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I love my job!
Jason, from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, fights the Sea Lamprey in Michigan waters. Video from Fox 17
Jason Krebill '00
Fisheries & Wildlife Management
Barbara Keller, Ph.D
Office: CRW 236
Phone: (906) 635-2267
Fax: (906) 635-2266
Ms. Donna White
Academic Secretary
Ms. Mary St. Antoine
Lab Manager
Mr. Roger Greil
Aquatic Lab Manager, ARL
Mr. Ben Southwell
Instrumentation Chemist
Welcome to the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences website. The College is home to four Schools that offer baccalaureate and associate programs in biology, chemistry, forensic chemistry, environmental sciences, fisheries & wildlife management, conservation biology, geology, exercise science, parks and recreation, athletic training, mathematics and computer science. Our highly trained faculty members in the College provide students with rigorous academic training that is blended with hands-on learning and applied real world research experience. I invite you to check out the individual Schools through the links below. You will find that our students use modern up-to-date equipment and operate state-of-the art instrumentation. Our mission statement reaffirms our commitment to students to help them develop their full potential as professionals in the natural and mathematical sciences. Better still, come see for yourself. Visit our beautiful campus, meet our faculty & staff, and sign up for a tour of our facilities. We are proud of our campus and would love to show you around.
Barb Keller, Ph.D.
The mission of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences is to help students develop their potential as professionals in their respective fields. The College provides rigorous academic programs in an engaged, personal and supportive environment. Faculty members enhance student success and the future of the College through their teaching, scholarship and professional development; and act as role models in life-long learning and community service. We prepare graduates for advanced study and/or careers in disciplines crucial to the progress of our nation in the 21st Century. In addition to the major programs, the College provides courses for all University students that serve the national need for literacy in science and mathematics.
Dr. Paul Kelso has been selected as one of the 2011 Presidents Council - State Universities of Michigan (PCSUM), Distinguished Professor of the Year recipients. The Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year program recognizes the outstanding contributions made by the faculty from Michigan's public universities to the education of undergraduate students. This is the first time an LSSU faculty member has received this award.
Nick Arend of Stevensville, MI studied the digestive rates of eggs in round goby stomachs to determine the rate that they become unidentifiable. Round gobies are an invasive species that feed on native fishes eggs in the Great Lakes. His results showed that round gobies do not chew their eggs, but swallow them whole. After five hours of digestion an egg shell was still identifiable. This research is important because current digestion studies on round gobies do not prove they eat egg; but there is visual evidence that round gobies do eat eggs. Results from this study can be used to create a standard sampling procedure on round goby diets to detect the presence of eggs.
Trevor Asperger of Grass Lake, MI, studied the effects of tumors on the health of suckers spawning in the Rifle River near Omer MI, as well as the correlation between fish age and tumor incidence. His results showed no significant difference between the health of fish with and without tumors. A slight correlation between age and tumor incidence was found. This research is important because fishermen who consume these fish should be aware of the exposure of the fish to environmental toxins and carcinogens.
Erika Beyer of Holland, Michigan created two biological outreach programs for children pre-K – 3rdgrade at the Howard Miller Public Library in Zeeland, Michigan in collaboration with their summer reading program. Endangered canines and Great Lakes invasive or non-native species were the topics of the presentations. By working with a library, a diverse group of children attended each program. Fifteen children attended each program. She found that engaging a student's desire to learn through reading helped to initially excite the children in the topic of each program. This research is important because biological education is important for people who aren't exposed to biology and other sciences on a regular basis.
Monica Brandt of Hillman, Michigan has interned with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to investigate Operation Windbreak. Operation Windbreak is a multi- agency group that installs vegetative windbreaks along the local highways to prevent the blowing and drifting of snow. She observed local success rates on previously planted-sites. To do this, she evaluated the survivability rate of each site, and concluded that the majority of the sites will need future maintenance work including weed control, and replanting select sections of the windbreak. Monica's study is important in developing a more effective method of monitoring each study-site and quantifying vegetation survivability.
Michael Caputo of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, investigated the protective benefits of the antioxidant vitamin C against ultraviolet (UV) light, the most prevalent environmental carcinogen. Results of this experiment suggested that human skin cells treated with vitamin C were better protected against UV light-induced DNA damage. This study, along with a host of others, supports the consumption of a wide variety of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables as a strategy to help prevent disease and cancer.
Jordan Christie of Bath, Michigan evaluated the effects of environmental factors on Escherichia coli concentrations at four Chippewa County, Michigan beaches. Brimley State Park, Sherman Park, Sugar Island Township Park and Four Mile Beach are recreational swimming beaches monitored for harmful bacteria to protect the public health. A linear multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the impact environmental conditions have on the Category I beach E. coli concentrations. These data suggest that chronic sources of pollution influenced by water temperature, turbidity, one day precipitation and two day precipitation uniquely explain E. coli concentrations at the four beaches. This research is important for beach managers to identify sources of pollution and develop effective management plans to keep beaches clean and public healthy.
Josh Cerasuolo of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario assessed patient satisfaction related to specialty healthcare by surveying the general public in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan & Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He compared the two cities to see if there were significant differences in patient satisfaction between Canadians and Americans living in a rural community. His results indicated a contrast in satisfaction between patients of the border town communities; individuals surveyed from Sault, Michigan were more satisfied with their experiences involving specialty healthcare. This research is important to determine which system (private or public) could better serve an isolated rural community with specialty health care services based on patient perception.
Courtney Cochran of Sitka, Alaska compared the incidence rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection in Chippewa County, Michigan and the District of Algoma, Canada from 2002 - 2011. Both chlamydia and gonorrhea have high infection numbers not only in the United States, but globally as well. The average age of infection for both areas was consistent with the CDC average STI infection range of 20 – 24. The highest peak for Algoma was in 2009 with 3.5 infected individuals per 1,000. The highest peak for Chippewa was in 2011 with 2.5 individuals per 1,000. The purpose of this study was to observe and better understand disease incidence in similar geographic locations.
Hannah Connor of Brighton, MI estimated the prevalence of the cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii in Chippewa County by testing the cats at a local animal shelter. People can contractthis parasite from their cat's litter boxes. Healthy individuals do not show symptoms. However, people with weakened immune symptoms can suffer from inflammation in the brain and vision problems. If a pregnant woman becomes infected, it can be transferred to the child and result in birth defects. The results of her study showed that approximately one in three cats are infected with this parasite. There was no major difference in the infection rate between previously ownedand stray cats. This is significant for pet owners because people can become infected withT. gondiifrom their cats.
Joselyn Coullard of Brimley, MI studied the effect of Crest Whitestrips on the strength of human teeth. While tooth-whitening is the number one requested cosmetic procedure today, it can cause considerable damage to the teeth. Her results showed that the whitened teeth fractured more easily than non-whitened teeth. This research is important because many people today use tooth-bleaching products such as Crest Whitestrips and should be aware of its harmful effects.
Brittany Cousino of Monroe, Michigan assessed three primary sources of drinking water near Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan for water quality and inhibition of plaque development on teeth. Her results showed that fluoride is an active component in the inhibition of plaque on developing teeth. She also found that sources of drinking water that contained fluoride such as municipal water showed the most inhibition. This research is important to the public health as bottled water is being consumed more often due to the perception of its purity over other sources.
Caryn Crane of Flint, MI evaluated local food use in the restaurants of Sault Ste. Marie for a Food Hub Initiative through the Michigan State University Extension Office. This program is looking at starting an online ordering service called the U.P. Food Exchange and implementing a Food Hub location in the Sault Ste. Marie area. The Food Hub would allow farmers to store and distribute fresh local produce in larger quantities to restaurants and institutions of the Eastern Upper Peninsula. She found that the restaurants are positively responsive to the imitative and would like to participate in incorporating more local foods into their menu. This program is economically important to the community because it can keep goods and services local.
Jennifer Deater of Mancelona, MI studied the responses of Common Ravens to different vocalizations and if there was a preference for predator calls or a prey distress call. She did this by testing the two different calls in the Hiawatha National Forest where both ravens and coyotes responded to both recordings. Her results showed that scavengers used vocalizations to locate possible food sources, but there was not enough data to conclude that one vocalization was preferred over another. This research can help biologists determine the presence of scavengers in an area as well as gain a better understanding of interspecies behavior.
Ashley Denome of Escanaba, MI, studied the relationship between cholesterol-reducing medications and vitamin D levels using patient medical records at War Memorial Hospital and Lakeview Internal Medicine located in Sault Ste Marie, MI. Her results showed that these medications had no effect on vitamin D levels in patients. Since cholesterol is needed to make vitamin D, this study was important for understanding factors that could reduce the amount of this vital molecule in the human body.
Sara Dimick of Rogers City, Michigan investigated round goby energy content across the Great Lakes. Round gobies are non-native fish that invaded the Great Lakes in the 1990's. They cause harm by outcompeting and preying on native species. In recent years, round gobies are being consumed by native top predators such as lake trout, and water snakes. The goal of this study is to determine both the average round goby energy content and the variability in energy content across locations and seasons. Results showed that round gobies' energy content varies among the Great Lakes, and varies with season. This information is essential for predicting growth of round goby predators and for understanding food-web linkages in the Great Lakes.
Matthew Elya of Harbor Springs, MI studied how migratory fishes contribute nutrients during spawning runs in Great Lakes streams. Nutrients stimulate the growth of algae which is the base of stream food webs. Historically, only native fish species provided nutrients to streams during their spawning runs; however, introduced fish species now also contribute nutrients to streams during their spawning runs. As a result, stream food webs may be changing. This project compared the amount of nutrients provided to Great Lakes streams by a native species, white suckers, and an introduced species, Chinook salmon, which will ultimately expand our knowledge of their impact on Great Lakes streams.
Tiffany Escherich of Dafter, MI studied the influence of human disturbance on the nesting success of piping plovers in the Great Lakes. The piping plover is an endangered shorebird that has been the focus of management efforts over the past 20+ years. Her results showed that there was no significant difference between the successes of birds that nested in high human disturbance areas versus low human disturbance areas. However, Piping Plovers did show a greater tendency to nest near areas of relatively low human disturbance. This research is important to assist managers in determining how many people to employ to monitor each nest site during the breeding season. These management efforts aid in increasing the success of the Piping Plover's population recovery efforts.
Logan French, of Columbus Michigan, assisted with gathering information to apply for a funding application through the Environmental Protection Agency. The funding will be used to develop a watershed management plan for the Waishkey River watershed which is done through a ten step program that supports assessment, monitoring and improvement of the water quality in the Waishkey River watershed. Rainfall and snowmelt runoff deliver pollutants across the landscape and deposit them in downstream water bodies. Data was collected to develop background information on the Waishkey River in order to have a better understanding of the current state of the watershed. This experiential learning project was important for developing a plan that would be beneficial to reduce degradation within the Waishkey River watershed.
Sarah Gallagher of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario studied the livers of waterfowl in order to determine the potential host species of the parasite causing swimmer's itch within the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Waterfowl carcasses were donated by local hunters, the livers were removed, and then parasites were extracted and counted. Four of seventeen species collected tested positive: mallards, hooded mergansers, buffleheads and wigeons. This research identified the most likely species of waterfowl in the Eastern U.P. that can transport swimmer's itch. Further studies of other factors such as water body type and aquatic vegetation, will be useful in predicting future outbreaks of swimmer's itch.
Glenn Galle of Cedar Springs, MI investigated the antifungal effects of five common kitchen spices to determine if they could possibly stop fungal growth on food products and thus prevent food waste. His study found that all five of the spices tested had an antifungal effect on yeast but only a couple of spices had an effect on the mold used. This is significant because by adding spices to a variety of foods it may prevent billions of dollars in food loss.
Jason Gostiaux of Royal Oak, MI studied changes in growth and size structure of the yellow perch population in Cranberry Lake within the Hiawatha Sportsmen's Club. Manipulations were previously done in order to establish a better environment for larger (≥ 8 in.) yellow perch by introducing predator fish and lime. His results showed that within five years the yellow perch did not respond their growth rate did not consistently increase. These findings are important because there are few examples of the effects of whole-lake manipulations. At the same time these results help the Sportsmen's Club manage this lake by updating the members about the current status of the yellow perch population in Cranberry Lake.
Nichole Johnson of Armada, MI studied the effects of Acetaminophen, a common compound found in various pain killers, on a species of water flea (Daphnia magna). Her experiment observed heart rhythm, mortality, reproduction rate and the number of eggs produced by the organisms. The results showed dramatic decrease in the heart rate. The medication concentrations would have eventually been lethal if the medication dosage had continued to be increased. The research is important because it tells us the effects of improper over the counter medication disposal on water systems and its effects on aquatic life.
John Kilponen of Ann Arbor, MI studied the effects of Striped Maple (Acer Pennsylvanicum) removal on habitat use by White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Hiawatha Sportsman's Club land. His results showed that removal of an undesirable species of tree can create access to habitat that was previously inaccessible to White-tailed deer. Also, as sivicultural practices change the forest mosaic certain guidelines can alter the regrowth of the habitats. This research is important for people managing land for both forestry practices and wildlife habitat.
Tyler Lorenzo of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario designed DNA primers to test for ND-1 mutations in human mitochondria. His results showed that he was successful in designing these DNA primers which will allow future Lake Superior State University students to use them in researching his original idea. This research is important because ND-1 mutations are known to cause a wide variety of diseases which hopefully can be prevented with further studies.
Mark Martin of Custer, MI assessed what habitat alterations made by beavers to the environment influenced river otter habitat selection. Results of the study indicated no sympatry between river otters and beavers was found at Pendills Creek. The data that was collected is instead being used to assess habitat alterations (dams, lodges, etc.) made by beavers in areas they do occupy and comparing that to areas they have not made alterations to yet.
James Miller of Woodhaven, MI studied a series of environmental and biological factors and how they affected variability in largemouth bass abundance (called recruitment) from year to year in Soldier Lake, near Raco, MI. This lake has a highly variable recruitment from every year. Factors that were chosen to explore this variability included warming rate, temperature variability, high winds, and the abundance of both yellow perch and largemouth bass. James' results showed that both high winds and high abundance of largemouth bass from the previous year decreased following year's recruitment. This research shows that the recruitment of the largemouth bass, a well-known game fish in the United States, is dependent on both climate and biological pressures.
Kathryn Mulka of Utica, MI, studied the production of poly 3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), a biodegradable plastic synthesized by bacteria, and whether stress affect its production rate. Using the bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, her results showed that when cells are placed under both starvation and ultraviolet stressors, their production of PHB increases 3 fold. This research is important because understanding how to induce PHB synthesis in bacteria can create a cheaper and more efficient way to manufacture biodegradable plastic.
Charolette Niezgoda of Alpena, MI studied the strains of Staphylococcus present on Lake Superior State University's campus to find the relationship between gender and strain. Results showed both Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermis were present oncampus with no difference in number of cases between males and females. Inoculated S. aureus cells were inoculated and tested for antibiotic susceptibility with several beta-lactam antibiotics. Results showed no relationship in specific use of antibiotic but a significant difference in the susceptibility of each antibiotic treatment. This study is important as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is known as a superbug among many cultures. Its ability to resistant antibiotics and rapidly spread can be life-threatening in some infectious cases. These results could help Lake Superior State University reduce the likelihood of a large spread of infection by increasing knowledge of the bacteria and its resistance mechanisms.
Jimmy Osga of Frederic, MI studied the spatial distribution and aggregation patterns of adult sea lamprey in the St. Marys River. His results displayed various distribution patterns which seemed to depend on the spawning season of lamprey. The study also exhibited areas within the river in which specific, untreated, habitats were selected more frequently than others by sea lamprey throughout the summer months. This research is important to the future management and removal of a popular invasive species, in order to help conserve the Great Lakes food web.
Shanelle Pearse of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario studied the effect of capsaicin on the growth of Streptococcus gordonii, a bacterium of the human mouth. In other words, "can the active chemical compound in hot chili peppers inhibit the growth of a dangerous oral bacterium?" Streptococcus gordonii infections, if allowed to reach the blood stream can cause formation of blood clots, restriction of blood flow, and eventual acute congestive heart failure. Capsaicin not only generates the sensation of heat upon ingestion but also it is responsible for many of the peppers' disease-fighting properties. This research is important because it would give facts and advice about a complex public health issue and also give the general public an easy, tasty way of promoting his/ her own health.
Scott Pekel of Holton, Michigan completed an Experiential Learning Project that involved planning and implementing an environmental restoration project adjacent to a motorsport trail within the Manistee National Forest. The Cedar Creek motorsport trail had numerous locations that were experiencing severe erosion, and this led to terrestrial and aquatic habitat damage. The project involved planning the project by writing a grant to obtain funding, finalizing budget figures, ordering materials and then building erosion control devices on site and installing them. The erosion control devices, called water bars, function by retaining soil and letting water pass through. This helps return the hillsides to a more natural state, and improves habitat in the project area. Along with the implementation of the project for this year, future restoration sites were surveyed and a grant was written to fund project work for summer 2013.
Ashley Poehls of Baraga, MI studied the effects of ocean acidification on the growth rate, culture density, and cell size of a calcifying marine microalgae. This algae contributes to many chemical and biological processes in the oceans, making it important to understand how it is being affected by our changing oceans. Her results showed a reduced growth rate and lower culture density with increasing acidity, as well as greater cell sizes in the higher acidity environment. In conjunction with other studies, this research will provide a better understanding of how ocean acidification will affect these calcifying primary producers and them any chemical and biological processes associated with them.
Kyle Marc Point of St. Clair Shores, MI looked at the diets of hunter harvested diving ducks and sea ducks in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He found that ducks in this region ate a variety of plant and animal foods. He did not find conclusive evidence that any ducks in the study consumed zebra or quagga mussels, which are invasive species. This research is important because it is the only duck diet study that has been conducted in the eastern Upper Peninsula. The results also differ from duck diet studies on the lower Great Lakes, where invasive zebra mussels are a common food source and a concern for waterfowl managers.
John Ransom of Traverse City, MI assessed the effects of non-native trout and salmon on native stream fish communities after a dam was removed in four Great Lake tributaries. His results showed that within five years of a dam removal non-native salmon made up a large proportion of the fish community upstream of the removed dam. Native brook trout populations decreased dramatically upstream of the removed dam and remain low in downstream reaches. This research is important because it shows that dams may be important for protecting native fishes from invasion of non-native species.
Jeffrey Salvin of Walker, Michigan studied northern pike movement after dam removal in the Potagannissing River. His results showed that northern pike were moving upstream successfully with the rock ramp system that is currently in place. The amount of adult northern pike moving upstream could suggest higher reproduction due to more spawning habitat being accessible. The increased amount of habitat could be a step toward increasing the low population. This research is important because northern pike is a popular fish species in the St. Marys River basin and northern pike populations have been decreasing in the system.
Jared Stephen of Burton, MI analyzed the diets of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and rainbow trout (Onchorhyncus mykiss) in Duke's Lake, Chippewa County, Michigan, to assess the potential for competition over food resources. The results indicated the fishes are consuming and selecting the same prey organisms, and the potential for competition between rainbow trout and yellow perch is extremely high. Because Duke's Lake is stocked with rainbow trout, this study demonstrates that the trout fishery may benefit from changes in lake-specific yellow perch regulations or possible removal of a portion of the yellow perch population.
Amanda Taylor of Byron Center, MI coordinated a large tagged monarch butterfly release at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids. Through this internship at Michigan Butterflies she was able to educate the public on monarch butterflies, the decline of the species, and steps to help keep the monarch population flourishing. By tagging monarchs it is possible to track them along migration routes and compare data from the release with known migration data to help determine what is effecting the monarch population.
Stefan Tucker of Belmont, MI studied a small population of Lake Sturgeon, a threatened species, within the St. Mary's River. Little information is known about the reproductive success of Lake Sturgeon within the St. Mary's River, and therefore population may be vulnerable to future threats. This project was the first attempt to capture larval Lake Sturgeon and document natural reproduction using egg mats and larval drift nets. Reproduction of Lake Sturgeon was not confirmed, but adult sturgeon activity was observed which demonstrates the need for further research on this population in the St. Mary's River.
Jackie Wolfinger of Grass Lake, MI studied the effectiveness of brochures as a method of public outreach. Eastern Upper Peninsula anglers were surveyed on their knowledge of the use of certified disease-free bait after reading an educational brochure on the subject. Results showed that when a brochure is considered effective, it is also considered informative and easy to read and understand. Continued research on the effectiveness of brochures is important, because brochures are expensive to produce. Money spent on brochures could be used on other methods of outreach if brochures are ineffective at educating the public.
Close List
Ford Aldrich - Integration Testing - Hagerty Insurance, Traverse City
The focus of this project with the Hagerty Insurance Company was to build an automated testing suite to cover critical software components. This integration testing project began as an internship the previous summer and carried over throughout the school year. The result of the work was a large, flexible testing suite that gave Hagerty's quality assurance staff an efficient way to test core components of its software base.
Collin Baker - Mobile Software Development - Daifuku Webb, Osaka, Japan
The project was to develop a mobile application to work on smart phones via Bluetooth to replace an old, bulky pendant used for moving autonomously-guided vehicles manually. The idea was not to be able to do it remotely, but simply eliminate the cost of the pendant. The project consisted of two stages: (1) Learn the Android Software Development Kit; (2) Develop a marketable application. The safe operation of the vehicle was critical.
Lisa Luton - PC Specialist - Sault Area Public Schools, Sault Ste. Marie, MI
The initial phase of the project was spent implementing an old assets database into a new system that also managed help desk tickets and asset users. Data was manipulated to fit specific templates that were to be uploaded into the new system. The remainder of the project was spent working in the technology office as a PC specialist. Hardware and software issues were repaired on laptops and desktop computers. Also, time was spent configuring printers, installing projectors, and repairing various technology problems that came up.
William J. Mattson – IT Intern - Info Services Dept., City of Sault Ste. Marie, MI The project consisted of working with a lead technical professional with the City of Sault Ste. Marie Information Services Department. Tasks involved shadowing an IT lead during the day-to-day to operations of the IS Department. Most of the assigned duties involved diagnosing and troubleshooting defective workstations and laptops, replacement of defective components as well as the installation of operating system software. The remainder of the project was spent completing an inventory of city-wide, IT-related equipment for the purpose of assessment by the city planners.
Robert G. Smith – Research & IT Placement – War Memorial Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie, MI The first component of this project involved research. The manager of the hospital IT department had a variety of topics that need to be looked into in order to keep compliant with HIPPA. Some of the areas researched were cloud storage and computation, full disk encryption (both managed and unmanaged), thin clients and VMware Viewer implementations. The second component was aiding the staff of the IT department in mission-critical activities. Computers would be setup with software, updates, and user accounts, printers would be deployed, and equipment decommissioned.
Christian Tilmant - Piping Plover Website - LSSU, Sault Sainte Marie, MI
A web site, www.lssu.edu/pipingplover, was developed for the United States Fisheries and Wildlife Foundation. The lead founders of this organization wanted a site developed to highlight the Great Lakes Piping Plover, an endangered bird in Michigan. The site displays information and photos of the bird, what the researchers are doing to help protect it, as well as links to related websites. The site also has a blog to allow people to share their ideas and opinions on this endangered bird. A secure area was developed where the researchers can log in to share their data on a secure server.
Dan Walker - Software Engineering Internship - Direct Connex, LLC, Grand Rapids, MI Creating an updated version of a System Monitor product was the focus of this project. The first area of emphasis was to maintain backwards compatibility with the existing data files; the remainder of the project focused on using those data types to create a working 3D model of a factory. This allowed a user to monitor the workflow of the factory and be quickly notified of any issues.
Edward Kramer – Understanding the Fourier Transform
Fourier transforms are used for obtaining the frequency spectrum of a signal. For instance, in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a molecule's spin in a magnetic field is analyzed to discover its oscillation frequencies and draw conclusions about its chemical consistency. In this work, the basic definitions and elementary mathematical properties of the Fourier integral, used as the main theoretical tool in Fourier transform analysis, were studied, together with some applications of these properties in computing the Fourier integral of some functions perceived as time signals in order to discover their frequency spectra.
Alexander S. Payne: Optimization Models
Optimization uses mathematical models to make the best possible decisions. Optimization models are widely used in design, manufacturing, and logistics. In this project, we investigate optimization modeling, the use of the modeling language AMPL, and the use of AMPL, together with Excel, to build, solve, visualize, and analyze large optimization models.
Collin Baker: Using Mobile Applications to Understand Modular Arithmetic AlgorithmsModular arithmetic plays an important role in a variety of modern applications, including cryptography and coding theory. In this project, we will research a number of fundamental algorithms from the area of modular arithmetic, and develop software applications for mobile devices that can be used to illustrate and explain these algorithms.
Joseph Reath: Economic Analysis of the Soo Locks
In this project, we focus on the relationship between the economy and the shipping through the Soo Locks. Using data collected from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, we analyze the relationship between net tonnage through the Soo Locks and various economic measures, including a variety of components of real GDP of the U.S. and of the states bordering the Great Lakes.
Garrett Aderman; "Investigating the Use of QPCR: An Early Detection Method for Toxic Cyanobacterial Blooms"
Harmful algal blooms (HABs), including cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs), are a global phenomenon. In the US, annual economic loss due to HABs was recently estimated at $82 million. Furthermore, the consensus amongst the scientific community is that the frequency and duration of CHABs in freshwater systems will increase as a result of climate change and anthropogenic nutrient enrichment. Due to the ability of some strains of CHAB genera to produce toxic compounds, larger and more sustained CHAB events will become an even greater threat to drinking water. Of all the known cyantoxoins, one of the most ubiquitous is microcystin (MCY). Humans are primarily exposed to cyantoxins through drinking water consumption and accidental ingestion of recreational water. The increasing risk presented by these toxins requires health officials and utilities to improve their ability to track the occurrence and relative toxicity. Current tracking methods do not distinguish between toxic and non-toxic strains. Biochemical techniques for analyzing the toxins are showing considerable potential as they are relatively simple to run and low cost. My goal was to develop a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method to measure the amount of mcyE gene in a Lake Erie drinking water and compare the levels of the mcyE to toxin produced. This is the first step to determining if the presence of mcyE of the mycrocystin synthestase gene cluster in Microcystits, Planktothrix and Anabaena cells can be used as the quantitative measurement in an early detection warning system for recreational and drinking waters.
Jessica Beaudry; "Bloodstain Pattern Analysis: A comparative Study between Spatter for Human and Porcine Blood"
The forensic investigation of violent crimes and deaths lead to one of the most significant and frequently encountered types of physical evidence, blood. From the early discoveries and advances in technology, the field of forensics continues to grow, especially in the field of bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). It is necessary to devise experiments or controlled reproductions to continue the expansion of the BPA field. Human blood can be extremely dangerous due to infectious diseases. There are a few safer alternatives to using human blood and they include using spatter training blood and porcine blood. This study focuses on the comparison between human, porcine, Evident, and Sirchie spatter training blood. The data strongly indicates that while porcine blood is comparable to human blood, Evident and Sirchie spatter training blood is not.
Josh Brown; "Synthesis of Multicyclic Products from Annulation Reaction of an Imadazoline and β-Hydroxy Carboxylic Acids"
Imidazolines are nitrogen containing hetercycles that can be found in natural products. They have unique properties particularly their ability to react with electrophiles and nucleophiles. If reacted with a molecule that contains both, imidazolines can undergo annulations to produce many interesting products. This study attempted to prepare a multicyclic product from the reaction of 1-benzyl-2-phenyl-2-imidazoline with salicyloyl chloride or salicylic acid under three different conditions to determine which was optimal. The first reaction is a two step process that uses salicyloyl chloride produced from salicylic acid. The salicyloyl chloride is then used in an annulations reaction with the imidazoline. Production of salicyloyl chloride by known methods failed. Conditions two and three attempted a similar annulations using the coupleing reagents BOP-Cl and EDC with salicylic acid and the imidazoline. These reagents work to bond the carboxylic acid to the imidazoline N and make the reaction one step. The EDC reaction failed to produce the right product, the BOP-Cl reaction appeared successful based on GCMS. However, during the purification the product was not able to be isolated.
Allen Good; "A Summary of Inquiry in the Secondary Science Classroom"
Although forms of inquiry have been around since the early 1900s, the use and implementation of inquiry in the secondary science classroom before 2000 was limited (Quigley, 2011). With the publishing of the National Science Education Standards in 1996, the discussion and use of inquiry grew (National Research Council, 1996). In a national of constantly changing education pedagogies and practices, inquiry is discussed, yet implemented less and less (Drayton, 2002; Nadelson, 2009; Banerjee, 2011). There are many published works that demonstrate how to use inquiry in one specific lab, but work needs to be done to insure the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills in the next generation of workers and thinkers.
Kaitlin Hykel; "Determining Phthalate Concentrations in Children's Toys by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry"
The majority of plastic toys produced in today's society come from foreign countries, with China being one of the leading manufacturers. Plastic is composed of various synthetic organic compounds such as phthalates, but they can impose serious health effects especially to young children. As a result, regulations have been put in place to monitor the use of these harmful compounds. This study focuses on the extraction of phthalates from children's toys to determine whether the concentrations are within the range of regulated phthalate use.
Josh Kuzimski; "Alternative Management of Anaerobic Landfill Bioreactors for Improved Energy Potential"
Converting municipal solid waste to usable energy is an emergent and growing method for modern waste management. Through microbial facilitation of methanogenesis, methane gas can be extracted from landfill bioreactors to yield a significant amount of usable energy. The hypothesis was that a sufficient addition of sodium acetate to a controlled bioreactor environment would promote larger growth of methanogenic microbes and subsequently promote a greater amount of methane relative to a control (Madigan et al, 2003). In order to simulate an anaerobic bioreactor environment, the method for the study took place in modular sections to cover the design, construction and operation of laboratory scale bioreactors. Upon completion of bioreactor engineering, the biological and chemical components were scrutinized to match ideal conditions of a landfill. Methanosarcina was the chosen genus of the methanogen family to seed the bioreactors, and a total elemental analysis of the waste source was analyzed to approximate methane yield. Over 557 hours, each bioreactor produced approximately 1.3 liters of biogas with less than 1% containing methane. Given analysis through gas chromatography, the bioreactors may have had stunted methane production do to presence of argon gas in the headspace and/or low C/N ratio of the waste. The presence of argon should have been replaced with nitrogen, and the waste source should have contained more carbon per nitrogen. The generation-3 design of constructed bioreactors was successful in containing all gasses, liquids, and solids internally, however did not produce enough methane biogas to accept or reject the hypothesis.
Whittney Laderoute; "The Unique Properties of Sand: Its Use as Criminal Trace Evidence"
Sand was collected and analyzed from five beaches in the upper peninsula of Michigan: The Shallows, Brimley State Park, Point Iroquois, Big Pine and Pendill's Creek. Tests were undertaken in order to determine the reliability of sand as trace evidence in criminal investigations. Size and visual comparisons were made using a compound light microscope and chemical composition was determined by using SEM-EDS analysis. Results showed several size trends and SEM-EDS trends but gave no concrete evidence to suggest that the sand used in this experiment can be used as reliable trace evidence. Further research is necessary to confirm or deny this.
Christine Larkin; "Measurement of CI/LI Additive in Military Jet Fuel by Infrared Spectrometry"
The overall objective of this project was to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing infrared spectrometry to measure Corrosion Inhibitor/Lubricity Improver (CI/LI) additive in military fuels. Four methodologies were evaluated, but only one methodology was found to be somewhat effective. The Direct Sample, Direct Sample with Standard Addition, and Concentrated Sample methodologies were ineffective. The Concentrated Sample with Standard Addition methodology was effective at correlating concentration and transmittance or absorbance within a single additive brand, but the correlation was not universally applicable across all CI/LI additive brands. It was also found that the absorbance variance of blank fuel samples completely encompassed the measurements of fuel with additives in them. This indicates that the instrument would be unable to accurately assess the concentration of CI/LI additive in a fuel sample of unknown CI/LI concentration. For this technology to be feasible, a different calibration curve would be needed for each commercial additive brand that the Army uses and it would only be capable of measuring additive concentrations as additive is being added to fuel or for the verification of additive injection equipment.
Jordan Lechowicz; "Failing Infiltrator Chamber Septic Systems in Chippewa County"
The Chippewa County Health Department has been having an issue with chamber system septic drainage systems failing prematurely. These chambers serve the same purpose as the traditional pipe and stone drainage system but take up less space and don't require the installation of stone, making them attractive to homeowners. To help find out why these chambers have been failing prematurely, homeowners were asked to take a survey outlining their basic water quality and usages. Homeowners were also asked to submit a tap water sample to be analyzed for ion concentration using ion chromatography. The survey results showed no negligence on the homeowner's septic care, but the sample size may be too small for the survey to reveal any useful patterns. Ion analysis found that of the ions tested, all were found to be within the limits set by the health department for satisfactory water quality. More ions and a larger sample size are needed to better understand the problem faced by the Chippewa County Health Department.
Benjamin McPhail; "Analysis of 2,4-D in Sediment Samples Taken from Paradise Lake, MI"
Two organizations from Paradise Lake, concerned for the environmental quality of Paradise Lake, wanted to test a few methods to help control the population of Eurasian Milfoil to help promote continuing recreational activity in the lake. Each organization had different ideals: one was for natural treatment, the other wanted to explore chemical treatment avenues. One method chosen by the latter organization was chemical treatment using 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy Acetic Acid (2,4-D), a common pesticide, especially in agriculture. To determine whether there was a risk to the lake or surrounding groundwater sources, sediment samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of 2,4-D.
Nathan Morrill; "Determination and Comparison of Ca:Zn and Ca:Fe Ratios in Conversion Coatings using SEM-EDS"
The purpose of this project was to determine optimum conditions for performing a surface analysis of conversion coatings using SEM-EDS in parallel to imaging. The desired Ca:Zn ratios across several varying acceleration voltages were measured and compared to Ca:Fe ratios to observe if increased kV resulted in increased Fe detection and subsequently lowered to undetectable levels of desired analytes.
Elaina Murray; "Optimization of Salmon DNA as an Internal Standard for qPCR"
The Escherichia coli species is a human fecal contamination indicator and as such is used in beach monitoring efforts. Quantifying E. Coli presence in local beach waters helps the health department determine if a beach should be closed. The current method of determination, Colilert, takes 18 hours to produce data. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), which measure genetic DNA, is also method used to quantify the number of E. Coli, but it can be done much faster than Colilert. In order to standardize the qPCR results, an internal standard is included which is salmon DNA. This project goes through the process of optimizing the salmon standard curve. Each of the components was modified and the resulting standard curve was analyzed for improvements; the primers and probe were purchased new and the concentrations were varied, the DNA was purchased new and the standard curve concentrations and dilution methods were varied, the DNA was cleaned with a Qiagen kit, and new master mix and bovine serum albumin were purchased and prepared. We found that changes to the concentrations of primers and probe and cleaning the DNA showed an increase of optimization, and that changing the dilution methods had no effect of optimization. A combination of the above modifications may be able to produce an optimized salmon DNA standard curve.
Michael Overbeek; "Asymmetric Synthesis Using Chiral Auxiliaries and Titanium Enolates"
Chiral auxiliary-mediated asymmetric aldol additions are an important method for asymmetric carbon-carbon bond formation. Dr. Daveid A. Evans from Harvard University has developed the use of a boron enolate to allow for specific stereochemistry, often called an "Evan's Aldol Reaction'. The use of a titanium enolate, instead of a borony enolate, has been documented to create the opposite stereocenters when utilizing the Evan's Aldol methodology. This project describes an attempt to form an anti-Evans product with the addition of phenylacetaldehyde to R-(-)-4-Benzyl-3propionyl-2oxazolidinone. The use of an aldehyde substrate when utilizing a chiral titanium enolate has not been well documented in the literature.
Ashley Ryckman; "Characterization of Yellow Pigments in Freshwater Flavobacteria"
The yellow color of Flavobacteria is due to the presence of carotenoids and flexirubin-type pigments. These complex chemical structures have shown to produce antioxidant properties, as well as antibacterial activity. The KOH test and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to characterize carotenoid and flexirubin pigment production in three strains of Flavorbacteria: FR 87, FR Y, and FR 93. Optimization of pigment and separation was performed by quant-prep HPLC. Separation of four pigment fractions from each strain was attained using semi-prep HPLC. Antibacterial activity of the pigment fractions was tested using a MTT Assay. Fexirubin biosynthesis genes, darA and darB, of related pigment producing Flavobacteria were used to compare flexirubin pigments in FR 87. The three strains were determined to produce the carotenoid, Zeaxanthin. FR 87 produced 13 flexirubin pigments, FR Y produced 14 flexirubin pigments and FR 93 produced 20 flexirubin-type pigments. It was determined that compounds in all three strains demonstrated antibacterial activity. The flexirubin biosynthesis gene, darA, is 89.9% similar to Flavobacterium johnsoniae, and 73.2% similar to Flavobacterium psychrophilum.
Rebecca Smrke; "Towards the Synthesis of a Guanidine-like Organocatalyst"
In the last decade, N-based heterocycles have surfaced as useful organocatalysts. With strong Lewis basicity, a rigid structure that allows for strong resonance, and electronic distribution, these catalysts become useful in both medicinal and industrial chemistry purposes. The desire to created new and unique cyclic guanidine catalysts has generated interest in this field. We proposed to synthesize cyclic guanidine catalysts through a short three step process: (1) alkylation of a commercial imidazoline, (2) annulations with the use of a β-aminocarboxylic acid under dehydrating conditions, and (3) thermal elimination. The first step, alkylation, was successfully completed. In step 2, the annulations reaction, there is evidence that it may have proceeded, but more research is needed to verify the result. As such, the final step of forming an organocatalyst, elimination, could not be completed. In the future, the reaction will be optimized to yield the desired product.
Scott Sowers; "A Spatial Analysis of Greenhouse Gasses and Household Income"
Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) by industries have been increasing at an exponential rate in the past century. As these emissions increase in number of sources, as well as amount of output, the impact on the environment becomes more significant. However, the United States relies heavily on industry for creation of new products, materials, and economic factors such as employment. Industries attract employment opportunities, which in return attract living accommodations. The basis of this project was to see if there is any spatial correlation between GHG emissions and income of households (within a county) of a GHG emitter. Using Geographical Information Science (GIS), we are able to search for a correlation between lower class households and amounts of GHG emissions. After processing the data, we are able to show that there is no trend in GHG emissions and the proximity to lower class households. Towards the end of the project, we were able to see an extremely slight trend of lower amounts of GHG emissions near upper class households. The project also provides the statistics, or any autocorrelation, of the data for significance testing to determine whether or not there is a probability of the relationship. The statistics provided will be the R2 value, regression, and correlation.
Amy Wyss; "Reflective Writing in organic chemistry"
Poor writing skills are negatively affecting both college readiness and communication in the workplace. Only 49.5% of students were deemed proficient writers on the 2011 Michigan Merit Exam, leading many educators to push for incorporation of writing into every classroom. To test if writing is an effective instructional strategy, this study integrated reflective writing into chemistry supplemental instruction and found a significant increase in students' performances on tests and quizzes.
Synthesis of Multicyclic Products ...
Josh Brown
Synthesis of Multicyclic Products from Annulation Reaction of an Imadazoline and β-Hydroxy Carboxylic Acids: Imidazolines are nitrogen containing hetercycles that can be found in natural products. They have unique properties particularly their ability to react with electrophiles and nucleophiles. If reacted with a molecule that contains both, imidazolines can undergo annulations to produce many interesting products. This study attempted to prepare a multicyclic product from the reaction of 1-benzyl-2-phenyl-2-imidazoline with salicyloyl chloride or salicylic acid under three different conditions to determine which was optimal. The first reaction is a two step process that uses salicyloyl chloride produced from salicylic acid. The salicyloyl chloride is then used in an annulations reaction with the imidazoline. Production of salicyloyl chloride by known methods failed. Conditions two and three attempted a similar annulations using the coupleing reagents BOP-Cl and EDC with salicylic acid and the imidazoline. These reagents work to bond the carboxylic acid to the imidazoline N and make the reaction one step. The EDC reaction failed to produce the right product, the BOP-Cl reaction appeared successful based on GCMS. However, during the purification the product was not able to be isolated.


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"It's not just one bad year," Brown said. "The year before last was not that great either. There has been a series of years here to where the deal has been less than ideal."
Nobles-Collier grew, packed and shipped about 2 million boxes of mature greens and roma tomatoes a year, according to the website of parent company Naples-based Barron Collier Cos.

subset: commoncrawl


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A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday shows presumptive Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli and presumptive Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe in a dead heat in the 2013 governor's race.
In a head to head match up Attorney General Cuccinelli and McAuliffe- who lost a primary bid for governor in 2009 - each garnering 38 percent from registered voters who took part in the poll.
When Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling - who dropped out of the GOP race in November and has said he will announce whether he will run as an independent March 14 - the race between Cuccinelli and McAuliffe is still a statistical tie.
In tha scenario 34 percent of respondents went with McAuliffe to Cuccinelli's 31 percent and Bolling's 13 percent.
This varied little from a Jan. 9 Quinnipiac poll where McAuliffe and Cuccinelli both got 34 percent compared to Bolling's 13 percent.
In the latest poll when Bolling was thrown into the mix he pulled 10 percent of Republican voters away from Cuccinelli compared to 5 percent from McAuliffe.
"Bolling probably has the greatest growth potential of the candidates but he also has the farthest to go to become a major contender," said Quinnipiac University Polling Institute assistant director Peter Brown. "At this point – although it certainly could change – the data indicates that Bolling's GOP critics who say he can't win as an independent but might tilt the result to McAuliffe could be on to something,"
Brown said all three suffer from little public attention given at this point to the election that is still more than eight months off. They also have low name recognition, he said.
"When asked about the candidates, most voters don't know enough about Terry McAuliffe or Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling to have an opinion and barely half know enough about Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to form an opinion," Brown said. "This despite the fact that Bolling and Cuccinelli have been elected to statewide office and McAuliffe ran for governor four years ago."
Respondents were almost evenly split over the question as to whether Cuccinelli should give up his position as attorney general as he runs for governor 44-43 percent. It has become standard practice in the modern era for attorney general's to relinquish the post as Gov. Bob McDonnell did in 2009 when they run for governor. Democrats have repeatedly called on Cuccinelli to resign.
McDonnell got a 53 to 28 percent approval rating as he starts the last year in the executive mansion. While McDonnell still garners positive marks it his lowest showing since his 62 percent high in Oct. 2011.
The General Assembly did not fair as well as the governor coming in with a 46 percent to 38 percent disapproval rating.
The poll was conducted with live telephone calls to 1,112 registered voters in Virginia between Feb. 14 an 18. The poll has a plus or minus 2.9 percentage points margin of error.


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High On Fire
In the past few decades, heavy metal has been through all sorts of Middle Earth rumblings, volcanic upheavals, and a completely unexpected series of pan-cultural, trans-genre conflagrations that would leave Odin scratching his beard in confusion. When some of biggest names in metal, e.g., Stephen O'Malley of iconic Sunn O))), owe more to minimalist composers like Tony Conrad than the hair-farming icons of yore, then there's something weird cooking in the cauldron. The 1990s band Sleep were a prime example, eschewing head-banging crunch for mind-bending drones. Sleep lived up to their moniker, floating... Read More
- Genre:
- Rock, Heavy Metal
- City Of Origin:
- San Francisco, ,California United States
- Formed Date:
- 1999


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Hiking Olympic National Park, 2nd$16.95This updated edition of Hiking Olympic National Park features sixty-six of the finest trails in and around the park plus forty additional trail recommendations throughout northwest Washington's spectacular landscape. These trails crisscross the park's wilderness ecosystem, stretching from the beaches of the Pacific to the heart of the Olympic Mountains. Whether you choose a strenuous backpacking trip over glacier-clad mountains or a short stroll through a temperate rain forest, veteran trail guide and author Erik Molvar provides all the information you need to make the most of hiking the Olympic Peninsula. Learn More
Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen, 2nd$16.95There are ancient treasures hidden across the American Southwest. Tucked away in remote canyons are hundreds of ruins, cultural treasures that provide a wealth of information about the past—and most people never visit them. This fully updated and revised edition of Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen is your ticket to these enchanted sites. Dave Wilson leads hikers of all abilities on day hikes and overnight trips to some of the most spectacular areas of the Southwest. Ranging in location from southern Utah to the Grand Canyon, through central and southern Arizona and into New Mexico, the thirty-six ruins and rock-art sites covered here are all off the beaten path, relatively unknown to the public—each one an adventure. Learn More
Hiking the North Cascades$19.95The Northern Cascade Mountains are just waiting to be savored by hikers and backpackers!. This book describes 105 of that region's best and most varied hikes, from a few choice short excursions to a whole host of day trips and overnight treks among these glacier-clad peaks. Whether you want to explore the region's gateway among the broad, green Skagit River or panoramic vistas atop McGregor Mountain, this comprehensive guide is your passport to one of the most beautiful and truly wild reaches of North America east of the Puget Sound. Inside this edition, you'll find hikes suited to every ability, directions to the trailheads and comprehensive trail descriptions with mile-by-mile directional cues. Also provided are trail locator maps, difficulty ratings and a list of backcountry camps with comparative ratings. Key regulations and tips on zero-impact hiking are also included. Learn More
Hiking Utah's Summits$12.95The stories include not only information on the difficulty of each hike and how to reach the summit, but also how each peak was named, its geology, and its human history. You'll find which summits you can drive to and which ones will challenge the most ardent climbers. You'll discover where Butch Cassidy hid from the law and which peaks Native Americans used as 'getaways' from the oppressive summer heat. The authors also share their surprise at finding that the highest peaks in three of Utah's counties were unnamed, and how this oversight led to a Salt Lake Tribune contest that proposed monikers for these nameless mountains. With its detailed maps and easy-to-follow directions, Hiking Utah's Summits will serve hikers, mountain bikers, skiers, Sunday drivers, and armchair naturalists as an entertaining and educational guide to the Beehive State's spectacular high country. Learn More


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Vic Juris: Tension and Release
Juris is also one of the leading jazz educators throughout the world. He has written two books published by Mel Bay, Vic Juris Inside/Outside: Original Play-Along Modern Jazz Guitar Solos and Modern Chords: Advanced Harmony for Guitar. Both books are highly regarded by up and coming guitarists. He currently teaches at The New School for Social Research, Rutgers University, and Lehigh University. He has conducted clinics throughout the United States and Europe.
Two outstanding qualities characterize Vic Juris' playing. One is his embodiment of the jazz tradition, while always stretching his scope and reaching for new possibilities and concepts. The other is his almost uncanny ability to hear and communicate the totality of the music he is playing, from beginning to end, including what is going on around him in the group and his many references to the jazz legacy. One could say that a good player is also a good listener, and Juris is an exceptionally good listener. Manifest in the artistry of his playing, this ability attracts the audience and gives deep coherence to his melodic lines and harmonies.
Juris participated in this interview with the same attention and freedom of movement with which he makes music. He was able to pick up quickly on questions and ideas, go his own way with them, and come right back to the center. He had no hesitancy in addressing whatever the interviewer had in mind, whether commonplace or esoteric. The result is both a unique sampling of what it is to be a working, evolving jazz musician and a cornucopia of information about the guitar and music in general, especially aspects of the jazz scene from the 1950s to the present.
Chapter Index
- Early Life Experiences
- Coming Up as a Jazz Artist
- The Association with Dave Liebman
- Bireli Lagrene and Charlie Byrd
- Guitar Lore
- Inside and Outside
- Tension and Release
- Jazz: Past, Present and Future
- Looking Forward
Early Life Experiences
All About Jazz: For a warm-up, we'll start with the infamous desert island question. Which recordings would you bring to the proverbial desert island?
Vic Juris: What comes to mind is a The Beatles album called Rubber Soul (Capitol, 1965), which was one of the first all-acoustic albums I ever heard. As a kid growing up in the '60s, I was deeply moved by that record. Another would be Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery's The Dynamic Duo (Verve, 1966) with a big band. Then there would be Larry Coryell (Vanguard, 1969), his first album where he did some rock type things and did some trio work with Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. Again, growing up in the '60s, I really related to what Coryell was doing. Still another would be Jimi Hendrix's first album, Are You Experienced? (MCA, 1967). It was some of the most powerful music I ever heard. If I had to pick one more, I would probably take John Coltrane's A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1964). I thought he really broke new ground with that one. Looks like they're all from the '60s, but that's what comes to mind at the moment.
AAJ: Your musical interests seem to be more diverse than some other jazz players, who might pick straight-ahead jazz and one or two avant-garde things. Your choices include rock and popular music. Did you start out with rock bands?
VJ: That was the first type of music that I played. But in the '60s, we didn't have iPods and other high-tech headset devices. Everything was on television and radio. You'd hear the music blasted everywhere, in cars, storefronts, etc., so I picked up all the pop hits. At the same time, I was studying guitar with a teacher, Ed Berg, who was a jazz player, so I was getting both worlds. And at night, there would be the TV variety shows. So I was bombarded with both rock and jazz.
AAJ: In a way, rock 'n roll wasn't under your controlyou were exposed to a particular environment.
VJ: For me, it was unavoidable. Even the school bus driver had on WABC, the top 40 station.
AAJ: When did you start hearing straight-ahead jazz?
VJ: Before the "British Invasion" of the '60s, I was already studying guitar with Ed Berg, a jazz player. To make a long story short, his studio was damaged in a fire, so I had to study at his house. When I'd go there, he'd have on an album by Johnny Smith or Django Reinhardt. And I was only about 11 or 12 years old, but I was immediately drawn to it. I asked Berg to teach me that stuff, so he started lending me albums by Barney Kessel, Jimmy Rainey, Jim Hall, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and so on. He had a good collection. So he really exposed me to jazz that way.
AAJ: On a personal level, what was it like for you as a kid and teenager growing up in northern New Jersey?
VJ: We were originally from Jersey City, and then moved out to the country to Parsippany. And I didn't have any friends who were into jazz, so it was kind of lonely for me that way. Once I was in a music appreciation class in seventh grade, and I brought in a new release, Miles Smiles (Columbia, 1966). When the music teacher heard it, he scolded me and said, "Please don't bring anything like that in here again." So I felt, "Oh no, this jazz thing offends even music teachers!" And the kids didn't like it either. The reason I bought the record was that I read an article about Wes Montgomery where he said Miles Similes was one of his favorites.
AAJ: Unfortunately, there are those who don't take jazz seriously at all. When Clifford Brown was already making records and courting his wife-to-be who was a college student, she told him his playing wasn't really serious music. She said, "I'll take you over to my music professor's home, and he'll show you what real music is about." When they got there, the professor asked her to introduce her friend. She said, "This is Clifford Brown." The professor nearly fainted, and said, "My God, you're one of the greatest trumpet players who ever lived! I listen to your records all the time!" So the lady really took it on the chin, but she ended up marrying Brown anyway.
VJ: Isn't that something! You know, people don't realize how young these guys were. Clifford Brown died when he was only 26 years old. It's amazing how poised and graceful these guys really were. I'm 55 now, and just beginning to realize how young these incredible players were.
AAJ: Some of them, like Brown, condensed a whole musical life into a few short years.
VJ: Unbelievable! Charlie Parker died when he was only thirty-four.
Coming Up as a Jazz Artist
AAJ: For you, did your career germinate slowly, or did everything come together early?
VJ: I was doing rock until I was around 19. Then, a friend of mine introduced me to Eric Klossdo you know about Eric?
AAJ: Yes, the saxophonist. He was blind from birth. I learned about him from Pat Martino. They're good friends.
VJ: Exactly. I met Eric, and he got me deeper into playing jazz. We hit it off as friends and shared a lot of common musical interests. He lived in Pittsburgh and started bringing me out there a few times a year. I also met Pat Martino around that time. Pat was really my first real mentor that I started hanging out with. I was playing at a little bar in Greenwich Village about 1976. Pat had just moved into the Village, so he and a friend of his wandered into the bar where I was playing with bassist Steve LaSpina. And Pat was my hero. Steve whispered to me, "That's Pat Martino there." So during the break we went over and introduced ourselves. Pat said, "What are you doing tomorrow? Do you want to come over?" Of course I said, "Yes!" And we became good friends, and we hung out, and I watched him work, and we met a lot of other people. Through Pat, I met organist Don Patterson.
AAJ: Pat worked with him, too. The organ-guitar combination is very generative. For Pat, his work with organists has been very influential and inspirational.
VJ: Pat is a master at playing with organ, as was Kenny Burrell with Jimmy Smith. Pat and Kenny are probably my two favorite guitarists to play with the organ. After working with Don Patterson, I did a couple of gigs with Jimmy Smith and some with Wild Bill Davis. Unfortunately, my experience with Jimmy Smith was difficult. He was very angry and confrontational with me. He went ballistic if you got a little bit more applause than him. By contrast, I really enjoyed working with Don. He was a true genius, a natural. His comping and suggestions were terrific. He was just a beautiful man.
AAJ: There's a wide variation among musicians regarding their degree of egotism as opposed to working closely with their groups.
VJ: Some are just interested in having the guitar back them up. But the best musicians are those who are looking for interaction.
AAJ: One of Martino's favorite terms is "interaction," in just the sense you mean.
VJ: A good jazz band is like the Harlem Globetrotters when they get in a circle and throw the ball around to "Sweet Georgia Brown." The best times are when you can't predict what's gonna happen next, but you know it's all good.
AAJ: Michelle Obama recently had some jazz players over to The White House, and she emphasized that jazz enables each musician to have his individuality while working well with the group. She posed this as a model for the young people who attended.
VJ: It's nice to have anyone from The White House talk about jazz!
AAJ: Jimmy Carter was a huge jazz fan. He had Cecil Taylor perform at The White House. Carter himself was a pretty good pianist. Of course, Clinton played saxophone, even on the campaign trail.
VJ: Some of the musicologists have actually transcribed some of Clinton's sax solos.
AAJ: That's scary. [Laughter.] Now, like Martino, you're largely self-taught, although Pat did study with Dennis Sandole.
VJ: He only studied with Sandole when he was young, for about a year. By contrast, I had a teacher who taught me all the guitar basics, and then started to teach me jazz improvisation. In that respect, I had more formal teaching than Pat.
AAJ: There's tremendous value in being self-taught, yet formal education is also quite valuable in the making of a jazz musician, except that in the worst case scenario, the latter can take the originality and spontaneity out of the musician. At one point, you seriously considered attending music college. Do you ever regret not having done so?
VJ: No, I don't think so. My age group is really the last to apprentice with the older masters, and I probably would have lost some of that had I gone to school. Berklee in Boston was the only major jazz school at that time anyway. In any case, I really didn't like school; I just wanted to play. I just started out hittin' the clubsthere was a lot of work at that time.
AAJ: Which were some of the groups you played with in the '60s and '70s?
VJ: I played with Don Patterson, with saxophonist Richie Coles, and in one group with Richie we had Eddie Jefferson. I was also playing rock fusion with keyboardist Barry Miles. While freelancing in New York, I played some gigs with Chet Baker, Joe Farrell, Michael Brecker, and many others.
AAJ: So you did get that exposure with some of those innovative horn players. One can hear references to that in some of your more recent recordings.
VJ: Well, there were actually only a few of them then, as distinct from the many players graduating from music schools these days. There were a limited number of musicians who hit New York and on the street learning by doing. Also, there was a bit of a loft scene in those days where people had jam sessions. Dave Liebman had a loft in New York where they would come and jam.
The Association with Dave Liebman
AAJ: When did you first start hanging out with Liebman?
VJ: I met him in the mid-'80s. He and his wife Caris were just about to be married. I met him at a week-long educational workshop in Germany. Then I would see him once in a while and we played a few gigs together. He was starting a new band with a guitar, subsequent to his band Quest with Billy Hart, Richie Beirach, and Ron McClure. He was looking for something a little different, so he called me for that new band. It began in 1991, and I'm still with them.
AAJ: In addition to being so knowledgeable and talented, Liebman is really an inspirational guy. He seems to have a way of working with and nurturing the same group for an extended time, so it really coalesces.
VJ: The thing that's really great about Dave is that he knows what he wants to get from you. He'll get the best out of you, and he really doesn't tolerate any nonsense. I've learned more from him than anyone I've ever worked with. He's an amazing player, educator, human being. He was the best man at my wedding. We could go on about him forever. I'm so terribly grateful to Dave on many levels.
AAJ: His harmonies are so advanced and complex. How do you manage to fit in with him?
VJ: What you have to remember about Dave Liebman, Pat Martino, Pat Metheny, and such is that they get up early in the morning and they work on their music all day long. I remember visiting Martino in the early morning, and he'd be in his music room sometimes until 2 a.m. the next day! His wife would slide him food underneath the door! They'd always be doing the music, and that's what made them so great. I learned the work ethic from themto really work hard. It's not all just genius.
AAJ: People say that John Coltrane practiced constantly. He would even go backstage while someone else was doing a solo and he'd practice! It was as if he couldn't stop.
VJ: The bartender at the Village Vanguard told me that Coltrane would play a set, and then he'd go backstage and practice during the whole break.
AAJ: Getting back to Liebman, some very seasoned musicians sitting in with him for the first time at a live gig, have really had a hard time following him. Liebman uses so many original lines and chord structures when he's playing that he's way ahead of most players.
VJ: He plays piano for his own purposes and he really understands harmony. He's a master. He and Richie Beirach would take chords from classical composers like Schoenberg, pick out voicings, and try to improvise over them.
AAJ: So if you're comping for him, for example, you just do your thing and he works around it, or what?
VJ: Well, each musician has his own language. You wouldn't comp for Liebman in the same way you would for Phil Woods. Liebman is more modern, while Woods or Sonny Stitt are more traditional. They're all equally great. So it's just the particular language you learn to play with Liebman or whomever you're playing with.
AAJ; Do you learn that in vivo, on the job, so to speak?
VJ: Well, in the old days if a player didn't like what you were doing, they'd just look at you and say, "Stroll!" which meant, "Don't play!" They'd just tell you to lay out. When I play with Liebman, sometimes I don't comp for a whole chorus. I use good judgmentif I don't feel that I have anything to add, I won't play for a while. If there's enough salt in the soup already, why add more?
AAJ: So there's a degree of tact involved.
VJ: Yes, of course.
Bireli Lagrene and Charlie Byrd
AAJ: An associate of yours has been guitarist Bireli Lagrene. Can you tell us something about him?
VJ: Bireli is a guitarist from France who came up as a boy wonder and was called a successor to Django Reinhardt. In the mid-'80s, we made a record together in Europe. It was a live recording where we played some of Django Reinhardt's music, as well as some original compositions of our own, kind of a post-Django recording done live. It made quite a stir in Europe. Around the same time, I did a year-and-a-half as Larry Coryell's duo partner. We did hundreds of gigs with two acoustic guitars. And I met Bireli through Larry.
I was always a fan of Django Reinhardt and knew a limited number of his compositions. So it wasn't hard for me to fall in with Bireli Lagrene. You should check him out on the internethe's a remarkable player. He has a couple of YouTube videos. I played with him when he was about 18 or 19. He's about 40-something now.
AAJ: Charlie Byrd was able to succeed so superbly on acoustic guitar. And you yourself have said that the acoustic guitar is the "real" guitar, so why is it that there are so few acoustic guitarists in jazz? In fact, nobody other than Charlie Byrd comes to mind that has done that on a consistent basis.
VJ: Well, Charlie was classically trained. So that's probably why he decided to stick with that instrument. I don't think he was trying to be unique; it was just his instrument. The problem for most of us is that an acoustic guitar doesn't have the sustained sound that an electric guitar has. And it doesn't really make sense to amplify an acoustic guitar. Teachers often want you to start out on acoustic guitar; however, because when you play electric guitar, you're not hearing the guitar, you're hearing the amplifier. So when you're developing your technique, it's always a good idea to start with acoustic guitar, so you're hearing the instrument.
Guitar Lore
AAJ: You've mentioned that, for you, the guitar is just a vehicle or a tool. Martino tends to agree with that assessment. For others, the guitar has a special meaning, sort of like a close friend, maybe romanticized a bit, perhaps mystical in what it "gives" the musician.
VJ: Well, for me, I'd probably be happy playing any instrumentI really just like music as such. I'm not really hung up on guitar that much. With the guitar specifically, I tried switching instruments a couple of years ago. I bought a bunch of guitars and tried them all, and I frankly couldn't tell the difference. You get your own sound. The thing is just to develop your own personality on an instrument.
AAJ: Yes. Trombonists were very preoccupied with what instrument and mouthpiece to use. And there were gimmicks like a tilted slide, even a string for reaching the lower notes. But the best players, while serious about such matters, pretty much got settled on a horn and mouthpiece and stuck with it.
VJ: The trombone is a very hard instrument to get a personal sound on.
AAJ: Tommy Dorsey, Janice "Ms. JJ" Johnson, Urbie Green, and Curtis Fuller all had distinct easily recognizable sounds that were very different from one another. Some players develop a very personal connection to their instrument.
VJ: Slide Hampton lives near me, and sometimes I see him walking down the street blowing on his mouthpiece.
AAJ: Well, he's just keeping his chops up. But for some people the guitar has a very special mystique.
VJ: It's a very difficult instrument to play jazz on, or even to read. Like for middle C, there are five options for it, while for the piano there's only one option for any note. And it's hard to get a personal sound on it because there are so many players. It seems that those who are most successful are those who can be easily identified by their sound and style. I think audiences really appreciate that.
AAJ: Absolutely. And you yourself have a wonderful and identifiable way of playing. Your sound is universal and brings in the traditions, but it is deeply personal and has a rich resonance. One particularly impressive thing about your playing is that you seem to hear and incorporate the whole composition and performance. Most guys are focused on a few bars behind and ahead of the beat, but you're like a painter who has an awareness of the whole canvas or landscape and makes each element fit into the whole in a balanced way. You seem to do something similar when you play.
VJ: Yes, I'm very conscious of the form of the piece. Like you say, it's sort of like a painter working towards the big picture on the canvas. That's not something you develop early on as a player. It takes years to get there. Just learning to improvise on chord changes is a life-long process.
Inside and Outside
AAJ: Many different things go on inside a musician when they're playing. For example, the singer JD Walter says he's often introspecting about emotions. Liebman sometimes has visual images going on internally. By contrast, pianist Jim Ridl says he thinks mostly about the sounds he's makingthe music itself. There's a different psychology for each musician. Where do you go mentally when you're playing?
VJ: I'm usually into the music itself, rather than images and associations. Sometimes I'm preoccupied with irrelevancieslike I'll think about my house on a road trip because I'm eager to return home. Mostly I'm thinking about the harmonies and listening a lot to the rhythm section. And when I play with someone as special as Liebman, I have to listen hard to him as well as the rhythm section while at the same time keeping my own part together. And I'm also thinking about the audience quite a bit. The audience is the most important thing in a waythey're the reason that you're there. It's an entertainment business. So I'm always conscious of trying to put on the best show that I can. Sometimes the audience notices that the musicians show up late or they're too casual about what they're doing. I try to be as professional as possible.
AAJ: To listeners, that makes a huge difference. The attitude of the musicians markedly affects the audience's satisfaction with what they're hearing.
VJ: A positive example is Houston Person's group. His band is impeccably dressed. The order of the set is perfectly in placewhere a ballad comes in, etc. He's a guy who all young people should go and check out. He wrote the book on being professionalI learned an awful lot from him. He's one of the elder statesmen that young people should go and hear. He's a perfect role model. I still go and ask his advice on things. He's also a good business person. He's been playing 30 or 40 years as a bandleader, and he's still working a lot.
AAJ: The business sense of musicians varies quite a bit.
VJ: Bucky Pizzarelli's in his 80s, and he's still booking gigs.
AAJ: On the other hand, there are some outstanding musicians who have trouble booking gigs and making a meaningful living.
VJ: If you don't have a business sense, you'd better get someone to do it for you. Plus a lot of clubs don't want to talk to musiciansthey'd rather talk to managers. The trouble is, a lesser known musician is going to have a hard time getting a manager.
Tension and Release
AAJ: Let's focus in on your teaching and educational work. You do considerable teaching and mentoring. You've also published some top instructional books for Mel Bay. One of your manuals has the phrase "tension and release" in the title, with the subtitle "inside/outside playing." These phrases are striking. Can you briefly tell us what you had in mind?
VJ: This is a book that I did for Mel Bay Publications. What I did was to improvise over a collection of the standards, and part of the soloing would be directly on the chord changes, with notes pertaining to the chordsthat's what I mean by the "inside." And then the "outside" would be the notes that were away from the tonality. This would then create the musical landscape of being in, being out, being in, being out. That's the way that Coltrane played, for example.
AAJ: So when you say inside and outside, you mean within the structure or outside of it.
VJ: In and out of the written harmony. And included are a transcription and a CD that comes along with the book which shows everything that I did. It's a great time to learn right now. There are some really amazing books out.
AAJ: The guitar in particular seems to generate a large literature.
VJ: One great series is that of Jamie Aebersold. He offers a rhythm section to play with, so you can be anywhere in the world and acquire the skills. That's a very valuable tool to simulate the real world of jazz.
AAJ: Now when you talk about tension and release, do you mean the same thing as inside and outside, or is that a different concept?
VJ: Tension and release comes from the bebop school: creating a tension on the V [five] chord and then resolving it on the I [one] chord. That was the way that Bird and Dizzy played in the 1950s. I asked Jimmy Heath about it, and he said they all played that way. They didn't play from scales those days, they played from tensions on the chordsplay on the V chord and release on the I. From what I understand, Thelonious Monk was their guru.
AAJ: They used the basic chord structure of Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" in many instances.
Jazz: Past, Present and Future
VJ: Yes, as in the blues form. If you think about it, most of what Charlie Parker wrote was based on the harmonies of the standards. He just wrote the melodic lines. "Yardbird Suite" and "Confirmation" were totally original, but the rest of the tunes were based on popular songs.
AAJ: That's probably one reason why Miles Davis brought in modal playing rather than a harmonic basis.
VJ: He probably got into the modal playing through Bill Evans' influence. That seems to be the consensus.
AAJ: Wasn't it the other way around?
VJ: No. I think Evans came firsthe was heavy into Ravel and Debussy.
AAJ: Debussy would be considered modal?
VJ: If you listen to the Debussy "Piano Preludes," you can really hear how it influenced Bill Evans. I think Bill was aware of modes and their functions before Miles. Although Miles may have studied it at Juilliard as well. We may never really know for certain.
AAJ: It's an interesting historical question. While we're talking about this, the origins and evolution of jazz are fascinatingfor example, the way jazz syncopation and rhythm came out of African percussion music. It's striking how there are so many diverse influences that come into play throughout the history of jazz.
VJ: The rhythms are definitely African-based, but with the influence of Central and South America. But the harmonies are definitely European. I think jazz is a combination of African rhythm and European harmony.
AAJ: That raises a more general question that'd be difficult to answer. Nobody seems to know where jazz is going todaywhat is its future? In the past, jazz underwent various developments: swing, bebop, hard bop, free jazz, etc. There were various discussions and debates about what was essential versus peripheral. Today, most people seem to say that it's all been done already, and what is now done is variations and permutations of what's already been done.
VJ: I think jazz is in a big transition period. The bebop generationthe Sonny Stitt and Miles Davis guysthere are very few of them left. Then you've got the baby boomer generation, which is my generation, and a lot of us didn't become group leaderswe became teachers. And now you've got the new generation of players, and they're not going to so much apprentice with my generation. They're doing a lot of thinking for themselves. So I think it's going to be a new evolution.
AAJ: Many of the younger ones seem to be referencing earlier forms such as Duke Ellington, ragtime and boogie woogie.
VJ: I'm very involved with that generation when I teach at the New School and at Rutgers. It's a whole other way of learning. I learned on the job, and they're learning in school. This affects the music and the way they're playing.
AAJ: What particular messages do you try to get across to young musicians whom you teach and mentor? And do you teach verbally as much as by example?
VJ: I teach everything verbally. I tell them exactly what I think.
AAJ: Pat Martino focuses a great deal on his rather complex theory of the guitar when he gives master classes. When you teach, what do you focus on, and what do you want the musicians to take with them?
VJ: I teach private lessons, ensembles, and classes. In private lessons, I emphasize the fundamentalsthe tools they need to make a living. In my ensembles, I lay my philosophy on them, about team effort, coordinating their playing with each other, traditional and modern playing. I try to cover all the bases.
AAJ: What's your take on the more experimental and avant-garde types of jazz? For example Ornette Coleman and others' approaches to so-called free jazz cause reactions ranging from repulsion to high praise.
VJ: Ornette Coleman was almost crucified in the late-'50s and early-'60s for free jazz. But I've been involved in a lot of free jazz. I got into it very deeply when I played with Gary Peacock for about a year. I came home exhausted from those gigs, because when you have to literally make something out of nothing, it's a lot harder than playing on chord changes. You know, in general, it's just another level of improvisation, and it's a matter of taste whether you like it or not, just like whether or not you prefer impressionism in art.
AAJ: Liebman has a great interest visual art. Do you share that with him?
VJ: Yes, when I go on the road, I tend to visit art museums. You've got one of the best in the world in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I just performed there recently at their Friday evening music series. I'm always amazed what they've got in their collection.
AAJ: The Cezanne and Beyond exhibit showed Cezanne's influence on modern artists. For example, he painted a dresser drawer, of all things, and it was referenced in a 1950s American painting. That's similar to jazz, in that you pick up phrases, lines, and ideas that return in various forms over periods of years and decades. Jazz is a culture that keeps evolving.
VJ: For me, I've never been able to stay with one bag or sound. I'm always changing, and I think the critics have been a little confused about that. I haven't developed one regular sound and style. If you listen to my recordings from thirty years ago, they're completely different from what I'm doing now.
AAJ: That's creativity. It's great that you're always trying something different and new. But for many audiences, familiarity is what grabs them.
VJ: And when you're trying to get bookings, the managers want to easily categorize you. It helps them select the groups for festivals and concert series. So a hazard of doing what I do is that if I don't fit the profile, I don't get the gig. On the other hand, the critics are impressed with me and they wonder why aren't I better known?
AAJ: Unfortunately, the business aspect often interferes with the development of the music.
VJ: Sometimes, that's been my struggle. Like lately, I have this trio with bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Adam Nussbaum. We play often and have a residency at the 55 Bar in New York. We play there the first Sunday of every month and we've built up a good audience, and we're going to make a live recording there soon. But we play a wide variety of things, and I hope it will catch on.
AAJ: They have quite a litany of excellent players performing there, even though it's a tiny hole in the wallI guess maybe like The Village Vanguard.
VJ: To me, it's the best club in New York. They have all kinds of music, and it's usually no more than $10 to get in there. You can hear some of the most original and creative stuff there. The owner, Scott, is a remarkable guy. He puts the programs together, and he's so supportivehe'll even help the guys carry their equipment in. He's 100 percent behind the music, which is rare these days.
AAJ: Talking about the diminution of those who are behind the music, sadly, the great guitarist Joe Beck passed away not too long ago.
VJ: Joe was one of the first guitar players I met in New York, and probably the most versatile guitarist I've ever heard. He could play blues like B.B. King and at the same time be writing charts for Frank Sinatra. Joe was a remarkable musician and accompanistone of the all-time greats. Another one of those extremely underrated jazz musicians. He had a big influence on me and was very supportive of me.
AAJ: He was also a very sweet man. Did you hear their fabulous duet CD, Polarity (Concord Jazz, 2000), which features Joe on a guitar he actually invented?
VJ: Yes, sure. I also remember hearing Beck with Joe Farrell in the 1970s. I was amazed at his versatility.
AAJ: He was a true master. His passing is a great loss to all of us in the jazz community.
Looking Forward
AAJ: Bring us up to date and tell us some of your current interests besides your trio and the 55 Bar. How do you see yourself moving forward in the next period, musically?
VJ: I want to keep recording, and I also want to focus on composition. As we discussed earlier, I'm also interested in the acoustic guitar, and I plan to do an all-acoustic guitar recording sometime in the next year. It'll probably be a little more on the world music side. And I'm also getting interested in different percussion and drumming, and some of that we'll be in my music. I'll also continue to work in Dave Liebman's group. In fact, we just made a new recording of Ornette Coleman's music. I'm also involved with Tim Hagans' Norrbotten big band and just did a recording with them. And I'm doing some New York studio work.
AAJ: Do you do any composing?
VJ: Yes, I do quite a bit. That's what I'm planning for some of my recording. I write a lot for the trio, and I'm also writing some acoustic bass pieces.
AAJ:. John Coltrane said that music is his spirituality. Certainly A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1964) and Meditations (Impulse!, 1965) reflect that. And Dave Liebman, too, is very spiritual, perhaps in a more understated way. So, do you have a particular spiritual path you follow or a general philosophy of life?
VJ: As I get older, I think about the age-old question, "Why are we here?" I value simple things a lot, like conversations with people, but I really think we're just a tiny grain of sand in the universe. As far as we know, we just have each other. We should all take that more seriously. And I think there is something far beyond our comprehension. And sometimes when things are really good on the bandstand and the chemistry is there, it's beyond, it's definitely spiritual. As musicians, there are some moments that are so uplifting and so transcendent, and that's what we're all trying to achieve in a sense.
AAJ: There are those special moments in jazz, and you can tell that the guys are in another space, another level.
VJ: There's that certain magic. Thirty years ago, I was sitting at the bar listening to Chet Baker, and he played a particular phrase that knocked me over. I could still go back to that moment. How did that person play that? Where did it come from? One of the greatest experiences on the bandstand is when you play something you never played before.
Selected Discography Ken Serio, Live...In the Moment (Tripping Tree, 2007)
Gary Versace, Reminiscence (Steeplechase, 2007)
Dave Liebman Group, Blues All Ways (OmniTone, 2007)
Vic Juris, A Second Look (Mel Bay, 2005)
Vic Juris, Blue Horizon (Zoho, 2004)
Vic Juris, While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Steeplechase, 2004)
Dave Liebman Group, Conversation (Sunnyside, 2003)
Marc Copland/Vic Juris, Double Play (Steeplechase, 2002)
Vic Juris, Songbook (Steeplechase, 2001)
Joe Locke, Slander (And Other Love Songs) (Milestone, 1998)
Vic Juris, Music of Alex Wilder (Double-Time, 1996)
Bireli Lagrene, Live at the Carnegie Hall (Jazz Point, 1993)
Richie Cole, Popbop (Milestone, 1992)
Mel Tormé, Mel's London Mood (Parade, 1980)
Photo Credits
Top Photo: Courtesy of Vic Juris


text:
Only a very small number of white-collar criminals do any real jail time. The rest get re-elected.
Those who can, do. Those who cannot, go into politics to tax those who can for the benefit of those who won't.
He who can, does. He who cannot, write interminably on internet comment boards, leaving no doubt as to the distinction.
9 chickweed Lane
Mayor Bloomberg's ban on chewing and swallowing will be hailed as a major breakthrough in the war on obesity.
"Complaining about not having a job" will be added to the media's list of things that are "right-wing racist code".