Music

Nilsson Preview

Here’s a little preview of the song I’ll be performing at the Nilsson Birthday event on Tuesday. It was a demo for the string arranger. It got me inspired as you may hear on my next music update.

      Wailing of the Willow - Jason Luckett

Hope to see you at the show. I’m on in the very beginning. More info here. Harry Nilsson Birthday

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Posted in Music, News

Unsolicited sweetness

Kenny Burrell told this story last night to a few of us. Duke Ellington had previously told him to his face that he was his favorite guitarist, but there was another private compliment he received from the legend. Kenny – with his trio – had opened for Duke for a concert in Central Park. They’d done a really good job and the applause was loud and strong. As Kenny left the stage he was walking past the maestro’s dressing room and heard Duke’s manager ask Duke if he heard all that applause. (Maybe he was trying to get his competive juices flowing…)

Duke said, “Yes, but did you hear that harmony?”

I felt a little like that when seeing this photo of me playing one of Kenny’s new songs last night, noticing him looking on so sweetly at the corner of the stage. These are the moments you live for as a musician, the moment you make your heroes smile!

Performing "Giving Back," a new Kenny Burrell composition.

Performing “Giving Back,” a new Kenny Burrell composition. That’s Kenny, far left, with Tom Rainier on piano and Tony Dumas on bass.

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Posted in Blog, Gratitude, Music

The Second Half of the Bet (excerpts)

Here’s a sampler from the most recent album!


The Second Half of the Bet (Hope Again)


CD $15. | [purchase_link id=”5832″ style=”button” color=”white” text=”Add to Cart”][purchase_link id=”5832″ style=”button” color=”white” text=”Buy Now” direct=”true”] | [cref 2612 Download the CD Booklet free!]

Also available from your favorite shop – iTunes | Amazon | CD Baby

Posted in Music

Put Music to Work (Free Song Download)

The best thing about creating music is that even when remuneration is slim, you can still give in abundance to help causes you support. This weekend there are two areas where I’m offering my support and encourage you to do so.

Hurricane Sandy Relief

(more…)

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Posted in Blog, Music

Sunday morning review of SHOTB

Last Wednesday I met a writer, Marc Goldsmith, who’s doing a 365 day music blog at the Hammer Museum after a program on LA, and Passing Strange with Stew and Heidi of The Negro Problem. Sunday morning he reviewed my album. LA is really made up of people who do things and don’t just talk about it! Check out the full review here: http://bit.ly/tSbfNf.

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Posted in Blog, Gratitude, Music, News

Now on iTunes & More…Please Review!

We’ve gone worldwide!  Everything about this album has been possible through community support, so please go by these major retailers to leave a review.  I really appreciate your continued support in making this album a success.

iTunes
Amazon.com

CD Baby

You can buy the album there or [cref 2696 straight from me] (of course I make more [cref 2696 here]). But the digital booklet is only available [cref 2696 here] and is included with your download from [cref 2696 jasonluckett.com].

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Posted in Blog, Music

One Step (Don't Neglect The Rest)

Call. Canvas. Vote. Keep progress in motion.

I wrote this a few months ago and bashed it out an hour ago in my studio. Just a quick guitar voice demo to hopefully inspire you to remember to vote and continue to act.

      One Step (Everything Your Heart Desires)

“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
I heard that said out on campaign
We believed it
Tried to be it
Now I just hear us complain

Every little thing your heart desires
Every little thing that your heart desires
Starts with one step followed by the next

Door to door we called them out
We gave one man most of the clout
He is one man
We are many
The peoples power’s not in doubt

Every little thing your heart desires
Every little thing that your heart desires
Starts with one step followed by the next
Every little thing your heart desires
Every little thing that your heart desires
Starts with one step, don’t neglect the rest

It’s easy to think one season brings the change
(That) one nation or one man can get it done
(But) c’mon life ain’t easy
You’ve got more brains than that
It’s time we remember how to act

We are the ones we are waiting on
We did it before, let’s do it again
The tea ain’t gospel
The dream is possible
(For) health and dignity
Every woman
Every man

I laugh at egotism
Every man has many guides
The more the better
We’re better together
I hope you succeed
Don’t you wish the same for me?

Hold up, hold up, there are places where
I really hope you won’t succeed
I want no success with war
I want no successful exclusion
My energy’s in peace
My energy’s in love and fusion

(c) 2010 Jason Luckett / Lucky Masala Head

[cref 1109 Help the cause by buying music in the Jason Luckett Shop]

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Posted in Music

Peace

9/11/10:

[wpaudio url=”http://groovyacousticsoul.com/mp3s/mMix_mp3s/10_A_Big_Picture_(Come_By_Here).mp3″ text=”Jason Luckett – Come By Here”]

from [cref 810 mMix]

come by here we are holding hands
some say it’s outrageous but we do what we can
people are laughing and so am I
this is my kind of day light

leaves are falling
songs are rising
pacific ocean on the horizon
next year by Christmas
can we end all wars?
Mideast midnight twilights?

every man sing what you can
young boys in knee pants
women in pantsuits
shy catholic school girls
Pakistan’s Hindus
join this band stepping to yes we can can
Ahmad and Krishna
Siddhartha and Jesus
the list could go on
this is the big picture

you could be locked in two feet of snow
somewhere it’s summer
here hot winds blow
trial by fire,
or we could just try
this is my kind of good fight

glory on high
assalamu alaikum
shalom chaverim
we’ve chances, let’s take ’em
wish peace on earth
joy to the world
this is our time

join with the band
and sing what you can
every woman
every man…

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Posted in Music

Beautiful Struggle – KPFK

Last night I had the privilege to play a song on “Beautiful Struggle” on KPFK here in Los Angeles.  The theme of the evening was education and the cutbacks we’re facing in California.  For more info on the March 4th Strike, go to: http://defendcapubliceducation.wordpress.com/

Co-host, Michael Datcher, had prompted me that the show would be on education issues.  And just a few days earlier I’d performed with Anne Feeney at an activist retirement community on the campus of UCBerkeley.  One of the women after the show told me how my song, “Jackson, MS,” captured issues that aren’t being taught in schools much these days.  So I pulled that one out for the show.

      Jackson

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Posted in Blog, Music, News

On Sketches of Spain

"Sketches of Spain" coverI heard this today.

Carlos Santana:

“One thing is to fall in love with a woman.  Another thing is to fall in love with life.  A woman might leave you.  Life would never leave you. Because you can drop the body, but you can come back again, and you’re still…  Life is eternal, forever.  So, you know, to me, Sketches of Spain is that kind of eternal romance.”

The song “Trumpet Guitars” (from [cref mmix-2009-the-new-album mMix]) was originally called, “Post Sketches of Spain.”  I’d had a beautiful first evening with a singer/actress.  We played standards read from my first “Real Book” and laughed ourselves silly.  (Yes, I know, not so rock ‘n’ rock.) Then we put on that album, Sketches of Spain, with Miles’ trumpet playing the guitar lines from Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.”  The rest is in the song.  The woman is no longer in my life, but the album is eternal.

You can hear “Trumpet Guitars” using the MMIX Player in the right column.

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Posted in Blog, Gratitude, Music