Gary Lucas, Tommy Ramone, James Chance... tonight (the 1st edition of Freestyle Music Monthly @ Cake Shop)

Gary Lucas

Lucas has played and collaborated with Leonard Bernstein, Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, Chris Cornell, Lou Reed, John Cale, Nick Cave, David Johansen. He has also worked with Mary Margaret O’Hara, Onetwo, Peter Stampfel, Fred Schneider (B-52s), Bob Neuwirth, Geoff Muldaur, John Sebastian, John Zorn, Bryan Ferry, Patti Smith, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Matthew Sweet, DJ Spooky, Damo Suzuki, Iggy Pop, Dr. John, Allen Ginsberg, Graham Parker, The Dark Poets, Future Sound of London, Van Dyke Parks, Adrian Sherwood,Richard Barone, Bob Weir, Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule), Kristin Diable and many others. Jazz collaborations include Roswell Rudd, Steve Swallow, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, and Billy Bang. Some of these collaborations appear on his retrospective album Improve the Shining Hour, which also features his film and TV music for ABC News, 20/20 and Turning Point. He has produced albums for composer/saxophonists Tim Berne and Peter Gordon, and for the French avant-rock band Tanger. He co-wrote Joan Osborne’s Grammy-nominated song “Spider Web” from her triple platinum album Relish.

Lucas co-wrote two of the songs, “Grace” and “Mojo Pin”, from Jeff Buckley’s popular and critically acclaimed album Grace. Early collaborations can also be heard on the recent Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas album Songs To No One, which charted internationally with worldwide sales approaching 100,000. [Wikipedia]

Tonight/Wednesday at Cake Shop in NYC: Gary Lucas‘s band Gods & Monsters, Tommy Ramone‘s bluegrass band Uncle Monk, and Radio I-Ching (Andy Haas) with special guest James Chance – all on sthe same bill. Lots of talent and legendary status in the basement tonight (12/3).

The show is the first in Dee Pop‘s returning monthly Freestyle Music Series. According to Dee Pop, who also plays in Radio I-Ching, “Freestyle does not mean Free Jazz. It means free of categories. It doesn’t mean anything. It means everything.”. The January 21st show will feature Brown Wing Overdrive, Sediment Club, and Mostly Others Do the Killing. The dates after that are February 25, March 25, and April 22 – all at Cake Shop. Check out an Uncle Monk video below…

Uncle Monk — Tommy Ramone