical elements to them. They brought a different audience to jazz by playing concert halls that normally only featured orchestras. This in turn exposed more people to the music.”

Burge said one of his personal favorites is “Blues in C-Minor.”

“It’s an eerie-sounding tune,” he said. “It’s very simple, a descending bass line and a simple, beautiful melody. It’s a vehicle for him to showcase that blues style mixed with elements of be-bop.”

The Fitton Center’s Jazz & Cabaret series is sponsored by Dr. Keneth and Marcia Wehr. Bradley Pickard and Victoria Young are event sponsors for Vibrations: The Music of Milt Jackson.

Tickets are $41 for Fitton Center members, $51 for non-members and are available online right here, by phone at 513-863-8873, ext. 110, or in person at the Fitton Center box office.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.

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