The Lounge Lizards
The Lounge Lizards | |
---|---|
Origin | New York City |
Genres | , Strange and Beautiful |
Past members |
The Lounge Lizards were an eclectic musical group founded by saxophonist John Lurie and his brother, pianist Evan Lurie, in 1978. Initially known for their ironic, tongue-in-cheek take on jazz, The Lounge Lizards eventually became a showcase for John Lurie's sophisticated compositions straddling jazz and many other genres. They were active until about 1998 with the Lurie brothers as the only constant members, though many leading New York City based musicians were members of the group.
The group's name was borrowed from American slang. A lounge lizard is typically depicted as a well-dressed man who frequents the establishments in which the rich gather with the intention of seducing a wealthy woman with his flattery and deceptive charm.[1]
History
At its founding, the band consisted of John Lurie and Evan Lurie, guitarist
A transitional version of the band for about a year in 1982-83 featured the Lurie brothers, with bassist Tony Garnier, trombonist Peter Zummo and drummer Dougie Bowne, augmented by other musicians depending on availability (e.g., bassist Fred Hopkins substituted for Garnier during a short tour).[2] This version of the Lounge Lizards did not record a studio album.
By the mid-1980s, a new line-up included bassist
The band's 1987 music video Big Heart was featured on the adult animation The Brothers Grunt.
In 1998, the band released
The Lounge Lizards have been inactive since about 2000. John Lurie has been occupied with painting,[6] while Evan has worked on The Backyardigans, a children's show that highlights multiple musical genres.
Personnel
John Lurie estimates about 80 musicians recorded or performed with the Lounge Lizards.[2] Performers included:
- John Lurie - alto/soprano saxophone
- Evan Lurie- piano, organ
- Arto Lindsay - guitar
- Steve Piccolo - bass
- Anton Fier - drums
- Dana Vlcek - guitar
- Danny Rosen - guitar
- Peter Zummo - trombone
- Tony Garnier - bass
- Dougie Bowne - drums
- Fred Hopkins - bass
- Roy Nathanson - saxophone
- Curtis Fowlkes - trombone
- Marc Ribot - guitar, trumpet, Eb horn
- Erik Sanko - bass
- Tony Moreno - drums
- E.J. Rodriguez - percussion
- Brandon Ross - guitar
- Al MacDowell - bass
- Calvin Weston- drums
- Michael Blake - saxophone
- Steven Bernstein - trumpet
- Billy Martin - percussion
- Jane Scarpantoni - cello
- Bryan Carrott - marimba, vibes
- Michele Navazio - guitar
- Oren Bloedow - bass
- David Tronzo - guitar
- Ben Perowsky - percussion
- Tony Scherr - bass
- Doug Wieselman - guitar, clarinet
- Mauro Refosco - percussion
- John Medeski - organ
- Kenny Wollesen - drums
- Jaime Scott - guitar
- Danny Blume - guitar
- Clark Gayton - trombone
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Release date |
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Lounge Lizards
|
1981 |
No Pain for Cakes | 1987 |
Voice of Chunk | 1988 |
Queen of All Ears | 1998 |
Live albums
Title | Release date |
---|---|
Live from the Drunken Boat | 1983 |
Live 79-81 | 1985 |
Big Heart: Live in Tokyo | 1986 |
Live in Berlin 1991 Vol. I | 1991 |
Live in Berlin 1991 Vol. II | 1992 |
References
- ^ Safire, William (8 March 1987). "On Language". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-28.
- ^ a b c d e John Lurie (2021). The History of Bones, Random House
- ^ Carruthers, Sean. "Lounge Lizards". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
- ^ Huey, Steve. "Lounge Lizards". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
- ^ Bouchard, Fred. "The Lounge Lizards Queen of All Ears". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
- ^ "John Lurie Art". Retrieved 2013-01-24.
External links
- The Lounge Lizards at IMDb