The Lounge Lizards

You can recall John Lurie from his amazing performances in Jim Jarmusch ‘Permanente Vacation’ or ‘Stranger Than Paradise’ (even his cameo in Paris, Texas and Desperately Seeking Susan), but the long & tall man from Minneapolis is essentially an outstanding musician. From 1979 onwards he was the leader of The Lounge Lizards, a band he put together in downtown New York with the help of brother Evan (piano, organ), Arto Lindsay (on guitar), Steve Piccolo (on bass) and Anton Fier on drums. Their music was ironically labeled as "fake jazz", being  their style a combination of punk rock attitude and no wave with strong doses of jazz. Over time they became increasingly appreciated for their originality which combined musical experiences gathered from all over the world, welcoming new members in the crew such as Tom Waits guitarist Marc Ribot. Their music still stood the test of time and their first live appearances are set to be remembered as wild and sophisticated at the same time.