The Lounge Lizards

The Lounge Lizards are a jazz group formed in 1978 by saxophonist John Lurie and his brother, pianist Evan Lurie. In 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.

Drawing on punk rock and no wave as much as jazz, The Lounge Lizards have since become respected for their creative and distinctive sound. In October of 1986, Robert Palmer of The New York Times wrote "the Lounge Lizards...have staked their claim to a musical territory that lies somewhere west of Charles Mingus and east of Bernard Hermann and made it their own."

History

The initial Lounge Lizards line-up consisted of John and Evan Lurie, guitarist Arto Lindsay, bassist Steve Piccolo, and percussionist Anton Fier. They recorded a self-titled album on EG Records records in 1981. The album included two Thelonious Monk covers, but as one critic noted, "the two aforementioned Monk covers seem a strange choice when you actually hear the band, which has more in common with sonic experimentalists like Ornette Coleman or Sun Ra."

The Lounge

The Lounge may refer to:

Other uses of the term include:

John Lurie

John Lurie (born December 14, 1952) is an American musician, painter, actor, director, and producer. He co-founded The Lounge Lizards jazz ensemble, has acted in 19 films, including Stranger than Paradise and Down by Law, has composed and performed music for 20 television and film works, and produced, directed, and starred in the Fishing with John television series. In 1996 his soundtrack for Get Shorty was nominated for a Grammy Award, and his album The Legendary Marvin Pontiac: Greatest Hits has been praised by critics and musicians alike.

Since 2000 Lurie has suffered from symptoms attributed to "chronic Lyme disease", and has focused his attention on painting. His art has been shown in galleries and museums around the world. His primitivist painting Bear Surprise became an internet meme in Russia in 2006.

Early life

Lurie was born in Minneapolis and was raised with his brother Evan and his sister Liz in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In high school Lurie played basketball and harmonica, jamming with Mississippi Fred McDowell and Canned Heat in 1968. He briefly played the harmonica in a band from Boston, but soon switched to the guitar and eventually the saxophone.

Voice of Chunk

Voice of Chunk is a 1988 album by jazz band The Lounge Lizards. It was initially only available through mail-order, but later released on frontman John Lurie's record label Strange and Beautiful Music.

Track Listing

All tracks composed by John Lurie; except where indicated

Personnel

References

Lounge

Lounge may refer to:

In architecture:

In music:

In other fields:

See also