Chris Lightcap

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Chris Lightcap
Lightcapbiscuit.JPG
Background information
Born Latrobe, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres Jazz, rock, experimental
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s) Double bass, bass guitar

Chris Lightcap is an American double bassist, bass guitarist and composer [1] born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. [2] [3]

Contents

Career

In addition to his work as a bassist he has led a variety of bands since 2000 and has produced six albums of original music. Lightcap's first two CDs as a leader, Lay-Up (2000) and Bigmouth (2003) were released on the Fresh Sound New Talent label and featured a quartet line-up with Gerald Cleaver on drums and Tony Malaby and Bill McHenry on tenor saxophones. [4] Two years later he expanded the group to a quintet, naming it Bigmouth and establishing a line-up of Craig Taborn on keyboards, Chris Cheek and Malaby on tenor saxophones and Cleaver on drums. In 2010 Bigmouth recorded Deluxe, Lightcap's third CD as a leader, on Clean Feed Records with alto saxophonist Andrew D'Angelo also joining the group on three selections. [5] The Wall Street Journal called the recording "superb". [6]

In 2006 he received a commission to compose for the ensemble counter)induction, which premiered his piece Wiretap at the Tenri Cultural Center on October 16, 2006. In 2011 he received a New Jazz Works grant from Chamber Music America. Bigmouth premiered Lightcap's resulting work, Lost and Found at the Earshot Jazz Festival on October 28, 2012 in Seattle, WA. The work was subsequently broadcast on NPR for the show Jazzset with Dee Dee Bridgewater. A performance of the piece the following year was reviewed by The New York Times . [7] Bigmouth's 2015 release on Clean Feed Records, Epicenter features this batch of music along with a cover of The Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties". 2018 saw the release of his all-electric project Superette on Royal Potato Family which also featured guests Nels Cline and John Medeski. He received a second CMA New Jazz Works grant in 2016, the result of which was SuperBigmouth (which combined his Bigmouth and Superette bands), released on Pyroclastic Records in 2019. Lightcap's albums have appeared on year-end "best of" lists published in The New York Times , [8] NPR, [9] the Village Voice, [10] Jazz Times, [11] and Rolling Stone, [12] among other publications.

Lightcap has worked with Marc Ribot, Regina Carter, Craig Taborn, John Medeski, Tomasz Stanko, John Scofield, The Swell Season, Mark Turner, Joe Morris, Chris Potter, Glen Hansard, Sheila Jordan, James Carter, Butch Morris, Ben Monder, Ghost Train Orchestra, Tom Harrell, and others.

Lightcap is the cousin of Acetone guitarist Mark Lightcap.

Selected discography

As Leader

Year releasedTitleLabelNotes
2019SuperbigmouthPyroclastic RecordsFeaturing Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone), Chris Cheek (tenor saxophone), Craig Taborn (keyboards), Jonathan Goldberger (electric guitar), Curtis Hasselbring (electric guitar), Gerald Cleaver (drums), Dan Rieser (drums)
2018Superette Royal Potato Family Featuring Jonathan Goldberger (electric guitar), Curtis Hasselbring (electric guitar), Dan Rieser (drums), Nels Cline (guest, electric guitar), John Medeski (guest, keyboards)
2015Epicenter Clean Feed Records Featuring Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone), Chris Cheek (tenor saxophone), Craig Taborn (Wurlitzer, piano, organ), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2010Deluxe Clean Feed Records Featuring Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone), Chris Cheek (tenor saxophone), Craig Taborn (Wurlitzer, piano), Gerald Cleaver (drums), and guest, Andrew D'Angelo (alto sax)
2003Bigmouth Fresh Sound Records Quartet, with Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone), Bill McHenry (tenor saxophone), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2000Lay-Up Fresh Sound Records Quartet, with Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone), Bill McHenry (tenor saxophone), Gerald Cleaver (drums)

As Bassist

Year releasedLeaderTitleLabelNotes
2001Craig Taborn Light Made Lighter Thirsty Ear Trio, with Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2017Craig Taborn Daylight Ghosts ECM Quartet, with Chris Speed (tenor sax, clarinet), David King (drums, percussion)
2017Regina Carter’’Ella: Accentuate the Positive’’ Sony with Marvin Sewell (guitar), Xavier Davis (piano), Alvester Garnett (drums)
2013Regina Carter’’Southern Comfort’’ Sony with Marvin Sewell (guitar), Will Holshouser (accordion), Alvester Garnett (drums)
2010Regina Carter’’Reverse Thread’’ E1 with Yacouba Sissoko (kora), Adam Rogers (guitar), Gary Versace (acc) Will Holshouser (acc), Alvester Garnett (drums)
2003Regina Carter’’Pagannini: After a Dream’’ Verve
2009The Swell Season ’’Strict Joy’’ Anti- with Glen Hansard, Chad Taylor, Thomas Bartlett, Javier Mas
2014Plymouth ’’Plymouth’’RareNoiseRecordswith Joe Morris, Jamie Saft, Mary Halvorson, Gerald Cleaver
2014Matt Wilson’’Gathering Call’’ Palmetto with John Medeski, Jeff Lederer, Kirk Knuffke
2020Matt Wilson’’Hug’’ Palmetto with Jeff Lederer, Kirk Knuffke
2009Matt Wilson’’That’s Gonna Leave a Mark’’ Palmetto with Jeff Lederer, Andrew D’Angelo
2009Chad Taylor Circle Down 482 Musictrio, with Angelica Sanchez (piano)
2014Joe Morris Balance Clean Feed Records Quartet, with Mat Maneri (violin), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2000Joe Morris At the Old Office Knitting Factory Quartet, with Mat Maneri (violin), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
1999Joe Morris Underthru OmnitoneQuartet, with Mat Maneri (violin), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
1998Joe Morris A Cloud of Black Birds AUM Fidelity Quartet, with Mat Maneri (violin), Jerome Deupree (drums)
2009James Carney’’Ways And Means’’ Songlines with Tony Malaby (tenor sax), Peter Epstein (tenor sax), Mark Ferber (drums), Josh Roseman (trombone), Ralph Alessi (trumpet)
2007James Carney’’Greenwood’’ Songlines with Tony Malaby (tenor sax), Peter Epstein (tenor sax), Mark Ferber (drums), Josh Roseman (trombone), Ralph Alessi (trumpet)
2008Gerald Cleaver’’Detroit’’ Fresh Sound Records with J.D. Allen (tenor sax), Andrew Bishop (tenor sax), Ben Waltzer (piano), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet)
2008Anthony Coleman’’With Every Breath’’ Knitting Factory with Marc Ribot (guitar), Brad Shepik (guitar), Jim Pugliese (percussion)
2012Anthony Braxton’’Quintet (Tristano)’’Braxton House
2019Rob BrownFrom Here to HearRoguartwith Steve Swell (trombone), Chad Taylor (drums)
2011Rob Brown Unexplained Phenomena Marge Records with Matt Moran (vibes), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2000Rob Brown Jumping Off the Page No Morewith Roy Campbell (trumpet), Jackson Krall (drums)
1998Rob Brown Scratching the Surface CIMPwith Assif Tsahar (tenor sax), Lou Grassi (drums)
2004Whit Dickey In a Heartbeat Clean Feed Records with Roy Campbell (trumpet), Joe Morris (guitar), Rob Brown (alto sax)
2001Whit Dickey Big Top Wobbly Railwith Joe Morris (guitar), Rob Brown (alto sax)
2001Whit Dickey Transonic AUM Fidelity with Rob Brown (alto sax)
2025Nels Cline Consentrik Quartet Blue Note with Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone), Tom Rainey (drums)

References

  1. ↑ Ratliff, Ben (January 9, 2006). "Reveling in the Tension Between Two Stylistic Worlds". The New York Times. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  2. ↑ Layne, Joslyn. "Chris Lightcap: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
  3. ↑ McCandliss, Marie. "Latrobe native returns for concert." Latrobe, Pennsylvania: Latrobe Bulletin, October 16, 2044, p. A1 (subscription required).
  4. ↑ Ratliff, Ben (October 14, 2000). "Serene and Restless, Freely Juxtaposed". The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ Chinen, Nate (May 10, 2010). "Sounds of New Orleans, and Far Beyond". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Martin (January 26, 2011). "Basing Himself in a New Jazz Sound". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  7. ↑ Chinen, Nate (June 3, 2013). "A Love Letter to New York, Written by Consensus". The New York Times. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  8. ↑ Chinen, Nate (December 16, 2010). "Renewal, the Sensual and Fraught Candor". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  9. ↑ Jarenwattananon, Patrick (December 1, 2010). "Top 10 Jazz Albums Of 2010". NPR.org. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  10. ↑ "The 2010 Voice Critics' Poll: The Results". The Village Voice. December 29, 2010. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Critics' Picks: Top 50 CDs". Jazztimes. January 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Many Sounds of Jazz in 2019: A Listener's Guide". Rolling Stone. December 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
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