LATEST NEWS
04/19/2021
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Fantastic review just in from Paris-Move for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS, English translation here
04/17/2021
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Gary Lucas is fundraising to help cover medical and living expenses for his dear friend Jason Candler, who recently suffered a series of debilitating strokes which came out of nowhere last Tuesday April 6th. Jason is one of Gary's oldest and closest friends, having played saxophone in his band Gods and Monsters and in his Chinese music ensemble as well as recording his work over many years. Jason, his wife Lily and 18 month old son Jakob are in a very precarious position with medical bills and living expenses. Please pitch in generously whatever you can to help take some of the financial pressure off of Jason and his family while he begins his long road to recovery. You can donate here
Updates on Jason's medical progress are here
Updates on Jason's medical progress are here
04/17/2021
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Yeeha, here's an article Gary wrote for the Yale Daily News in Fall '71—the longest article they'd every published at the time—appearing again today on the inestimable Rock's Backpages website—a review of his favorite UK psychedelic band, the mighty FAMILY with Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney
photo: Roger Chapman, lead singer of Family
· Rave reviews for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS as pull-quotes here
photo: Roger Chapman, lead singer of Family
· Rave reviews for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS as pull-quotes here
04/12/2021
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New review of THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS in Textes Blog Rock&Roll (France)
04/09/2021
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Gary was interviewed on 4/7/21 on national Polish radio by Tomasz Gregorczyk and Janusz Jablonski—just click on the button in the middle of the page (It's mainly in Polish though)
Here's the show's description translated:
Blood and Tears vs. Steel Guitar
He played Jewish music and Chinese jazz from the 1930s, was the backbone of Captain Beefheart's band, interpreted Wagner and Czech classics, and wrote rock hits for Jeff Buckley. Diversity and a unique playing style, steeped in American folk and rock psychedelia, make Gary Lucas one of the most important American guitarists of the last 30 years.
The names of Chris Cornell, Richard Wagner, Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley and Krzysztof Komeda will be dropped. Places: Silk Road, Taipei, Czech Republic, Knitting Factory. Record titles... And anyway, enough of this listing. Gary Lucas will tell you about EVERYTHING today.
"There was sweat and tears. Over the years I took literally every gig I could get. In every place in the world. Not caring about the salary...alright, caring. I've been cheated so many times I could write a book about it. But I came out of the basement with album after album building my reputation".
Here's the show's description translated:
Blood and Tears vs. Steel Guitar
He played Jewish music and Chinese jazz from the 1930s, was the backbone of Captain Beefheart's band, interpreted Wagner and Czech classics, and wrote rock hits for Jeff Buckley. Diversity and a unique playing style, steeped in American folk and rock psychedelia, make Gary Lucas one of the most important American guitarists of the last 30 years.
The names of Chris Cornell, Richard Wagner, Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley and Krzysztof Komeda will be dropped. Places: Silk Road, Taipei, Czech Republic, Knitting Factory. Record titles... And anyway, enough of this listing. Gary Lucas will tell you about EVERYTHING today.
"There was sweat and tears. Over the years I took literally every gig I could get. In every place in the world. Not caring about the salary...alright, caring. I've been cheated so many times I could write a book about it. But I came out of the basement with album after album building my reputation".
04/06/2021
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Two new YouTube interviews this week with Gary on the Gerry Fialka Show and Gary and Co de Kloet on Dooner's World
04/01/2021
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Just in: 9 out of 10 for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS in AudioReview (Italy), English translation here
04/01/2021
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Check out Gary's new article about trying to make a rap record with a young Vin Diesel and avant-legend Arthur Russell at Please Kill Me
03/27/2021
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Great new review for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS in the GAPPPEGATE GUITAR AND BASS BLOG
03/24/2021
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Check out a new clip by Dave Pearson for "Fata Morgana" from THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS with imagery from Gary's favorite horror film, Mario Bava's 1960 "La Maschera del Demonio" (Black Sunday)
03/23/2021
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A great new review for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS just in from Italy! Rated 8 out of 9 in BLOW UP magazine 3/21, English translation here
· Another excellent review just in from COOLMAG (Italia) 3/23/21, English translation here
· Another excellent review just in from COOLMAG (Italia) 3/23/21, English translation here
03/13/2021
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New interview just in from New Delhi by Ravi V. Chhabra
and published in www.fnbworld.com
photo from Udaipur by Caroline Sinclair
photo from Udaipur by Caroline Sinclair
03/09/2021
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Check out a full-hour interview with Gary by Co de Kloet on his program "Co Live!" on national Dutch radio NPO in celebration of THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS 2/28/21, and check out all the fabulous press Gary's new 40 year compilation is receiving internationally. Autographed copies available here!
02/26/2021
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This weekend National Dutch Radio NPO will feature an hour long Gary Lucas special with host Co de Kloet on his long-running "Co Live!" The show will air on Sunday at 8pm CET, 2pm EST on the online channel NPO Soul & Jazz—listen here or on Apple Podcasts
Pic: on tour in Udaipur India
Photo by Caroline Sinclair
Pic: on tour in Udaipur India
Photo by Caroline Sinclair
02/24/2021
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"Extraordinary 2-CD retrospective"
4 Stars
MOJO
"The elegance of the phrasing, the ubiquity of call and response figures (another connection to Miles Davis), the ability to fit almost sonic environment is quite uncanny…There isn't a single item here that doesn't have Lucas's musical personality running through it like quartz. Essential? It's all essential."
The Wire
"A testament to the man's restless energy and imagination."
UnCut
"Lucas' work offers a fascinating glimpse into a musical world that allows those imaginative instincts to take spark in ways that simply seem boundless. The Essential Gary Lucas offers a potpourri of adventurous sounds and ambitious intentions."
4.5 out of 5 Stars
American Songwriter Magazine
"A remarkable guitarist with a remarkable career."
OOR Magazine (NL)
"The Essential Gary Lucas" belongs at the heart of every living music collection."
ReportersOnline.com (NL)
"An exhaustive compilation of 36 songs better to understand an iconoclast of the guitar, a musician who has never been pigeonholed throughout his musical career, since he has never belonged to this or that faction."
Ruta 66 (Spain)
"An essential overview into the work and diverse musical passions of this remarkable musician."
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Jazzwise (UK)
"Utterly peerless, there's no finer pedigree in the world of creative music than Gary Lucas's and this double CD showcase the remarkable breadth of his work over the years."
5 out of 5 Stars
The Inconsistent Jukebox (UK)
"On this compendium, Lucas collects his own favorite work, and in a career that includes 30+ albums, this is likely to be everyone's favorite record of his, too."
10 out of 10
Take Effect (US)
"A feast for your ears and mind, so many textures and layers which shake, flow, and mould into a fascinating temple of sound. If you are looking for an album to enrich your listening palette, or an album to show off your musical knowledge to friends then look no further!"
4 out of 5
Off the Hook (UK)
"The star is Lucas's cosmic virtuosity, ripping raw down the rural backroads of acoustic 6-string or transforming Abdullh Ibrahim’s "Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro" into poetry that illuminates the entire emotional and sonic spectrum of electric guitar.”
Must-hear tracks: All 36 of them
Premier Guitar (US)
"If you've ever wondered what a Mandarin take on "All Along the Watchtower" (as sung by Feiifei Yang) would be as exciting as Bob Dylan’s original, the answer is a definite 'yes'."
The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS on Knitting Factory Records
STREAM / DOWNLOAD / PURCHASE: https://garylucas.lnk.to/essential
4 Stars
MOJO
"The elegance of the phrasing, the ubiquity of call and response figures (another connection to Miles Davis), the ability to fit almost sonic environment is quite uncanny…There isn't a single item here that doesn't have Lucas's musical personality running through it like quartz. Essential? It's all essential."
The Wire
"A testament to the man's restless energy and imagination."
UnCut
"Lucas' work offers a fascinating glimpse into a musical world that allows those imaginative instincts to take spark in ways that simply seem boundless. The Essential Gary Lucas offers a potpourri of adventurous sounds and ambitious intentions."
4.5 out of 5 Stars
American Songwriter Magazine
"A remarkable guitarist with a remarkable career."
OOR Magazine (NL)
"The Essential Gary Lucas" belongs at the heart of every living music collection."
ReportersOnline.com (NL)
"An exhaustive compilation of 36 songs better to understand an iconoclast of the guitar, a musician who has never been pigeonholed throughout his musical career, since he has never belonged to this or that faction."
Ruta 66 (Spain)
"An essential overview into the work and diverse musical passions of this remarkable musician."
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Jazzwise (UK)
"Utterly peerless, there's no finer pedigree in the world of creative music than Gary Lucas's and this double CD showcase the remarkable breadth of his work over the years."
5 out of 5 Stars
The Inconsistent Jukebox (UK)
"On this compendium, Lucas collects his own favorite work, and in a career that includes 30+ albums, this is likely to be everyone's favorite record of his, too."
10 out of 10
Take Effect (US)
"A feast for your ears and mind, so many textures and layers which shake, flow, and mould into a fascinating temple of sound. If you are looking for an album to enrich your listening palette, or an album to show off your musical knowledge to friends then look no further!"
4 out of 5
Off the Hook (UK)
"The star is Lucas's cosmic virtuosity, ripping raw down the rural backroads of acoustic 6-string or transforming Abdullh Ibrahim’s "Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro" into poetry that illuminates the entire emotional and sonic spectrum of electric guitar.”
Must-hear tracks: All 36 of them
Premier Guitar (US)
"If you've ever wondered what a Mandarin take on "All Along the Watchtower" (as sung by Feiifei Yang) would be as exciting as Bob Dylan’s original, the answer is a definite 'yes'."
The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS on Knitting Factory Records
STREAM / DOWNLOAD / PURCHASE: https://garylucas.lnk.to/essential
02/19/2021
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Check out the English translation of Dutch journalist Corne Evers interview with Gary—"A Man, His Guitar, and the World" Part Two—from ReportersOnline.com
· Gary is interviewed in RUTA 66, the biggest rock magazine in Spain, English translation here
· Gary receives 4 out of 5 Stars in JAZZWISE (UK) and 5 out of 5 in THE INCONSISTENT JUKEBOX for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS
· Gary is interviewed in RUTA 66, the biggest rock magazine in Spain, English translation here
· Gary receives 4 out of 5 Stars in JAZZWISE (UK) and 5 out of 5 in THE INCONSISTENT JUKEBOX for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS
02/17/2021
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Just confirmed: On Sun. Feb. 28th Gary's old friend producer Co de Kloet will devote an hour of his weekly program "Co Live!" to THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS on national Dutch radio NTR—tune in at 8pm Netherlands time, 2pm EST
photo: Gary with Co at the Zappanale in Bad Doberan Germany
· Nice write-up at Beefheart.com of Gary's new 40 year retrospective album THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS, and Part Two of "Gary Lucas: A Man His Guitar and the World" interview by Dutch journalist Corne Evers just out at ReportersOnline.com and CCRyder.com, English translation to follow
photo: Gary with Co at the Zappanale in Bad Doberan Germany
· Nice write-up at Beefheart.com of Gary's new 40 year retrospective album THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS, and Part Two of "Gary Lucas: A Man His Guitar and the World" interview by Dutch journalist Corne Evers just out at ReportersOnline.com and CCRyder.com, English translation to follow
02/15/2021
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Gary is postponing his live stream solo concert tomorrow from 3pm EST to 7pm EST as he has been asked to appear with Feifei Yang and the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra under 房飞 Steven Fang for a special Lunar New Year concert tomorrow from 3pm to 5pm live at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford NJ. He'll be performing Teresa Teng's "The Moon Represents My Heart" duet with Feifei and the orchestra. Their trio version with Jason Candler can be heard on THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS 40-year retrospective on Knitting Factory Records
02/12/2021
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Check out a new YouTube clip for the previously unreleased "All Along the Watchtower" featuring Gary Lucas and Feifei Yang—from THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS 40 Year retrspective double album on Knitting Factory, Stream / Download / Purchase it here
Gary and Feifei celebrate Chinese New Year (Year of the Ox) with a special "Edge of Heaven" concert tonight on Facebook for the Queens Public Library of Astoria from 7pm to 8pm EST
Gary and Feifei celebrate Chinese New Year (Year of the Ox) with a special "Edge of Heaven" concert tonight on Facebook for the Queens Public Library of Astoria from 7pm to 8pm EST
02/10/2021
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New review from OOR Magazine, the Rolling Stone of the Netherlands, English translation here
· "King Strong" is the #3 Favorite Track of the Week on WPKN Bridgeport Conn.! See the video clip here
· New review for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS in Take Effect (US)—10 out of 10
· "King Strong" is the #3 Favorite Track of the Week on WPKN Bridgeport Conn.! See the video clip here
· New review for THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS in Take Effect (US)—10 out of 10
02/07/2021
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WEEKEND UPDATE—Check out the latest review for The Essential Gary Lucas in OFF THE HOOK (UK), 4 Hooks out of 5
Gary was played several times this week on national Italian radio RAI RADIO 3 on the Battisti program, check out today's broadcast of Gary's version of Dvorak's "Largo"
Gary was interviewed for an hour-plus session of music and conversation by legendary music critic David Fricke this week on his SIRIUS XM show "The Writer's Block" on the Spectrum Channel 28—it is available On Demand for one week only on the SIRIUS App
Gary and Feifei Yang recorded a one hour special Chinese New Year concert Fri. night at Euphoria Studios here in NYC, to be broadcast this Fri. night Feb 12th to celebrate the Year of the Ox—more details here!
Gary was played several times this week on national Italian radio RAI RADIO 3 on the Battisti program, check out today's broadcast of Gary's version of Dvorak's "Largo"
Gary was interviewed for an hour-plus session of music and conversation by legendary music critic David Fricke this week on his SIRIUS XM show "The Writer's Block" on the Spectrum Channel 28—it is available On Demand for one week only on the SIRIUS App
Gary and Feifei Yang recorded a one hour special Chinese New Year concert Fri. night at Euphoria Studios here in NYC, to be broadcast this Fri. night Feb 12th to celebrate the Year of the Ox—more details here!
02/05/2021
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New feature article and interview in ReportersOnLine.com (Netherlands), English translation here
· Gary's new 40-year retrospective album THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS is ALBUM OF THE WEEK on HOWARD THOMPSON'S "PURE" SHOW on WPKN Independent Community Radio, LISTEN TODAY! Friday, February 5th, 1-4pm (eastern) on WPKN, Bridgeport 89.5fm & on the web at wpkn.org (and at TuneIn & Radio Garden)—click on WPKN to listen live at 1p, click on Program Archives under Programs to listen later, chat 'live' during the show on the PURE / WPKN page at Spinitron.com
· Gary's new 40-year retrospective album THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS is ALBUM OF THE WEEK on HOWARD THOMPSON'S "PURE" SHOW on WPKN Independent Community Radio, LISTEN TODAY! Friday, February 5th, 1-4pm (eastern) on WPKN, Bridgeport 89.5fm & on the web at wpkn.org (and at TuneIn & Radio Garden)—click on WPKN to listen live at 1p, click on Program Archives under Programs to listen later, chat 'live' during the show on the PURE / WPKN page at Spinitron.com
02/04/2021
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Gary's new 40-year retrospective double album THE ESSENTIAL GARY LUCAS is getting mucho airplay on Rai Radio 3 Italy this week, and he was interviewed on Controradio Firenze yesterday
STREAM / DOWNLOAD / PURCHASE THE NEW ALBUM HERE
Reviews and more info here
STREAM / DOWNLOAD / PURCHASE THE NEW ALBUM HERE
Reviews and more info here
02/01/2021
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Gary is on the cover of Rock's Back Pages today! Barney Hoskyns' UK website archives an incredible amount of writing about rock and other music over many years—and to celebrate the release of Gary's 40-year retrospective double album, RBP is spotlighting some of Gary's archival pieces about Captain Beefheart, Led Zeppelin's first album—plus there's an interview with Gary himself
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