June 5, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 19
Kevin Lutke was born into a long line of successful musicians, and is now sharing his knowledge at Kevin Lutke’s Music Studio in Wyckoff. Lutke’s mother and her two sisters were known as the “Dinning Sisters.” This vocal trio started out on the NBC radio show known as “The National Barn Dance” -the same show that jumpstarted Les Paul and Mary Ford’s careers. The group went on to record several records for the Capitol label in the 1940s. They had four hit singles, and two of them made it into the Top 10. Their hit, “Buttons & Bows,” sold over a million copies. Lutke’s mother’s twin sister Jean penned “Teen Angel,” which was recorded by Lutke’s uncle Mark Dinning and landed at the top of the charts in the early 1960s. The other sister, known as Tootsie, was a part of “The Nashville Edition.” They got their start on the TV series “Hee Haw,” and became the most sought-after background singers in Nashville. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this spring. Lutke’s cousin, Dean Dinning, is the bass player for Toad the Wet Sprockett. This alternative rock band rose to fame in the late 1980s and is now making a comeback tour. Lutke started playing guitar at 12, but did not take it seriously until he heard a recording of George Benson’s “Breezin” He went
Studio owner comes from long line of musicians
Kevin Lutke
on to study jazz guitar at William Paterson University. He played and studied with Dave Samuels and Jim Hall and met Wayne Shorter. Lutke graduated with a bachelor’s degree in jazz guitar, and formed his own trio. He was awarded an NEA grant to perform at local colleges to introduce college students to his contemporary style of jazz.
His first CD as a leader featured jazz piano great and ECM recording artist Art Lande. The CD received good reviews and led to Lutke’s first Midwest tour. Although he branched out into fusion and blues, he eventually returned to his love of modern jazz guitar. For his second CD, he recruited the young jazz piano phenom
Bill Charlap. With the help of another NEA grant, Lutke recorded his CD “Fallenwood.” This got excellent reviews in Jazz Times and Jazz IS magazines. Because of his mother’s acquaintance with Les Paul, Kevin also got a chance to play with him the Iridium in New York City. Lutke continued to perform in New York area and held his CD release party at Birdland. He went on to receive his master’s in jazz guitar from New York University, which led him to a college teaching position in British Columbia, Canada. At the time, he was focusing on how to combine elements of modern classical music with 21st century jazz. He took up classical guitar, and now does most of his writing on this instrument, which is well documented on his upcoming release “Where Are You Now?” This new record features Lutke in solo, trio, and quartet settings, playing his nylon string on almost half the cuts along with his electric guitar. He has performed on several CDs as a sideman for Richard Kimball and the New Hope Jazz collective and many others. Lutke’s studio is located at 500 West Main Street, Suite 25, in Wyckoff. For additional information about the studio and private music lessons, call (201) 403-3200, e-mail klutke57@optonline.net, or visit kevinlutke.com.