Jon Lucien
| Jon Lucien | |
|---|---|
Jon Lucien
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lucien Harrigan |
| Born |
January 8, 1942 Tortola, British Virgin Islands |
| Died | August 18, 2007 (aged 65) Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. |
| Genres | Soul, Funk |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, Musician |
| Years active | 1970–2007 |
| Labels | RCA, Columbia, Precision, Mercury, Shanachie, Love Arts, Camden Deluxe, Sugar Apple Music |
| Website | www.jonlucien.com |
Jon Lucien (January 8, 1942 – August 18, 2007) was a vocalist and musician, born on the island of Tortola, the main island of the British Virgin Islands. Born Lucien Harrigan, and raised in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands by his musician father, Lucien was best known for his song "Rashida", the title track of an album released in 1973, and one of two Grammy nominated songs on that album. He was also well known for his cover of "Dindi" by Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. His smooth baritone drew comparisons with Nat King Cole and Lou Rawls. He was often heard on traditional jazz stations in the United States such as WJZZ in Detroit, Michigan (now WDMK).
More than any other singer, Jon Lucien captures the essence of romance. His voice is rich and expressive, his best songs are perceptive poetic tales of devotion, trust, hope, harmony and spirituality. Three dimensional parables of love lost and love found and relationships filled with the promise of a new day. He seemed to possess an innate ability to evoke an atmosphere and create images not only through his lyrics but the colors of his music.
In the 28 years since the release of his debut album, connoisseurs and assorted in-the-know types have spoken his name with the utmost hushed reverence. His seamless melding of jazz, R and B, Caribbean rhythms and Brazilian music proved to be a decisive early influence on what would be simplified and marketed as the twin formats of "quiet storm" and "smooth jazz," although very few artists working in either format approach Lucien's level of artistry or innovation, not to mention originality.
That last quality owes a lot to his Caribbean background, having been born on the island of Tortola in 1942, and raised in St. Thomas by a guitar-playing dad and greatly inspired by Nat "King" Cole. Arriving in New York by the mid-60s, he set about sharing the music in his head with the world at large. His 1970 RCA debut, I Am Now, was a formative step in the direction for which he would subsequently be known, presenting him as a romantic crooner with an exotic accent, but sticking largely to string-laden easy-listening arrangements. By the release of his second album, Rashida, in 1973, he had arrived at his artistic cruising speed, creating a style of R and B where the "B" stood more for bossa nova than blues, with languid samba rhythms, understated nylon-string acoustic guitar, fluid bass lines and his trademark unique scatting, occasionally eschewing lyrics altogether. This approach yielded a number of classic cuts like "Would You Believe In Me," "Lady Love" and the title track, which all found a home on the airwaves in those waning days of progressive FM.
...
Wikipedia