Event of Note: Strange and Beautiful - A Celebration of the Music of John Lurie

John Lurie by Tony Nelson.

The NY Times reports: "Le Poisson Rouge is presenting a tribute to the arts world polymath John Lurie that will include four concerts of his music and two exhibitions of his visual art works. The films Mr. Lurie has appeared in (“Stranger Than Paradise,” “Desperately Seeking Susan” and “Sleepwalk,” among them) are not part of the tribute, but some of Mr. Lurie’s film music will figure into the concert programs.

The festival, “Strange & Beautiful: The Music and Art of John Lurie,” opens on Sept. 9, with the Ensemble LPR performing string quartet versions of Mr. Lurie’s music. Among the arrangers are musicians who were members of the Lounge Lizards, the experimental jazz band that Mr. Lurie and his brother Evan founded in 1978. The first of the two art exhibitions opens in Le Poisson Rouge’s gallery the same night, and runs through Nov. 30. The other show runs at the Cavin-Morris Gallery, Sept. 18 to Oct. 25.

The other concerts in the festival include Sex Mob’s program of Mr. Lurie’s film music and an overview of Mr. Lurie’s works by Greg Saunier’s Inner Greatness (Sept. 16); and a concert by Antibalas and Hellbent, focusing on Mr. Lurie’s music with the Lounge Lizards (Sept. 25).

Steven Bernstein, the trumpeter in the Lounge Lizards, is playing in several concerts in the series. Other member of the group, including the guitarist Marc Ribot, the drummers Calvin Weston and Billy Martin, the bassist Tony Garnier and the saxophonist Michael Blake, will be part of a huge roster of players on the closing program at Town Hall on Sept. 27. The program is devoted to music of the Lounge Lizards and the fictitious Marvin Pontiac, an African-Jewish musician that Mr. Lurie created for the 1999 album, “The Legendary Marvin Pontiac: Greatest Hits.” 

For further information, visit the Le Poisson Rouge website as follows -

Sept 9 here:

Strange and Beautiful: Ensemble LPR performs string quartets by John Lurie and his compositions re-imagined for string quintet w/arrangements by Evan Lurie, David Handler, Anthony Coleman, John Medeski, Jane Scarpantoni, Doug Wieselman and more.

Sept 9 here:

John Lurie “The other side of The Great Wall of Fuck”

Sept 16 here:

Strange & Beautiful: SexMob plays with film music of John Lurie and Inner Greatness performing the music of John Lurie w/Steven Bernstein, Tony Scherr, Briggan Krauss, Kenny Wollesen, Greg Saunier (of Deerhoof), Doug Wieselman, and Adam Brisbin

Sept 25 here:

Strange & Beautiful: Antibalas and Hellbent perform the music of John Lurie & The Lounge Lizards w/Antibalas, Michael Blake, Steven Bernstein, Marcus Rojas, and Calvin Weston

Sept 27 here:

Strange and Beautiful: A Celebration of the Music of John Lurie, The Lounge Lizards and Marvin Pontiac @ The Town Hall w/John Zorn, Flea, John Medeski, Marc Ribot, Evan Lurie, Billy Martin, Michael Blake, Calvin Weston, and many more