Jazz clarinetist Allan Vache grew up in New Jersey in a musical family as both his father, renowned bass player Warren Vache Sr., and his brother, cornet and flugelhorn expert Warren Vache Jr., were talented musicians. 

While in Jersey City, Vache played with other jazz greats such as Bobby Hackett, Wild Bill Davison, Pee Wee Erwin, Gene Krupa, Dick Hyman, and many others. He also performed several professional engagements with his brother Warren Jr. Sometimes scrutinized for being a white musician playing with African-Americans, Vache stuck to the music and refused to let racism impact his performances. In his interview with Monk Rowe, Vache spoke about one instance in which a man claimed jazz "is an African-American art form" and not for whites; “And I really had to say to the guy, you know, your history’s a little off. Because jazz is not an African-American art form. What it is that makes it uniquely American is it’s a merging of African-American music and European music, and that’s what made it more unique,...that’s what made it uniquely American. I said it’s not just the music of one race. That’s what’s so great about it.” 

From 1974 to 1975, Vache appeared in the Broadway musical “Doctor Jazz” at the Winter Garden Theater. In late 1975, at the age of 21, Vache joined “The Jim Cullum Jazz Band” of San Antonio, Texas and began performing throughout Europe, Australia, Mexico, and the United States. He recorded nine albums with this band, including the only jazz CD of the entire score of Gershwin’s "Porgy and Bess," which was released on CBS Masterworks records. Vache and his band performed concerts of “Porgy and Bess” for many years at venues including The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and “The Cervantino Arts Festival” in Mexico City. The band also performed in several “World Series of Jazz” concerts in San Antonio alongside well-known jazz musicians Benny Goodman, Pete Fountain, Teddy Wilson, and many others. In the summer of 1992 Allan Vache left San Antonio and “The Jim Cullum Jazz Band” to pursue a freelance career. Since that time he has appeared as a solo performer at several jazz festivals around the country and abroad.

Allan and his Swingtet returns to the Blue Bamboo for an afternoon of his favorites!