Notes from the…
Happy Spring!
Upcoming Dates:
Friday, 4/5/24, Pasadena, CA, 8pm: FFJN w/ JL & Friends, Facebook RSVP here.
Sunday, 3/24/24, Los Angeles, CA, 7pm: Zoe FitzGerald Carter (JL on guitar only)Tuesday, 3/19/24, NBC-TV, 8:30pm, Extended Family (sitcom) (Oops! Watch on Peacock streaming today!)
Ha! I’m laughing because this month as I write it is 68º and clear in LA. And for my new list members (welcome!), here’s the song that inspires friends to text me the weather report on these charmed days: “Good Day in LA” (on Bandcamp). It’s decidedly not even jazz adjacent, thus only been played once at First Fridays Jazz Night, by request! But we have a variety of things to catch up on, so enjoy it again, or for the first time, depending on what brought you here. (Scroll to the end for all the links and detailed info.)
To start, for First Fridays Jazz Night, w/ Jason Luckett & Friends on April 5 my guests will be the returning Marcelo Bucater, with the group, Little Brazil Trio, featuring Natália Spadini on vocals, Bruno Justi on guitar, and Marcelo on drums.
Jeanne Newhall is my other guest. We met doing the Aretha and Smokey tribute in January. Her piano and vocal arrangement of “Daydreaming” blew me away. I’ll accompany her on at least one tune, too.
Per usual, I’ll do a brief intro section, then close the night with a full set of my own. Can’t wait!
Before that, I’m going to be playing guitar and bass with Zoe FitzGerald Carter at Hotel Café, on Sunday, March 24, at 7pm. She’s in town promoting her new album, Before the Machine.
And I thought on Tuesday, March 26, you’d be able to see and hear me in a very unusual setting, on the sitcom Extended Family, starring Jon Cryer, Donald Faison, and Abagail Spencer. But it wasn’t the season finale (episode 13) it was the penultimate episode (#12) of a cute show about a divorced couple where the husband to be is the owner of the Boston Celtics (who aren’t playing well during most of the season, in contrast to real life). People started asking me about it when I got home this evening after writing this, so I found out it aired tonight. I filmed it in January and you can stream it on Peacock tonight.
For the inspiration corner…
… I’d guide you this month to the extended interview of Paul Simon on Stephen Colbert’s show. He was there to promote a new documentary on his music. What really got me was his spontaneous recitation of the lyrics for “Darling Lorraine,” a song he called one of his favorites, from the 2000 album, You’re the One. It’s a little known album and song, comparatively, but it’s one of my favorite Simon albums, and “Darling Lorraine” is one of my favorites on it. It was actually a big influence on my song, “The Passage of Time,” that I released on my live album a little while ago.
Another interview that I loved this month was Rick Beato interviewing George Benson. So much of it reminds me of my father, who was about 5 years older than Benson. For guitarists, this is a who’s who of the greats and beautiful memories of tutelage and mentorship. My favorite bit is when he talks of his step-father bringing an electric guitar home and how it blew the 7-year-old’s mind. It was a ploy to get the kid interested in music, just like my pops would sit me in front of the speakers to find what I liked before I could even speak. And, of course there were the George Benson albums he brought home to me later when I’d already taken to guitar, to nudge me towards jazz, specifically “The Other Side of Abbey Road,” which listening to now, I absolutely love, but didn’t completely get back then. But isn’t that the way gifts from your elders creep up on you. Rest in Peace, Pops: 25 years gone as of last week, so this interview felt like a hug.
Anyway, I hope you’ll join me in the coming days at some of these events. If you can make it on April 5 to Pasadena, you can bring drinks and snacks for yourself or to share, it’s kind of a salon/living room type experience. (As you might gather from the photo of last week’s artists: l to r, Casey Lipka, Marcel Camargo, Dusty Brough)
Lastly…
In the spirit of springtime, I’ll sign off with one of my favorite Desmond Tutu quotes:
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
Much love and strength to you all.
J
Links:
The Passage of Time: tr.ee/Pu43vl20fg
First Fridays Jazz Night: jasonluckett.com/ffjn424/
Facebook RSVP for April 5: facebook.com/events/1130084121501178/
Zoe at Hotel Café: new.hotelcafe.com/event/zoe-fitzgerald-carter/
Extended Family: nbc.com/extended-family
First Fridays Jazz Night with Jason Luckett and Friends
Friday, April 5,
7:30 Doors,
8pm Showtime, runs until 10:30
Performing:
Jeanne Newhall
Little Brazil Trio
Jason Luckett
Hosted by Jason Luckett
Suggested donation: $20 at the door or online
Venmo: @jasonluckett
PayPal.me/jasonluckett
(100% goes to the musicians).
Lyd & Mo’s Photography Studio and Gallery
27 Mentor Ave
Pasadena, CA
In Playhouse Village in the heart of Pasadena, across from The Ice House
IG: @firstfridaysjazznight
Please add & stream my latest music here, it means a lot!
Apple Music
Spotify
Bandcamp
Amazon Music
TIDAL
