The Charlottesville jazz scene, full as it is of truly world-class musicians, thankfully makes room for a group of average joes exploring the improvisational stratosphere in what spare time they have. The members of GootGenuG (pron. “goot genook”) come from a variety of professional backgrounds, as well as musical ones, and this diversity makes for a combination of sonic personalities that produce many interesting musical conversations. They came together originally in 2019, performing mostly at backyard barbecues at one another’s homes. In spring 2023, after a number of lineup changes over the years, they made their way out of the backyard and into the coffeeshops, breweries and wineries of western Albemarle, and continue to bring their music to whomever will listen.

Norbert Leitinger - guitar
Pablo DeLaLoza - piano, keyboards
Jeff Young - saxophones, flute, EWI
Hartwell Gary - bass
Ethan Walker - drums