Bryan Lubeck is coming back for a visit. And he’s bringing his guitar.
Lubeck, Spanish guitarist and singer, will perform a special Valentine’s show at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Goshen High School auditorium. He’ll be on familiar turf.
A 1985 GHS graduate, Lubeck performed with the high school jazz band and Crimsonaires and in various musicals.
“As a high school student, he was an excellent musician,” recalled GHS choir director Marcia Yost. “... He was very musically involved and had a lot of musical gifts.”
Proceeds from Friday’s concert will benefit the high school music department. Tickets cost $10.
During the day of the show, Lubeck will perform clinics and do question-and-answer sessions with the various music groups at the school. He has asked the Crimsonaires and jazz bands to open up the evening show. Lubeck will perform a few numbers with them before he and his band, Acoustic Vineyard, perform.
“It’s hard to imagine when I was performing in school that things would have turned out so well for me — and I want to attribute a big part of my success to my high school teachers Marcia Yost, Dave Plank and Max Mault.”
Lubeck’s work as a Spanish guitarist can be heard on radio stations including Chicago’s WNUA. This year, he’ll be recognized and featured at the 2010 American Smooth Jazz Awards.
The musician has gained recognition with his holiday CD “We Three Strings. His latest CD “Vineyard Groove,” was recorded and mixed by Grammy Award-winner Craig Bauer (Justin Timberlake, Kanye West) at Hinge Studios. The album features the work of musicians who have performed with Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Ramsey Lewis and other notables.
At Friday’s concert, Lubeck will be supported by a six-piece band that includes Dave Maki on keyboards, drummer Nate Lacny and guest star sax player Nick Bisesi.
‘A constant feature’
Lubeck’s family moved around a lot as a child. It seemed like every year meant living somewhere new. At some point, his mother bought him a guitar.
“I remember constant travel” from the ages of 3 to 8, he recalled. And the guitar went with him.
“I didn’t know how to play it, but it was a constant feature,” Lubeck said. “Like a teddy bear.”
His grandmother knew a guitar teacher, and Lubeck started taking lessons at age 9. His instructor gave lessons on a variety of other instruments, too, and the students “did country festivals and churches and all kinds of stuff.”
“I really got the bug, and was able to take it to the next level in high school,” Lubeck said.
Lubeck describes his music as a blend of Spanish and Latin guitar coupled with urban grooves. The show appeals to listeners of a range of age and cultures. And he’s curious to see who shows up at Friday’s concert.
“I’m blessed to be able to play for thousands at many of the shows I do, but I must say I’m even more excited to come home and perform for my hometown friends and fans,” he said. “I haven’t been back here to perform since my school years and so it’s definitely a ‘thrill to be back’ feeling — the band and I are very excited to do this show.”
“It’s going to be a really exciting concert,” Yost said.
