GARY LUCAS [usa]

GARY LUCAS hat seit seinen frühen Tagen als Mitglied und Solist beim legendären Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band bewiesen, dass er als einer der innovativsten Gitarristen unserer Tage gezählt werden muss. In seiner bahnbrechenden Gitarrenarbeit, von der immer wieder wichtige Impulse für Musikerkollegen unterschiedlichster Colœur ausgehen, verbindet er auf elektrischer und akustischer Gitarre nahezu alles - vom erdigen Stil eines Howlin' Wolf bis hin zu den leidenschaftlichen Abstraktionen eines Albert Ayler. In der internationalen Musikszene ist er ein gefragter Act: aufgrund seiner enormen Vielseitigkeit spielt er gleichermaßen erfolgreich auf Rock-, Jazz-, Folk und Bluesfestivals, in Theatern, Konzerthallen und Clubs. Bewaffnet mit einer zerschrammten Stratocaster und einer Gibson Acoustic aus den 40ern sowie einer riesigen Leiste an Effektgeräten produziert Lucas wahnwitzigste Songs und Sounds. Seine Akustik-Stücke auf der uralten National Steel Guitar begeistern durch exzessiven, halsbrecherischen Fingerpicking-Stil. Mit beiden Händen aus dem Korpus von Rock, Jazz, Blues, Folk und Klassik schöpfend, erfindet Gary Lucas die Sologitarre als virtuose One-Man-Band neu. Von der New York Times zum "Gitarristen der 1000 Ideen" gekürt, offenbart uns der vielbeschäftigte Lucas sein außerordentliches Talent in unterschiedlichsten musikalischen Bereichen. Im Laufe seiner Karriere spielte er als Gastgitarrist mit Lou Reed, The Mekons, Nick Cave, Iggy Pop, Dr. John, Sophie B. Hawkins, The Woodentops, Matthew Sweet, Adrian Sherwood und vielen anderen Künstlern. Für die Debütalben von Jeff Buckley ("Grace") und Joan Osborne (3- Millionen-Seller "Relish") schrieb Lucas Songs und spielte ebenfalls als Gast. Der Song "Spiderweb" für Joan Osborne wurde für einen Grammy nominiert. Zuletzt arbeitete Lucas auch wieder verstärkt mit seiner Band GODS AND MONSTERS und veröffentlichte diverse Alben mit Wild Rumpus (DJ Cosmo), den Future Sounds of London, Gerald Zbinden und den Dark Poets. Als er 1988 den deutschen Stummfilm "Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam" (Paul Wegener, 1920) live begleitete, trat Gary Lucas damit eine ganze Welle los. Noch immer sind seine Performances zu diesem Meisterwerk der Filmkunst ganz besondere Ereignisse. Inzwischen hat er daneben noch zwei weitere Stummfilmprogramme anzubieten: "Monsters from the Id" und "Sounds of the Surreal".

A world class guitar hero, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and composer, an international recording artist with over 20 acclaimed solo albums to date, and a soundtrack composer for film and television, GARY LUCAS is on the move in 2008. Dubbed “The Thinking Man’s Guitar Hero” by The New Yorker, “The world’s most popular avant-rock guitarist” by The Independent (UK), “Legendary Leftfield guitarist” by The Guardian (UK), “Guitarist of 1000 Ideas” by The New York Times, and “a true axe God” by Melody Maker, 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” in a review of Gary’s latest avant-rock album “Coming Clean”, which received 4 star reviews internationally. Gary was also selected by the editors of DownBeat Magazine as one of their “Hot 66 6-Stringers”, alongside John McLaughlin, Richard Thompson, B.B King, and other guitar legends. 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 great singer Jeff Buckley. Gary co- wrote two of Jeff Buckley’s most famous hits, “Grace” and “Mojo Pin”, which later became the title track and the opening track on Jeff’s double platinum Sony album “Grace” – which MOJO magazine recently named the #1 Modern Classic Rock Album. Gary and Jeff’s early collaborations can also be heard on the recent Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas album “Songs to No One”, which charted internationally with worldwide sales approaching 100,000. Other notable recent Lucas releases include “The Edge of Heaven”, an album of Gary Lucas’ lush arrangements of classic Chinese pop songs from the 1930s, which was #1 on the World Music charts in Canada and received rave reviews around the world, from Rolling Stone to the Hong Kong Music Weekly. Gary’s compilation of the best of his early band and solo work entitled “Operators are Standing By” garnered a 4-star MOJO review: “This album confirms Gary Lucas as THE psychedelic guitarist for the post-modern set.” Most of Gary’s extensive back catalog as well as his current releases were recently licensed for digital distribution by IODA, and are now available on iTunes and on digital portals worldwide. Gary continues to lead his longtime NYC-based band Gods and Monsters – currently a super-group based around Gary’s guitar playing, singing, and songwriting, featuring Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads), Billy Ficca (Television) and Ernie Brooks (Talking Heads), along with Jason Candler and Joe Hendel They have a new live DVD and new studio album wrapped . Gary is also working intensively with the UK Indian vocalist Najma Akhtar in a new world music project, which they debuted recently in NYC to very favorable response, and the pair have just finished recording their debut album. Gary is also involved in an electronica project known as Wild Rumpus with the UK- based DJ Cosmo (Colleen Murphy), and the duo released 2 very successful 12 inch singles this year. And Gary continues to co-lead and record with Fast ‘N’ Bulbous, a 7 piece ensemble devoted to the music of Gary’s original music mentor, avant- rock visionary Captain Beefheart, with whom Lucas played and toured with as a featured soloist for 5 years – and which first put Gary Lucas on the musical map as a force to be reckoned with. Gary Lucas makes his home in NYC.