Cas Lucas
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About
Cas Lucas Bio...
"Girlfriends came and went, so did Transformers, G.I. Joe, sports, but never the guitar," says Lucas of his life-long love affair with the instrument. "The guitar was always there. It has always been my favorite toy and oldest friend." He received his first acoustic guitar at age six, and as Lucas grew into the instrument, he discovered the music of legends like Robert Johnson and Jimi Hendrix. It was the guitar work of these virtuosi that originally inspired him to make the instrument his own. Lucas polished his guitar skills throughout his teen years, teaching himself to play the riffs and songs of his heroes by ear from their CD's and his family's record collection. In 1996, Lucas left his home in Central Florida and went north to study composition, performance, production, and blues history at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. At Hampshire Lucas had the good fortune to study with legendary multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, whose influence added an entirely new element to his playing. "Playing with Yusef in his performance seminars showed me how broad the tonal spectrum could be within a piece of music, " says Lucas. "It made me want to go beyond the standard progressions of blues and rock. Yusef's compositions, concepts, and playing showed me that there really are no wrong notes." Having completed his studies, Lucas relocated to San Francisco and dove into the vibrant local scene. He has consistently performed around the Bay Area and the Western USA (and select shows on the East Coast and Midwest), gaining fans everywhere. Due largely to MySpace buzz and the grass roots promotion of his loyal fans and Street Team, Lucas' national and worldwide followings have started to grow as well, and his first national and European tours are soon to come. Lucas' knack for creating infectious hooks and the ubiquitous pop sensibilities evoked in his guitar playing have led to frequent comparison with the likes of Sting, Jack Johnson, John Mayer and James Taylor. But Lucas' style is more than that - beyond the hooks and lyrics, his musicianship spans the ages, calling to mind both the passionate intensity of Robert Johnson's raw blues, and the intricate, tonal playfulness of Michael Hedges's instrumental virtuosity. Having lived through serious adversity, including traumatic health issues that left him burdened with a life-long chronic pain condition, years of drug use, addiction, and dealing, and a nearly constant barrage of personal and financial struggles, the depth of Lucas's music decisively sets him apart from many of his contemporaries. Lucas brings to bare the sum of his life's experience in his writing, playing and performing. 5 years later... Cas has come through these darker years with a renewed sense of creative and personal focus, his sense of humor firmly intact, and a backlog of over 150 original songs. Cas Lucas' new CD, "Roads," released in April 2007, is his first full-band recording and first chance to "make it sound like it does in my head." Working with local producer, Adam Rossi (LUCE), it promises to be a CD worth hearing.
The music you heard on this profile is from Cas Lucas' new album "Roads" for sale now from 47 Records or at Itunes
When Cas Lucas first picked up a guitar, he quickly learned he couldn't put it down.
Media Praise for Cas Lucas:
San Francisco Chronicle
"Amid Diverse Influences, this acoustic guitarist finds his own sound..."
Sting (a Cas Lucas fan himself)
"Cas Lucas is a talented artist, and I like what he writes. I believe he can change peoples' lives."
Eureka Times Standard
"Cas Lucas is on the verge of something big... Backed by a strong cast of producers and players and armed with the type of laid-back acoustic groove that has yielded hordes of fans for artists like Jack Johnson and John Mayer, Cas Lucas is poised on the edge of mainstream success..
Yusef Lateef
(Legendary, Grammy-Winning Multi-Instrumentalist & Cas' Advisor/Teacher)
"For nearly three years I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Mr. Cas Lucas in the area of music... When he plays and sings both standards and his own original (music), you can hear and feel the echoes of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and then some.... His unique ability reflects his intelligence, his discipline, and deeply serious creativity..."
"There's an old soul in Cas Lucas's young body. One wonders where kids like this get such strong, world-weary emotions coursing through their throats... Mezmerizing guitar picking through out, with Lucas spinning a web with his strings; They should call him Spider-man for the knots and tangled structures he creates with his fingers... ""Giving it Back"" is independent music in it's purest form, free from any trends or hip stlyings..."
San Luis Obispo New Times Weekly
"Compared to acoustic-pop artists such as John Mayer and Jack Johnson, Lucas gives his adult alternative pop/rock a blues-tinged feel that has received international critical acclaim... Lucas is a more gifted guitarist than (Jack) Johnson. He's got a casually bell-clear voice, and his breezy tunes bounce along sweetly..."
Beyond the Chron. (Bay Area Weekly)
"Songs like "Dream a Window, and 'Feel You", put him for me, squarely on the path of the great storytellers and songwriters, like Pete Seeger, and John Prine... Watching and listening to Lucas is a joy, because you get the feeling you are watching a true bluesman in the making.
EntertainmentInUK.com
"Lucas has a disarmingly pleasing voice; you almost don't notice how fatalistic ""Home"" is until you've listened closely to the words, which is what you should be doing for the entire album because this boy can truly write. However, it's the guitar playing that impresses the most; Lucas and fellow guitarist Steve Inglis make quite a team, jamming fluidly. Giving It Back is tender on the headphones as Lucas creates a level of intimacy that charms and warms the heart. ..."
Shotgun Magazine
"Listening to Lucas swim through the delicate chords on this LP is akin to watching a flower bloom: You donít know whatís happening inside the plant so you just sit there, mesmerized. I can listen to this album for endless hours, let the heavy weight of reality cascade from my shoulders and slip into the aural comforts of ìFeeliníî and ìDream a Window,î the opening ñ and finest ñ tracks on this wonderfully engaging CD."
California Daily Aggie
"Cas Lucas is a hook-er. Artsweek cannot confirm that he will do naughty things to you or others in exchange for money. But, we do know that this Bay Area artist will reel you in with similar hooks, lyricism and charm of John Mayer and Jason Mraz."
Music Liberation Project
"Another shout goes to Cas Lucas. Iím super impressed with his ability. He often reminds me of Ben Harper in hís finer moments, but isnít stuck in one style."
