At 23-years-old, Lucas Kadish is taking large strides in the world of jazz and improvised music. Born and raised in northeast Ohio, he fell in love with the guitar at a very young age. Right around this time he found his second love: the drums. "Rhythm is a tremendous focus in my life and my music. It's the easiest way I can really express to people what's happening in my head." Lucas’ original music grows out of jazz and blues, with big influences from European classical and freely improvised music.
Lucas has performed alongside artists such as Les McCann, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Braxton Cook, George Kontrafouris, Dominick Faranacci, and many more. He’s led five tours of his own music nationally and internationally. He has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Bern Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Winnipeg TD Jazz Festival (Manitoba, Canada), Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (D.C.), Tri-C Jazz Festival (Cleveland), at Beit Ha'amudim (Tel Aviv, Israel), and at Κεραμειο (Athens, Greece). He has also performed at numerous venues in NYC such as Smalls Jazz Club, The Jazz Gallery, Cornelia St. Cafe, Nublu, Baby's All Right, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Appel Room, and many more.
Lucas was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. There he spent his formative years discovering a deep love for all sorts of music. In his late teens he began studying and playing with Theron Brown, Dan Wilson, Bobby Selvaggio, and many other staples of the scene. By graduation he had already been named a National YoungArts finalist and a semi-finalist in the United States Presidential Scholars of the Arts for jazz guitar. He was admitted to The New School for Jazz on the President’s Scholarship and moved to NYC. In his first year of college, Lucas was selected for the Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead Residency for composition. There he worked and studied alongside Jason Moran, Eric Harland, Carmen Lundy, JD Allen, Andre Hayward, Cyrus Chesnut, and Eric Revis. Lucas is now a recent graduate from the New School for Jazz.
Lucas' own group, TUNDRA, was conceived during his time at the New School and focuses on his original compositions. "My pieces, mostly titled after streets I've lived on, reflect deeply on my relationships, present and past. They serve as somewhat of a journal for the many uncertainties that I don't believe need to be answered."
Lucas has performed alongside artists such as Les McCann, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Braxton Cook, George Kontrafouris, Dominick Faranacci, and many more. He’s led five tours of his own music nationally and internationally. He has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Bern Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Winnipeg TD Jazz Festival (Manitoba, Canada), Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (D.C.), Tri-C Jazz Festival (Cleveland), at Beit Ha'amudim (Tel Aviv, Israel), and at Κεραμειο (Athens, Greece). He has also performed at numerous venues in NYC such as Smalls Jazz Club, The Jazz Gallery, Cornelia St. Cafe, Nublu, Baby's All Right, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Appel Room, and many more.
Lucas was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. There he spent his formative years discovering a deep love for all sorts of music. In his late teens he began studying and playing with Theron Brown, Dan Wilson, Bobby Selvaggio, and many other staples of the scene. By graduation he had already been named a National YoungArts finalist and a semi-finalist in the United States Presidential Scholars of the Arts for jazz guitar. He was admitted to The New School for Jazz on the President’s Scholarship and moved to NYC. In his first year of college, Lucas was selected for the Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead Residency for composition. There he worked and studied alongside Jason Moran, Eric Harland, Carmen Lundy, JD Allen, Andre Hayward, Cyrus Chesnut, and Eric Revis. Lucas is now a recent graduate from the New School for Jazz.
Lucas' own group, TUNDRA, was conceived during his time at the New School and focuses on his original compositions. "My pieces, mostly titled after streets I've lived on, reflect deeply on my relationships, present and past. They serve as somewhat of a journal for the many uncertainties that I don't believe need to be answered."