First Fridays w/Jason Luckett & Friends: Friday, 4/07/23 @ Lyd & Mo Photography, Pasadena

Marcelo Bucater‘s trio & Stefanie Naifeh w/Paul Lacques and Richie Lawrence (a mini Underthings reunion!) will join me for First Fridays Jazz Night w/ Jason Luckett & Friends, at Lyd & Mo Photography Studio & Gallery (@lydandmo) on Friday, April 7 at 8pm. 27 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena, CA.

Marcelo’s trio features Morgan Jones on keys, Ryan Roberts on bass.

Join us!

Hosted by Jason Luckett
Doors: 7:30
Showtime: 8pm
Suggested donation: $20 at the door or online at PayPal.me/jasonluckett (100% goes to the musicians).
In Playhouse Village in the heart of Pasadena

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Posted in Shows Past

Joining Nina Simone Tribute at Library Girl, Sunday, 4/09/23, Santa Monica

Library Girl + Shonda Buchanan Present: Feeling Good – A Tribute to Nina Simone in Words + Music. Featuring readings by: Lynne Thompson, Peter J. Harris, Pam Ward, Steve Hochman, F Douglas Brown and Shonda Buchanan. Featuring music by: Willie Aron, Jason Luckett and Lisa Sanders & Brown Sugar “Karen Hayes.” Sunday Night, April 9th at 7 PM. Ruskin Group Theatre. 3000 Airport Ave, Santa Monica 90405. Across from Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport. $20 includes Free Parking + Dessert. Tickets available NOW at ruskingrouptheatre.com. Click on See A Show, look for Library Girl icon. Library Girl is now in its 14th year. Created + Produced every 2nd Sunday night of the month by Susan Hayden. Managing Director: Mike Myers. Production Support: Nicole Millar + Paul Denk. All Box Office Proceeds Donated to Ruskin Group Theatre. 

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Posted in Shows Past

First Fridays w/Jason Luckett & Friends, Friday, 3/3/23 – Lyd & Mo Photography, Pasadena

We’re back! First Fridays Jazz Night w/ Jason Luckett & Friends. Nailah Porter (@nailahporter) & Danny Moynahan (@dannymoynahan) will join me at Lyd & Mo Photography Studio & Gallery (@lydandmo) on Friday, March 3 at 8pm. 27 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena, CA. Join us! 

Hosted by Jason Luckett
Doors: 7:30
Showtime: 8pm
Suggested donation: $20 at the door or online at PayPal.me/jasonluckett (100% goes to the musicians). 

In Playhouse Village in the heart of Pasadena

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Posted in Shows Past

New Residency and Vespers

As sunlight drenches my home, I’m writing on January 19, to share two pieces of exciting news! 

First, starting February 3rd, I have a “First Fridays” residency in Pasadena where I will play and host jazz aligned artists throughout the year. 

And, second, on Sunday, February 19th, I’ll be performing an evening of Freedom Songs, traditional and my original music, accompanied by Russell 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.

My residency, Jason Luckett’s First Fridays Jazz and Friends, is like a cross between the shows I loved doing at Left Coast Wine Bar in Glendale, and a house concert. It’s at Lyd & Mo Photography & Gallery (27 Mentor Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106), which is a beautiful space with nice sound. (It’s like a smaller version of Mr. Musichead Gallery.) 

Sometimes I’ll play with my guests, sometimes they’ll do their own sets, but this time we’ll lean more toward jazz, and artists doing their own complete sets. 

And it’s like a house concert in that it’s a real listening environment, we ask for a $20 donation per person with all the money going to the artists, Mo supplies light refreshments, but you are welcome to bring your own for yourselves or to share, and all ages are welcome.

The first show, Feb. 3, will feature the Cuban-Swedish artist Angelica Artifex, and Danette Christine, whose most recent release sets the music of Harry Nilsson into surprising contexts. 

March 3 we’ll have the great Nailah Porter (my old partner from the “Love Fest” residency at Lucy Florence/Hudson Theater!) and others. Doors open at 7:30. The show runs from 8 – 10:30 with a break or two.

Now the Vespers: 

Well, first, 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 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.)

Peace and love to you all!

J

PS Thanks again for all the support on the release of the new live album! If you don’t have it yet, it’s available exclusively on Bandcamp here.



Get “Document:Freedom:Spring (Live!)” Here!

Friday, Feb 3, 2023, 8-10:30pm 
First Fridays @ Lyd & Mo’s Studio & Gallery
27 N. Mentor Ave, Pasadena, CA$20 donation

Sunday, Feb 19, 2023, 5-6:30pm
Jazz Vespers Freedom Songs @ All Saints Church, Pasadena
132 North Euclid Avenue

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Posted in Blog, News, Shows Past

First Fridays Residency begins! 2/3/23 @ Lyd & Mo in Pasadena

Friends, I’m excited about this! Here’s the flyer and I’ve sent out an email blast with more details.

Posted in Shows Past

Freedom Songs Vespers, Sunday, 2/19/23 – All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena

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.)

Read more here: https://allsaints-pas.org/calendarevent/jazz-vespers-february-jazz-vespers-jason-lucket-february-19/

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Posted in Shows Past

Wednesday, 12/14/22 – The World Stage, Los Angeles (Leimert Park)

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

https://www.facebook.com/anansiwritersworkshop

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Posted in Shows Past

Thursday, 12/15/22 – Lyd & Mo Photography, Pasadena

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.

RSVP here: https://facebook.com/events/s/throwback-thursdays-artists-ov/944573450279969/

Posted in Shows Past

Get Live Album now (and more)! Released Friday, 10/21/22.

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!”

Dee Madden

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)

Big thanks to Simko for the beautiful photos!

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Posted in Blog, Music, News

Our Moment in the Sun (Live)

I’ll be releasing a live album in the next couple weeks on Bandcamp. Here’s one cut.

Posted in Blog, Live Video Archive, Music, News, Video