ViCE Jazz founder returns to play at Matthew’s Mug

Mally Andersen Arts Editor

What goes around will come around when ViCE Jazz co-founder Stefan Zeniuk ’02 returns to Vassar to play at Matthew’s Mug. Zeniuk plays tenor saxophone in the band Gato Loco, and has returned to his alma mater several times to play in the Mug with different jazz groups.

Zeniuk, who majored in music, founded ViCE Jazz as a freshman in early 1999 with then-senior Gabe Rosen ’99. Zeniuk attended the first Jazz Night at the Mug, but at the time it was not the official weekly event that it is now.

Zeniuk said that he became a sort of “understudy” to Rosen, and the two collaborated to organize more shows on a fairly regular basis, despite having “virtually no budget.”

With their continued effort, the events became known as the Jazz and Blues Series and gained popularity among students who “wanted to be involved with something kind of cool,” said Zeniuk.

The group soon became known as ViCE Jazz and received funding from Vassar College Entertainment (ViCE) That spring, ViCE Jazz hosted a large outdoor festival. After Rosen graduated, Zeniuk continued to make efforts to expand the group. According to Zeniuk, he was motivated by “an intense passion” for bringing quality music to campus

Zeniuk dabbled in a number of campus bands during his time at Vassar. Soon after graduating, he joined a seven-piece Latin jazz group called Los Vinos, based in New York. After about a year, Los Vinos broke up, and Zeniuk began working on writing what he described as “increasingly complex and ambitious music.” Then, Zeniuk sought other professional, dedicated musicians with whom he could pursue other projects.

Zeniuk gathered another jazz group in New York in February 2005, now known as Gato Loco, that plays jazz peppered with Latin, punk, and classical influences.

Along with Zeniuk, who plays saxophone, Gato Loco consists of Brian Drye on the trombone, Joe Exley on tuba, Mike Gamble on guitar, and Greg State on drums.

Gato Loco has not yet released an album, but the group plans to get into the studio to record one by the end of the year, having compiled an extensive lineup of original songs.

Gato Loco’s music is available for sampling at myspace.com/gatoloconyc. The concert will take place at Jazz Night in the Mug on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 10 p.m.