Interview with Gary Lucas
Guitarist extraordinaire/ Grammy-nominated songwriter and composer Gary Lucas has been called “The Thinking Man’s Guitar Hero” (The New Yorker) and “one of the best and most original guitarists in America”. He’s played and collaborated with everyone from Leonard Bernstein, Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, John Zorn, Noel Gallagher, Future Sound of London, Lou Reed and a host of others. On October 22 and Roulette Gary Lucas presents “I Cover the Waterfront” – a solo acoustic guitar concert spanning his entire career. Guest starring trombonist and Roulette founder Jim Staley.
ROULETTE: Tell us as about the work you’ll be doing at Roulette.
GARY LUCAS: The project is a summation of my work to date in the solo acoustic format and covers my entire career–i have an extremely broad repertoire of about 500 pieces to choose from, originals, chinese pop from the 1930′s, music by gershwin, wagner, beefheart, songs i co-wrote with jeff buckely, and more, an incredibly wide spectrum of music–hence the project title.
My collaboration with Jim Staley on trombone will be a spontaneous improv based on the blues, which permeates my entire oeuvre and touches everything I play.
R: Are there working artists today with whose work you identify, or rather, who do you consider to be your peers?
GL: Without naming names and making invidious comparisons, I think my work compares favorably with anyone alive currently making music
R: What are some defining characteristics of the musical scene you would fit yourself into? What elements of your scene differentiate it from what has come before, or what is happening now?
GL: I never have felt part of any scene really, as what i do spans many different genre and styles. I do what I do and if people like it great, if not, that’s okay too
R: What was the last music you listened to?
GL: Mark Stewart and Maffia “hypnotized”
R: What is music?
GL: The divine afflatus, and also chemical reactions in the brain.
R: Do you consider yourself more a composer or a performer?
GL: I consider myself a short order chef of amusement.
R: Is there an event or experience that led you to start in experimental media?
GL: The NYC debut of captain Beefheart and the Magic band at Ungano’s, January 1971.
R: Who do you see as instrumental in your development as an artist?
GL: The guitar.
R: What is interesting to you about your own work?
GL: that I have been able to make a living off it for the last 20 year
R: Do you do other things aside from music?
GL: I have done music strictly for a living for 20 years now.
