Fleischerei

Flash!! Gary performed his FLEISCHEREI duo with singer Caroline Scruggs and lots of Fleischer 'toons at the historic Byrd Theatre in Richmond VA on Sun. March 18th as part of the James River Film Festival. Read a review from Trent Nicholas of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

GARY LUCAS PLAYS THE FLEISCHER BROS.! at the James River Film Festival
"Richmond, VA., Sunday, March 18, a once in a lifetime performance was given at the legendary Byrd Theatre (b. 1928). Guitar star/virtuoso Gary Lucas treated the eager audience to numerous 1930s Fleischer Brothers cartoons, with fascinating historic facts, and the accompaniment of hometown fave vocalist Caroline Scruggs.
This reviewer has never witnessed in one sitting such an animated, musical tour de force. It was a dynamic show that moved without pause. Max and Dave Fleischer were of the school of cartoonery in which every object bounced and morphed like rubber and the art often traveled at rapid rate laterally across the screen in a an ebullient explosion of visuals, sound, and hilarity. Sheer cinematic surrealistic poetry!
Lucas both soloed and played the tunes with the talented and vivacious Scruggs lusciously crooning in her best Betty Boop-Kewpie Doll voice. Plus Lucas let several of the cartoons unfold without music or vocals allowing audience to revel simply in the pure genius of the Fleischers. Betty, Bimbo, Koko the Clown, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Cab Calloway, and Louis Armstrong came alive right there with us in the theater for 90 magical minutes."
—Trent Nicholas, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

"MEMORABLE NIGHT!! MAX WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF WHAT YOU DO!"
—from Max Fleischer's granddaughter Ginny Mahoney, after Gary's FLEISCHEREI show Sat. March 5th at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring MD for the Washington Jewish Film Festival

"THE FLEISCHER EVENT WAS AMAZING AND THE RESPONSE WAS RAPTUROUS; I CAN’T REMEMBER A MORE ENJOYABLE PROGRAM IN OUR THEATRE."
—David Schwartz, chief curator of the Museum of the Moving Image

GARY LUCAS' FLEISCHEREI CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2016 IN DOWNBEAT!!

Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI gets a rave review from United Mutations!

From Richard Gehr in Relix Magazine re: Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI album on Cuneiform Records:
"Swing, you sinners. During the pre-Hays Code '30s, Fleischer Studios' cartoons purveyed family-friendly sexual innuendo from scantily clad vixens, giant circus clowns, talking dogs, unmarried mothers, and horny sailors amid luridly pulsating black-and-white backgrounds. Guitarist Gary Lucas and his flippy-floppy jass combo reanimate the music of these debaucherously delightful Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons on Fleischerei! (Cuneiform). Lucas's dazzling slide guitar work and Sarah Stiles's saucy soprano will teleport you to some of the pre-war America's trippier environments. You'll want to listen to songs like 'The Broken Record' on permanent repeat."

"On the 8th night of Hanukkah my true love gave to me/
A cold knish and a glass tea."
Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI makes Goldmine Magazine's Best Indie album of the Year list!

Gary recently performed in Vienna at the Porgy and Bess Jazz Club with his Fleischerei duo featuring Viennese singer Tini Kainrath and lots of great Fleischer cartoons. The day before Gary performed solo at the Jewish Museum in Vienna as part of their "Stars of David" exhibition.

The full swinging FLEISCHEREI 6-piece band appeared along with many classic Max Fleischer cartoons as a special event night at the Washington Jewish Film Festival—the show was a pick in The Washington Post.

Gary Lucas and Sarah Stiles FLEISCHEREI duo also rocked the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria on Sunday Feb. 7th with a full showing of many Fleischer Brothers animation gems!!

"The Broken Record" live at MOMI 2/8/16


Preview the tracks "The Broken Record" and "Ain'tcha" from the new FLEISCHEREI album—and order the album now!

Recent press and raves for FLEISCHEREI:
·Read a rave in The Audiophile Voice
·Review in the Port Washington News
·Review in the Long Island Weekly
·Robert Christgau gives an A- to Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI album at Noisey/Vice.com
·Review in Goldmine
·Feature article in The Washington Post
·Review from The Vinyl District
·Interview with Gary from ComicsDC.com
·Review from Tim Lucas (Sight and Sound, Video Watchdog)
·Review from The Big Takeover
·Review from Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog
·Interview with Gary in Time Out NY about his FLEISCHEREI premiere at BAM
·Interview with Gary about FLEISCHEREI in The Jewish Week
·Feature article on Max Fleischer and FLEISCHEREI in Dangerous Minds

Check out Gary's blog posts about Max Fleischer's work at Classic Movie Hub!

"Guitarist Gary Lucas' "Fleischerei" confidently recaptures the sexy surrealism and racy gender politics of Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons. Sarah Stiles confidently channels Betty and Olive Oyl while the band jazzes jauntily along on the firm foundation of Gary's fluid fingerpicking."
—Richard Gehr, music critic (The Village Voice, Spin) and author ("I Only Read it for the Cartoons")

"Gary Lucas's FLEISCHEREI ingeniously captures the surreal spirit of the classic Betty Boop and Popeye Cartoons. I Hope to see it again soon!"
—Will Friedwald, jazz journalist (Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Vanity Fair), author of "The Warner Bros. Cartoons" and "Sinatra! The Song is You"

Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI is a loving musical tribute to the swinging, jazzy soundtracks that adorned animation genius MAX FLEISCHER'S surreal and wacky BETTY BOOP and POPEYE cartoons of the 1930's.

FLEISCHEREI is a 6-piece little big band featuring GARY LUCAS' acoustic guitar virtuosity, JOE FIEDLER's ripping trombone and ensemble arrangements,
and music theater star SARAH STILES' sexy and alluring vocals,

with the cream of NYC's jazz musicians on reeds, acoustic bass, and drums.

Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI is a swirling musical melting-pot of jungle-band jazz, Tin Pan Alley torch songs, raucous vaudeville turns, and Dixieland mixed with with a pinch of Klezmer—

good clean dirty fun, basically!

GARY LUCAS' career encompasses working with Leonard Bernstein and Captain Beefheart to collaborating with Jeff Buckley and John Zorn. He has released over 25 acclaimed albums in a variety of genres, and tours the world constantly. He was recently featured on the cover of Guitar Player Magazine. Rolling Stone called him "one of the best and most original guitarists in America".

Just nominated for a 2015 Tony Sward for Best Actress in the hit Broadway comedy "Hand to God", SARAH STILES' lovely presence has also graced Broadway stages in "Avenue Q" and "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever", and she was critically acclaimed as Little Red Riding Hood in Shakespeare in the Park's production of "Into the Woods".

JOE FIEDLER's trombone virtuosity and arrangement skills are renowned, and he's played with everyone from Celia Cruz and Eddie Palmieri to the Mingus Big Band and Fast 'N' Bulbous—he's currently the music director of "Sesame Street", and leads his own band Big Sackbut. He's played on 100's of albums, 6 as a leader.

and featuring

JEFF LEDERER—reeds | MICHAEL BATES—acoustic bass | ROB GARCIA—drums

Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI made their public debut live Sat. Nov. 15th at the BAM Cafe—a Pick in THE JEWISH WEEK

Gary Lucas and Sarah Stiles tear it up as an acoustic duo at the Cornelia Street Cafe NYC 5/1/15:


Video clips from Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI live debut at The Bridge LI 8/17/14:

"The Broken Record" | "The Music Goes Round and Round" 

Listen to Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI studio tracks:

"The Music Goes Round and Round" | "Betty Boop's Penthouse" | "I Want a Clean Shaven Man"

For more information & bookings:

Clip of "That's My Weakness Now" from the premiere of Gary Lucas' "Fleischerei" project at BAM 11/15/14



With Ginny Mahoney, Max Fleischer's granddaughter at AFI Silver Theatre before their packed FLEISCHEREI show for the Washington Jewish Film Festival Silver Spring MD 3/5/16


Gary and Sarah Stiles at their FLEISCHEREI acoustic duo show at Cornelia Street Cafe NYC 5/1/15
photo by Caroline Sinclair


Rocking Betty Boop FLEISCHEREI stylee MOMI show 2/7/16
photo by Caroline Sinclair


Backstage with Sarah Stiles at Museum of the Moving Image FLEISCHEREI show 2/7/16 Astoria NY


Big fun with FLEISCHEREI at MOMI 2/7/16
photo by Phil Mango

 


Gary Lucas and Caroline Scruggs at the Byrd Theatre for the James River Film Festival 3/18/18
photo by Magali DeVulpillieres

Gary Lucas and Caroline Scruggs doing "The Broken Record" at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond at the James River Film Festival on 3/18/18


Gary Lucas and Caroline Scruggs at the Byrd Theatre for the James River Film Festival 3/18/18
photo by Magali DeVulpillieres


Gary Lucas and Caroline Scruggs at the Byrd Theatre for the James River Film Festival 3/18/18
photo by Magali DeVulpillieres


Cover of Gary Lucas' FLEISCHEREI album by Joe Busam—new album released Feb. 5th 2016 on Cuneiform Records


FLEISCHEREI rocking the Washington Jewish Film Festival at the AFI Silver Theatre Silver Spring MD 3/5/16 l to r: GL, Rob Garcia, Sarah Stiles, Joe Fiedler, and Jeff Lederer
photo by Bruce Guthrie


Premiere of Gary Lucas' "Fleischerei" project at BAM 11/15/14


Animation pioneer Max Fleischer and Betty Boop


Gary and Sarah Stiles at their FLEISCHEREI acoustic duo show at Cornelia Street Cafe NYC 5/1/15
photo by Caroline Sinclair


Group hug: l to r: MaryAnne Tom, Jamie Mahoney, Gary, Ginny Mahoney (Max Fleischer's granddaughter), Sarah Stiles, Jim Mahoney and Joe Fiedler Backstage at AFI Silver Theatre 3/5/16


Gary and Sarah Stiles at their FLEISCHEREI acoustic duo show at Cornelia Street Cafe NYC 5/1/15
photo by Caroline Sinclair