The Lounge Lizards

Initially conceived simply because entertainment to get a downtown NY art community (which, at that time, was knee-deep in simply no wave), the Lounge Lizards spent greater than a decade with various lineups playing so-called fake jazz with pop and avant-garde rock tendencies. The band’s preliminary incarnation was led by saxophonist John Lurie, with sibling Evan on piano, Arto Lindsay on electric guitar, Steve Piccolo on bass, and ex-Feelie Anton Fier on drums; this lineup made an appearance just on the band’s acclaimed, all-instrumental, self-titled 1981 debut. Lindsay and Fier still left quickly thereafter, each getting into a lengthy group of projects, as well as the Luries documented Live Through the Drunken Fishing boat in 1983 using a different and much less convincing lineup. In 1985, throughout a hiatus where Evan Lurie documented his first solo piano record, the collection Live 79/81 premiered; the group also documented with manufacturer Teo Macero as well as the London Philharmonic. The Lounge Lizards regrouped in 1986 with both Lurie brothers, saxophonist Roy Nathanson, trombonist Curtis Fowlkes, guitarist Marc Ribot, bassist Erik Sanko, and drummer Dougie Bowne. This lineup documented Big Heart Reside in Tokyo (1986) as well as the studio room LP No Discomfort for Cakes (1987), the last mentioned of which highlighted the group’s initial vocal amount. 1989’s Tone of voice of Chunk was sold only with the email, but provides since been reissued on Compact disc. John Lurie in addition has done scoring function for many Jim Jarmusch movies, including Stranger Than Heaven (1986), Down FOR LEGAL REASONS (1988), and Secret Train (1989).