Vincent Varvel
Born and raised in St. Louis, Vince started playing music early on, taking lessons on piano, clarinet, and organ. He attended college at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where he had the opportunity to perform with jazz greats such as Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, and Dan Gottlieb. He graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance. Varvel began his professional career while in college, freelancing with many different performers in the St. Louis area.
In 1994, Vince joined the Peter Mayer Group and has been a mainstay of the band to date, bringing his brilliant sense of harmony and texture to the group. His playing can be heard on three of Peter's albums: Green Eyed Radio, Romeo's Garage, and Spare Tire Orchestra. In addition to working with Peter, Vince has also spent the last three years performing and recording with Sarah Cloud, while leading his own instrumental group. Varvel has also worked with artists such as Ralph MacDonald, Dave Weckl, Jay Oliver, Tim Reynolds and Mac McAnally.
Currently, Vince is promoting his debut recording Pictures & Postcards, a collection of original instrumental music, blending elements of jazz, folk, and modern rock music. Also featured on the album are fellow Peter Mayer Group mates Jim Mayer on basses, R. Scott Bryan on percussion, and Roger Guth on drums. Vince is also a guitar instructor at Washington University in St. Louis, and in his spare time is hard at work writing music for his next album.
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