Magic Days as Jack Lukeman returns for city show

Jack L bring his distinctive voice to Róisín Dubh on Friday next, August 25.  Since he made his debut with The Black Romantics in 1995, Jack Lukeman has  gone to forge a solo career that his seen him perform in Paris, Jamaica and London’s Royal Albert Hall.

His latest solo album is called Magic Days and was released last October. It opens with the swagger of The King of Soho, which he performed on The Late Late Show.

It’s followed by Sweet as Freedom, a lushly arranged number which recalls songs from the earlier part of Jack’s career, namely Georgie Boy and Rooftop Lullaby.

The next track sounds like it could be from the Bowie songbook, with a title like The Sunset Is Blue on Mars. Jack performed the song at an invitation-only event in Cork’s City Hall in June, when 320 experts from 26 different countries came to the International Space Studies Programme. It was inspired by a photo taken on Mars by NASA’s Rover device.

That unusual gig and song reflects a performer who has always marched to the beat of his own drum.  In 2008, he released an album of Randy Newman classics which received the stamp of approval from the man himself.  He has also interpreted the work of French singer Jacques Brel.

A performer who loves the live setting, Jack L will no doubt put on a show to remember in the Róisín Dubh.

Tickets €25/€22.50 members.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.