Hundreds gather in Vail to celebrate the life of jazz staple Tony G

Hundreds gathered at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail Thursday to share in the grief of losing Tony Gulizia, one of the Vail area’s most well-known musicians who was better known by his stage name, Tony G.

But much joy was also felt in celebrating the life of Gulizia, as there was wonderful music to enjoy throughout the event.

The Lech Trachtenkapelle Band, an 18-piece band from Austria, attended and played a song titled “Simply Unforgettable” in honor of Gulizia.

Stefan Jochum with the Trachtenkapelle Band said Gulizia helped make Vail a home away from home for the Lech band, which visits every year to play Beaver Creek Oktoberfest.

“What he did for the Vail Valley, he also did for Lech,” said Stefan Jochum. “He brought the American music to us.”

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Jochum said Gulizia also brought a version of his “Jazz Goes to School” education program to Lech, teaching Austrian students about American jazz.

“He introduced our kids with jazz, this was really outstanding,” Jochum said.

Local elementary school music teacher Kim Kohlhofer spoke about the first time she saw Tony Gulizia, his brother Joey, and their friend Andy put on a Jazz Goes to School session for her students.

“When they arrived, I remember watching Andy walk in with the huge stand-up bass, and Joey walk in with the drums, and Tony walk in with all the things he brought in to educate the kids with books and posters and globes and a timeline of jazz history, and it was when they started their first song that I realized we are in for something special,” Kohlhofer said.

Kohlhofer said her mentor teacher was Tony’s wife, Liane Gulizia, a former music teacher at Edwards Elementary.

“She’s a legend,” Kohlhofer said.

Liane ran the Eagle Valley Children’s Chorale, an after-school music program, with Tony as piano accompanist, and Tony also taught music at the Eagle County Charter Academy.

“He treasured his students and understood the importance of educating young people at a very early age, and he created such joy doing so,” said Vail Jazz Executive Director Amanda Blevins.

Vail Jazz also lost its founder, Howard Stone, on Aug. 3, following Tony G’s death on July 16. Blevins spoke with great sadness about both men.

“In 1997 when Howard Stone saw that the future of jazz music lay in the hands of young musicians, he wanted to introduce this music to the children of the valley,” Blevins said. “In working with Tony G, his vision was brought to life through Jazz Goes to School.”

One of Tony G’s former students, Alec Mauro, played “There Will Never Be Another You,” alongside Justin Allison, Ron Bland, Mike Marlier and Peter Littman.

Mauro played the saxophone and his father, Tony Mauro, shared a story about Alec and Tony G playing together when Alec was 12.

“I said, why don’t you play ‘Take Five,’ I love that song,” Mauro said, acknowledging that it would be a bit too difficult for his son.

“They played it, and it sounded great, however, I guess he missed a few notes, because at the end Tony said, ‘That was Alec Mauro with Take four and a half,'” Tony Mauro said.

Tony G attended Alec’s graduation from Arts Boarding School in Michigan, one of many instances of the musician taking away time to show those close to him that he cared about them.

“Tony has always made time for everyone,” Mauro said. “Make sure you take five today to think about those who have made a real difference in your life, like Tony has with a lot of us. And if you don’t have five, take four and a half.”

Tony and Alex Mauro displayed a large banner to collect signatures, using the slogan “Keep it cool,” a phrase Tony G used to close his weekly radio show, “Jazz at its Peak.”

The celebration ended with a rendition of “Tristeza” by Justin Allison, Bob Rebholz, Mike Marlier, Ron Bland, Brian Loftus and Michael Pujado.

“Tristeza” can be translated to “the happy sadness,” Allison said.

Allison was one of the first people to regularly play with Tony G in Vail, at the Grouse Mountain Grill restaurant in the early ’90s. Evenings at the Grouse Mountain Grill were Gulizia’s first regular gig following his move to the area from Omaha, where he had been a jazz club staple for 30 years.

“We feel such grief because we’ve had such love and joy and happiness before,” Allison said. “The wish is that the memory of the joy and the happiness diminishes the grief over time.”