Projects
SuperBigmouth
SuperBigmouth is Chris Lightcap’s latest project as a bandleader, combining his two acclaimed ensembles Bigmouth and Superette. The eight-piece ensemble was dubbed “Best New Artist” in the Jazztimes critics poll and features the lineup of Lightcap alongside keyboardist Craig Taborn, tenor saxophonists Tony Malaby and Chris Cheek, guitarists Jonathan Goldberger and Curtis Hasselbring, and drummers Gerald Cleaver and Dan Rieser. Lightcap released his sixth album of original music featuring this ensemble on Pyroclastic Records in 2019, which was named one of the best releases of 2019 by Rolling Stone and Downbeat Magazine.
Bigmouth
Bigmouth is a five-piece ensemble led by Lightcap since the early 2000s. An outgrowth of his earlier two-tenor quartet, the band features Craig Taborn, Tony Malaby, Chris Cheek and Gerald Cleaver. Lightcap has released two albums with this band on the Clean Feed Label: 2010′s “Deluxe” and “Epicenter” in 2015. Both records were named top releases of the year by such outlets as The New York Times, NPR, Downbeat Jazztimes the Village Voice and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to numerous US appearances, Bigmouth has performed at major festivals throughout Europe including Willisau, Saalfelden, North Sea, Porto, Geneva, Ljubljana, Maribor and Edinburgh.
Superette
Superette is Lightcap’s experimental all-electric band that explores the nexus of of harmolodics, surf, West African music, psychedelia and beyond, featuring Jonathan Goldberger and Curtis Hasselbring on guitars and Dan Rieser on drums. The group performed at the 2017 NYC Winter Jazz Fest and in 2018 released its debut recording on Royal Potato Family Records featuring guests Nels Cline and John Medeski. All Music Guide called the album “superb” and Goldmine Magazine named it the “best pure rock all instrumental CD in years.”