BRATTLEBORO- The Vermont Jazz Center presents the Joel Harrison/George Schuller Sextet featuring Marty Ehrlich and Cameron Brown in “Whirrr, the Music of Jimmy Giuffre.”

This group will focus on the music of the legendary composer/multi-instrumentalist who died in 2008. Giuffre is perhaps best known for his composition, “Four Brothers,” which he wrote for Woody Herman’s “second herd.” It featured three famed tenor saxophonists Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, and Al Cohn, who performed its first incarnation with the baritone sax of Serge Challof. In later years many other great saxophonists have played “Four Brothers” in Woody Herman’s orchestra including local legend, Scott Mullett.

In the 50’s, Jimmy Giuffre became a darling of the critics for developing what he called “blues-based folk jazz,” a new style that featured streamlined, contrapuntal, chamber jazz writing. Giuffre’s gorgeous tone on tenor saxophone was brought to the public’s attention in a stellar performance with Jim Hall and Bob Brookmeyer in the classic film about the Newport Jazz Festival, “Jazz on a Summer’s Day.” The song they played, “The Train and the River,” became a hit, which Giuffre’s audience expected to hear well after he had moved on to more progressive and less accessible concepts.

Giuffre was also an early proponent of free jazz. His 1962 recording “Free Fall,” with pianist Paul Bley and bassist Steve Swallow, is one of the seminal recordings of free jazz.

The musicians are all top-level, full-time, New York-based players. The concert will take place on March 13 at 8 pm at the Vermont Jazz Center.