Sunday, February 19th, I’ll be performing an evening of Freedom Songs, traditional and my original music, accompanied by Russel Ferrante on piano, Edwin Livingston on bass, and Reggie Quinerly on drums, in the beautiful gothic revival building of All Saints Church, Pasadena, as part of their long standing Jazz Vespers series.
I’m extremely honored to be part of this series, and to be joined by such amazing players. “Vespers” can be thought of as traditionally and evening of prayer, around sundown, focusing on Psalms.
For Black History Month, I can’t think of a more prayerful thing than to focus on songs of liberation born of the Civil Rights Movement, and to carry that spirit forward to us here today with songs like, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free,” “Eyes on the Prize,” and my own “Daydream” and “Jackson, MS.”
As a bonus, we’ll have my sister, Dr. Josslyn Luckett, preach. And Nailah will lend her voice, too!
It’s long been a dream of mine to do this music in this setting. It’s going to be powerful.
I can’t wait to see you in person soon! You know where I’ll be every first Friday of the month! And on a special Sunday in February! (See below for times and addresses.)
Notes:This is part of the Jazz Vespers series at All Saints Church in Pasadena. I’ll be doing a set of Freedom Songs, movement songs from jazz and folk traditions and my original work. Joining me will be Russell Ferrante on piano, Edwin Livingston on bass, and Reggie Quinerly on drums. With special guests, Josslyn Luckett preaching, and Nailah Porter.
Let’s celebrate the holidays back home at The World Stage! So happy to be back for the first time in several years. This is the place where so much of my creative life was shaped and the community that helped me grow. This will be a joyful night. I’ll be the featured artist after the workshop portion, then there will be an open mic.
Wednesday, 12/14, The World Stage 4321 Degnan Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008 7:00 doors, 7:30 workshop, 8:30 feature (me), 9:05 open mic
Notes:Featured Performer at the Anansi Writers Workshop.
The Anansi Writers Workshop was founded in 1990 by Kamau Daáood, Akilah Oliver, Nafis Nabawi and Anthony Lyons. In 1993, Michael Datcher initiated the development of a three-part format for the workshop. Our tradition of a community workshop began in the late 1960s at the Watts Writers’ Workshop, where World Stage co-founder Kamau Daáood started his writing career. For general information and booking, contact V. Kali, the Anansi Writers Workshop Coordinator, at vkaliflowers@gmail.com.
Happy Holidays! Let’s catch up with the Pasadena crowd!
Thursday, 12/15, Lyd & Mo Photography 27 N Mentor Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106 8-10:30pm 4 artists doing separate sets, show times determined when we get there so plan accordingly.
Notes:An Evening of Singer/Songwriters. Holiday and NOT so Holiday
Donation $20.00 or more… give from your heart!
Doors open @ 730 pm
Showtime 8PM
This is an intimate venue – be Covid free! Masks optional not clothing.
information call 323-436-7546
Donations: paypal.me/RaspinStuwart
I’m super excited to announce that “Document:Freedom:Spring (Live!)” was released on Friday, October 21, 2022! This is exclusively available on Bandcamp.
To celebrate, I’m also releasing reissues of my entire 2000s catalog there, for $7+ each. The great thing about Bandcamp is that you can download lossless and hi-res files all for the same price, plus, you can also “name your price” to generously support artists further. Even cooler, on Bandcamp Fridays (the first Friday of every month), the full amount of your purchase goes to the artist.
But enough about where you can buy it, you probably want to know about it! The album’s “liner notes” detail the magic of re-opening The Warner Grand Annex with my “Roots & Rambles” show after lockdown in June of 2021. The quick version is that they had a piano, I fell in love with the idea of playing it, so I did — for the first time in my adult life ever in a show! This led to a retrospective night of joy with an introduction of nine songs never recorded until now. And, only the last song of the night — an unplanned encore — is played in an arrangement that’s something I’ve done before.
For all of us, it was a beautiful night of hope! We were elated and a little bit surprised to be in a theater together. Covid rates were low, vaccine rates were high, variants were in the distance. I felt so free to have three different stations to play three different guitars…and a piano that night! It felt like a rebirth, as does today, being able to share this music with you. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Here are a couple thoughts from others:
“The word that leaps to my mind is “generosity.” This recording absolutely drips with it. Generosity of spirit. Generosity of artistry. You feel the artist’s presence.
Over the course of 15 remarkable songs, Jason Luckett invites us into his musical world, receiving all with warmth, humor and boundless energy and invention.”
— Todd Lawrence (aka Milo Binder)
“I have been a fan of Jason’s for many years and have watched him perform live many times, and I know this much about him: Live music is his happy place. He loves playing in front of people, playing off of and interacting with a crowd with a guitar in his hand, or his fingers hovering above a piano and keyboard. This here live album is classic Jason Luckett, at the height of his powers, playing to a room full of happy Lucketteers! His positivity, his love for his craft, is all present and accounted for in this show. I loved listening to and watching it as much as I am sure all of you will. Realize it!”
You can buy everything now and you can access the liner notes for free there, too.
The full concert video comes next month. But, with this album, thanks to Raymond Moore‘s carefully detailed mastering, the picture you can create in your head is so vivid, and that’s really the way I like to see music. Put it in your headphones and be transported. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Bill Withers live at Carnegie Hall in my mind since 1973, but I hope you’ll join us at the Grand Annex many times in the years to come.
I hope to see you all again, in real life, on the road soon!
Peace and Love,
J
Song List: Stir It Up (piano version) Home (piano) Reimagine (piano) Faithful (dreadnought acoustic guitar) Looking at a Photo of Sonny Rollins (dreadnought) My Return (nylon) Stack of 45s (electric) Bad Man You Want (electric) The Passage of Time (dreadnought) This Love (nylon) Magic Trumps Reason (electric) Our Moment in the Sun (electric) Daydream (piano) Summer Nights Are Ours To Seed (piano) Miracle (dreadnought)
Happy to be playing a set in Pasadena! And to be on a bill with Brett Perkins, Raspin and David Plenn. We’re all playing 30 minute sets, so come enjoy the whole night!
Please join us as we celebrate the life and music of Harry Nilsson – live and in person at Molly Malone’s on Thursday August 11th. Doors will open at 7pm. Show will begin at 8pm. Scheduled performers include: Adrian Bourgeois Alysandra Nighswonger Andras Jones Carolyn Soyars Danette Christine Dave Soyars Evie Sands Fernando Perdomo Kaitlin Wolfberg Janice Mauntner Markham Jason Berk Jason Luckett Kristi Kallan LuAnn Olson Lyn Bertles Mark Fletcher Marty Ross Michael Culhane Milo Binder Nick Guzman Nick Vincent Paul Zollo Randell Kirsch Rick Hromadka Steven Kalinich Teresa Cowles and more… Tickets are $15 advance /$20 day of show Due to Covid, we are limiting ticket sales to only 115. Order soon to guarantee entry. This show is dedicated to the memory of our dear friend Zak Nilsson. See you there! Tickets are available at: https://www.seetickets.us/…/700-PM-The-8th…/494208
Notes:Idyllwild Songwriters Festival
7:00 Carlos Reynosa
6:00 The Brothers Landau
5:00 McKayla Maddox
4:00 Jason Luckett
3:00 Women In The Round:
Annie Moscow/Zoe Fitzgerald
Carter/Ynana Rose
2:00 Steve Key
1:00 Men In The Round: Marty
Axelrod/Will Howkins/Ed Tree
12:00 Paula Fong
11:00 Listening Room Retreat
Song Debuts
This is from Homecoming Sunday at All Saints Church in Pasadena. It was such an honor to be a part of this celebration. The camera takes a while to find me and I’m singing behind a mask, but it’s a thrill when the choir comes in for the bridge. And if you listen through the sermon, Rev. Kinman weaves the lyric throughout and we reprise the song with the whole church to close it out! A gorgeous experience!
I’m really excited that at the beginning of the summer I was invited to play at The Grand Annex in San Pedro. I was able to debut a batch of new songs and rearrange some old favorites for an in-person audience for the first time in months. It was also the first time I’d played piano onstage for probably a few decades! Here’s “Reimagine,” a song I wrote thinking about what we were going to do when we emerged from this time of lockdown.
I’ll be releasing more music from this show very soon, so watch this space.
And, if you haven’t already, please join the mailing list to get announcements when the new music becomes available.
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