Vinyl Vault: Jon Lucien

The week, the Vinyl Vault takes a look at velvet-voiced vocalist Jon Lucien with tracks from three of his albums, Rashida (RCA, 1973), Mind’s Eye (RCA, 1974), and Song for My Lady (Columbia, 1975). Lucien eventually recorded about 16 albums under his own name.

Lucien (1942-2007) was born on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, grew up on St. Thomas, and eventually made his way to New York City, finding success in the recording industry. Besides singing, Lucien was also a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, bass, and keyboards.

In the mid-70s, when these recordings were made, Lucien was working with Dave Grusin, who appears on all three albums, playing keyboards and arranging the sometimes lush orchestral backgrounds.

The three albums we’ll hear on Tuesday have a gentle island vibe that showcases Lucien’s sensual vocal style.

Join Geoff Anderson in exploring the music of Jon Lucien on Tuesday, March 3, at 8:30 p.m. on the Vinyl Vault featured on The Night Beat on KUVO JAZZ.