GARY LUCAS BIO
A world class guitar hero, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and composer, an international
recording artist with over 25 acclaimed solo albums to date, and a soundtrack composer for film
and television, GARY LUCAS is on the move in 2016—with three new albums about to come
out:
Lucas’ rootsy acoustic pop collaboration with singer/songwriter Jann Klose,
STEREOPTICON (Cosmic Trigger Records), is released on Jan. 8th, which has already garnered
a stellar review in DC Rocks.
Gary Lucas’ FLEISCHEREI: Music from Max Fleischer Cartoons, featuring 2015 Tony
Award nominee Sarah Stiles as Betty Boop and the cream of NYC jazz virtuosos playing the
music from the wacky and surreal cartoon classics (Cuneiform Records), is released on Feb. 5th.
Gary’s psychedelic world music trio PEARLY CLOUDS, featuring Hungarian traditional
folk star vocalist Eniko Szabo and Serbian saxophonist Toni Dezso (Discovery Records UK), is
released on March 15th. The trio were a big hit at the Sziget Festival—Europe’s largest outdoor
music festival—last August.
Dubbed “The Thinking Man’s Guitar Hero” by The New Yorker, “The world’s most
popular avant-rock guitarist” by The Independent (UK), “One of the 100 Greatest Living
Guitarists” (Classic Rock), “Legendary Leftfield guitarist” by The Guardian (UK), “Guitarist of
1000 Ideas” by The New York Times, “a true axe God” by Melody Maker, and “One of the five
best guitarists in the world” by the national Czech newspaper Lidove Noviny; the British world
music magazine fRoots recently described Gary Lucas as “without question, the most innovative
and challenging guitarist playing today.” Rolling Stone’s David Fricke wrote: “Gary Lucas is
one of the best and most original guitarists in America…a modern guitar miracle.” Best-selling
author/producer Dan Levitin (“This Is Your Brain On Music”) recently cited Gary as “the
greatest living electric guitarist”.
2015 was Lucas’ best year ever—finishing with a bang in Mexico City Dec. 8th where
Lucas performed for the second year in a row by invitation of the U.S. Embassy at the Biblioteca
Benjamin Franklin, as part of their Music Outreach Program for disadvantaged children. Earlier
this year, Gary performed a similar concert for disadvantaged children in Sotogrande Spain.
Gary’s appearance in Mexico City was directly on the heels of his 4 nights as Artist in
Residence at Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool England, where Lucas performed
6 different solo projects, including his new Jeff Buckley Symposium and his live solo guitar
score accompanying the 1931 horror classic “Frankenstein”.
Gary made three separate solo tours of Italy in 2015 through the auspices of Luca Zannotti
and Musiche Metropolitane, where his profile continues to rise.
These included a marathon 2 1/2 hour acoustic solo concert in Venice in December, an
appearance at legendary Italian singer/songwriter Vinicio Caposella’s “Moon in June Festival” in
Umbria on his birthday June 20th, and multiple performances in Bologna, Milan, Asti, Livorno,
Milano and other cities with his friend Italian singer/songwriter Alessio Franchini—including
Alessio’s “Touch of Grace” Tribute to Jeff Buckley at the Teatro della Luna in Milano in March.
There was much attendant Italian media exposure, including La Stampa TV, Italian national
newspaper La Republicca, and a televised performance with many noted Italian artists on the
famous Italian music program “Red Ronnie Live at the Roxy Bar”.
Lucas also received two major awards in Italy this year—a Lifetime Achievement Award
presented to him in December at the Premio Ciampi Festival in Tuscany, named for legendary
Italian songwriter Piero Ciampi. In March, Gary received the U.S. Consul General’s Award for
Cultural Diplomacy at a private party in his honor held in Milan at the residence of U.S. Consul
General Philip T. Reeker, with invited guests including the editor of Italian Rolling Stone.
Other 2015 highlights included Gary leading his longtime supergroup Gods and Monsters as
Music Director of “A State of Grace”, a multi-artist tribute to both Tim and Jeff Buckley Down
Under, which saw Gary perform with singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright, Steve Kilbey (The
Church), and other vocalists before 6000 people over 6 nights in large theaters and arts centers in
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and at the Brisbane Festival.
2014 began with a bang with the successful world premiere Jan. 8th of Lucas’s new live
score for Shanghai silent film classic “The Goddess” at Fundacion Botin in Santander Spain,
followed by a performance there with Gary’s Spanish “Dracula” project Jan. 10th. Gary’s new
duo collaboration with UK vocalist Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf Generator) entitled
“Otherworld” was released Feb. 3rd on Esoteric/Cherry Red Records, followed by their live
debut Fri. Feb. 21st at London’s Union Chapel. The album went on to receive 4 and 5 star
reviews internationally, and landed the pair on the cover of both Guitar Player Magazine and
Rock Society Magazine. The duo headlined the Gouveia Art Rock Festival in Portugal in May
and packed the Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris in Mexico City in November, which was
selected one of the year’s best concerts by Gastv.mx, and was taped for national public television
of Mexico. While there, Gary was invited to play a free solo concert for disadvantaged children
at the Benjamin Franklin Library by US Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne, who
wrote Gary a personal letter of appreciation for taking part in the Ambassador’s Music Outreach
program.
In February, Gary recorded a new album in Budapest with Hungarian jazz-rock ensemble
DeBORT, led by saxophonist Toni Deszo, and was interviewed by Rockbook Hungary. Their
album is scheduled for release later this year. Later that month Gary journeyed to Columbus
Ohio to perform his live score for Jose Mojica Marins’ 1967 Brazilian cult classic “This Night I
Will Possess Your Corpse”, one of his many live music and film projects. In addition to “The
Goddess”, which received much praise from Film Society of Lincoln Center Director Emeritus
Richard Pena, Lucas premiered two new live film scores, accompanying the legendary 1931
James Whale-directed “Frankenstein” on Halloween at the United Palace Theater in Harlem NY
with his original music, and premiering his new score for Dreyer’s classic 1931 “Vampyr” the
following day Nov. 1st (Day of the Dead) at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring Maryland,
where he also performed his score for Spanish “Dracula”. AFI programming director Todd
Hitchcock especially praised Gary’s new “Vampyr” score. In April Gary presented a wellreceived masterclass at Rutgers University School of Music in New Jersey for Prof. Chris
Opperman’s class. Early May saw the release of Gary and Colleen ’Cosmo’ Murphy’s Wild
Rumpus album “Musical Blaze-Up” as a double vinyl disc (which rapidly sold-out its pressing),
and as a digital download. The pair released several 12 inch vinyl singles over the last few years
to wide acclaim, and made live appearances in NYC, London, Brussels, Romania, and
Hyderabad India. Their release was greeted by raves in the press, including a feature in the UK’s
prestigious DJ Magazine. In June Gary celebrated the 25th anniversary of his longtime NYCbased avant-supergroup Gods and Monsters with a special concert at Le Poisson Rouge in
Manhattan, which featured guest vocalists Jann Klose (who he has been collaborating on songs
with), Felice Rosser, Gisburg, and Dusty Wright, and touched on music spanning Gary’s entire
career. In July Gary sat in as a special guest with Mongolian/Buryat vocalist/world music star
Namgar at Barbes in Brooklyn, the start of a promising new collaboration. This August he
debuted his new “Fleischerei” project—a tribute to the music of Max Fleischer’s Betty Boop and
Popeye cartoons featuring NYC music theater star Sarah Stiles (“Into the Woods”, “Avenue Q”)
and trombonist/arranger Joe Fiedler (“Sesame Street”)—at a private party at The Bridge Golf
Club in Bridgehampton LI. Gary’s swinging, jazzy ensemble made their public debut in
November at BAM Cafe, and they are working on their debut album. Gary also has been
working on a new acoustic folk-pop duo project with singer Jann Klose and lyricist Dan Beck
entitled Lucas Klose. Their song “Mary Magdalene”, marking the second anniversary of
Hurricane Sandy’s devastating impact on the Eastern US seaboard, was featured on CBS News
and 1010 WINS News Radio, and they are currently in the studio recording new tracks for their
debut album. In addition, Gary recorded a new song last fall with longtime associate Italian
vocalist Alessio Franchini in Livorno Italy, and will be performing live in Alessio’s tribute to
Jeff Buckley in Milan in March 2015, “A Touch of Grace”. Gary also performed two Classic
Album Sundays Tributes to the “Grace” album in Oslo and in Brooklyn, marking the 20th
anniversary of the album’s release. And Gary’s book “Touched By Grace: My Time with Jeff
Buckley” (Jawbone) was named One of the Best Books of 2014 by HITS magazine editor Roy
Trakin in his year-end wrap-up.
2013 was a year of many triumphs for Gary Lucas. His latest album “Cinefantastique”
(Northern Spy)—a collection of some of Gary’s own film music plus his solo arrangements of
classic themes from Fellini, Hitchcock, Werner Herzog, Bela Tarr and other greats—was named
One of the Top 10 Roots Albums of 2013 by the Philadelphia Citypaper, and was hailed as
Guitar Album of the Year by the Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog. During 2013, Lucas sold out
six shows, three of them with his long-running Spanish “Dracula” project—including high
profile appearances at the Jerusalem Film Festival 7/16/13, the Silent Movie Theatre in
Hollywood 7/30/13, and at the Cineteca Nacional in Mexico City 11/30/13. Additionally, Gary
performed with the film in uptown NYC at the vintage 30’s landmark United Palace Theatre in
Harlem 11/1/13. On Oct. 5th 2013 he sold-out the expanded concert version of his celebrated
30’s Chinese pop concert “The Edge of Heaven”—featuring Shanghai divas Sally Kwok and Mo
Hai Jing and Gary’s longtime band Gods and Monsters—at BAM’s Fisher Space Oct. 5th as part
of a two night engagement, which featured sumptuous visual projections of scenes of old
Shanghai. He also sold out a trio version of this concert with his two female singers on 7/19/13 at
the 1930 Club in Shanghai itself. He also sold out a special tribute to Don Van Vliet at the
Paradiso in Amsterdam on Feb. 17th entitled “The World of Captain Beefheart”, produced by Co
de Kloet and featuring Gary with The Metrtopole Orchestra (an unprecedented second
appearance with them in a year), vocalists Nona Hendryx, Jolene Grunberg, Tom Trapp and
others.
Other highlights of 2013 include Lucas receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Barezzi Festival in Parma Italy, where he performed a marathon 3 hour set both solo and later as
a Tribute to Jeff Buckley featuring well-known Italian singer/songwriter Vinicio Caposella and
vocalist Alessio Franchini, who has worked extensively with Lucas over the years—including a
Buckley Tribute show May 17th at Teatro Corso in Venice. In mid-October Gary performed solo
as part of a production of Federico Garcia Lorca’s play “La Casa de Bernarda Alba” at the Gaia
Arts Center in Havana, his 7th appearance there. Gary played legendary Parisien bookstore
Shakespeare and Company twice in 2013, with vocalists Jeanne Madic May 13th, and on Nov.
7th with vocalist Tim Watt, the latter an in-store appearance in support of his new book
“Touched By Grace”, which was published in English in 2013 by Jawbone Press to rave reviews,
including 4 Stars in MOJO. In November he played Royal Festival Hall in London 11/14/13, and
dates in Bristol, Aberdeen and Edinburgh in support of his new book. In May of 2013 Gary was
profiled in a documentary “Gary Lucas in Havana” by Klaus Totzler on Austrian national
television ORF and on 3SAT TV, on the heels of the European premiere of his live score
accompanying Jose Mojica Marins’ Brazilian horror classic “Esta Noite Encarnerei no teu
Cadaver” at the Melkweg Amsterdam May 12th. Lucas also played a special concert in
Brooklyn’s Littlefield on June 11th with Austin ensemble Mother Falcon and rock goddess
Amanda Palmer. He finished out 2013 performing in his ancestral home in Eastern Europe (Gary
is of Bohemian descent) with several high profile shows in the Czech Republic—Spanish
“Dracula” at Kino Aero Prague 12/18/13 and at Kino Siska Brno 12/19/13—and he debuted his
new Ghosts of Prague ensemble with Richard Mader and vocalist Pat Fulgoni on Dec. 14th at
Prague’s floating club Jazz Dock. Gary finished the year out with a well-received solo show at
the Budapest Jazz Club Dec. 21st, where he jammed with avant-garde ensemble deBORT’s
leader saxophonist Toni Deszo.
In 2012 Gary was profiled in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the
International Herald Tribune to coincide with the release of his supergroup Gods and Monsters’
studio album “The Ordeal of Civility” (Knitting Factory), produced by Jerry Harrison which is
receiving rave reviews—4 Stars in MOJO and named one of the Best of the Year in Rock’s
Backpages. He released a vinyl only album in the Czech Republic “Gary Lucas Plays Bohemian
Classics” (Faust Records) featuring his solo acoustic arrangements of Dvorak and other Czech
classical composers. Last year he embarked on a European solo tour selling out Liverpool’s
Philharmonic Hall two nights in a row with his Captain Beefheart Symposium, performing his
live score for Spanish “Dracula” at the annual music festival of Bilbao Spain, recording with
Bryan Ferry in London, performing solo in Portugal where he was profiled on the cover of two
national newspapers, and finishing in Paris where he was profiled in the French left paper Politis.
That year Gary performed at the Grammy Museum in LA as part of their “Great Guitar” Series
which further bolstered his credentials as “one of the best and most original guitarists in
America” (Rolling Stone). Gary was also dubbed “one of the world’s greatest guitar players” by
HITS Magazine.
Gary just wrapped recording the debut album of his psychedelic dance music project Wild
Rumpus with his partner Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy, and their latest 12 inch vinyl single
“Cloudhopping” sold-out its first pressing in one week. He recently premiered his new live solo
guitar score for Luis Bunuel’s “El Angel Exterminador” at the 33rd Havana Film Festival and
rocked the 48th New York Film Festival with the US premiere of his Spanish “Dracula” project
performing his original solo guitar score live to accompany a screening of the legendary 1931
film.
In the last few years, Gary Lucas made successful performing debuts in China, Cuba, the
Canary Islands, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico alongside his usual non-stop touring in
Europe and North America, and is coming to BAM’s new Fisher Space in Brooklyn in Oct. 2013
for two nights with the expanded concert version of his celebrated album of 30’s Chinese pop,
“The Edge of Heaven”. Featuring Gary, his band, and two female vocalists from Shanghai, the
project received standing ovations in June 2011 at both the 64th Holland Festival in Amsterdam
and the Nijmegen MusicMeeting. His recent album, “Rishte” (Harmonia Mundi), a blues/raga
collaboration with Indian vocalist Najma Akhtar, made #4 on the World Music Charts Europe
and the pair garnered a 5 star review in The Financial Times for their live show and an ovation at
WOMAD Los Palmas. He released his first ever coloured vinyl single “Music for the Eden
Project” on 5nakefork Records last year to acclaim which has been used as the soundtrack for
UK visual artist Paul McGowan’s installation at the Eden Project in Cornwall.
Gary Lucas tours the world relentlessly both solo and with several different ensembles,
including his longtime band Gods and Monsters, whose ranks once included the late singer Jeff
Buckley. Gary co-wrote two of Jeff Buckley’s most famous hits, “Grace” and “Mojo Pin”, which
opened Jeff’s double platinum Sony album “Grace”, which MOJO magazine named the #1
Modern Classic Rock Album. Their early collaborations can also be heard on the Jeff Buckley
and Gary Lucas album “Songs to No One”, which charted internationally with worldwide sales
approaching 100,000. Other notable Lucas albums include his recently reissued 2001 album
“The Edge of Heaven”, an album of Gary’s lush arrangements of 30’s Chinese pop songs, which
made #1 on the World Music charts and received rave reviews around the world. To date he has
released over 20 acclaimed albums in multiple genres, and performed in over 40 countries.
Gary Lucas makes his home in NYC.
http://www.garylucas.com