Lucas Haneman

Ottawa was host to two sets of exhilarating music on the evening of Saturday, January 21, when local guitarists Lucas Haneman and Tim Bedner, along with Montreal drummer Evan Tighe, convened to follow up on the “guitar wizardry” they displayed in December 2010.

Ottawa's newest jazz venue, GigSpace Performance Studio, was host to this concert. Previously a sound design studio, and located within Alcorn Music Studios on Gladstone Avenue, GigSpace has been converted by the team at Alcorn into a wonderful location to perform. While the audience lacked in numbers due to the room's small size, they made up for it with enthusiasm, punctuating the trio's Herculean improvisations with jubilant shouts. The group covered a large range of musical territory, carving out fresh renditions of both jazz standards and more modern hits.

The first set opened with a medium-tempo shuffle version of "Willow Weep For Me", which lasted upwards of 10 minutes and set the bar for the rest of the evening. Right from the start, the guitarists employed a variety of effects: Bedner used a Hammond B-3 Organ sound for his custom-made ergonomic guitar, allowing him to walk a bass line comfortably under Haneman's interpretation of the melody. Haneman took an extended solo, in which he employed pitch bending to great effect, while Tighe supported him by accenting his lines with cymbals, snare and toms. Both Haneman and Bedner were highly lyrical and rhythmic in their improvised ideas throughout the show, and this opener was an excellent demonstration of that.

On Stevie Wonder's "I Wish", the musicians consistently transitioned smoothly from a funk to a swing feel. Neither guitarist was fazed by this switch during their solos, and continued their lines from one feel to the next without hesitation, which was particularly impressive. Tighe also soloed on this piece, with Haneman playing excellent percussive shots of his own on guitar as support. The group also re-imagined Wes Montgomery's "Four on Six", which Bedner had arranged into 5/4, resulting in a final title of "Four on Six (in Five)." Careful listening and team playing was shown when the whole band jumped on a rhythmic figure played by Bedner in his solo, developing it to great extent.

The group also covered songs such as Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun," in which there was an epic, almost narrative arc to Haneman's solo, and a tasteful, ethereal version of "On Green Dolphin Street," where Bedner electronically looped a bass line which was continued throughout the piece. "Sahara Sand Dune," an original tune from Haneman's recently released album, had the most varied textures of the set list, and revealed Afro-Cuban and world music influences through use of a guitar slide and Tighe's exceptional, driving beat .

Perhaps the highlight of the evening was their rendition of Radiohead's "All I Need." Haneman switched from electric to an amplified acoustic guitar, Tighe changed to mallets, and a beautiful, sensitive song was the result. Bedner kept his bass line simple, later unleashing a plaintive solo, supported by a groove laid out by the mallets and driving chords by Haneman. Jobim's "Wave" followed, featuring a powerhouse solo by Bedner with lightning-fast, sinuous lines.

The last tune of the second set featured Haneman's vocal talents on "I Don't Need No Doctor" by Ray Charles. It contrasted with what had been heard previously, and the rendition of the melody allowed a groovy duet between drums and voice. Holding true to Haneman's prediction while introducing the song, a "funky good time" was had by all, resulting in an enthusiastic standing ovation. The group answered by laying down a hip version of "Come Together", drawing even more applause, and a very satisfied audience.

– Chris Maskell - Ottawajazzscene.ca

Local band Go Long (!) is looking to have fun at this year’s Canada Day in Kanata celebration at Walter Baker Park.

“We just try to have a good time,” said lead guitarist Lucas Haneman, who lives in Katimavik.

Haneman, who has played with Eppiphane and the Lucas Haneman and Elyssa Mahoney band in past Canada Day in Kanata events, is joined by Danielle Allard in his newest band, Go Long (!).

“I've been lucky to be back all the time,” said Haneman, who also plays the mandolin and sings backup vocals.

The band plays unconventional music, which Haneman described as “folk-comedy,” taking well-known tunes or funny songs and turning them into acoustic ballads as well as writing their own material.

“I think it’s a real mixture of extremely serious and extremely ridiculous (music),” he said.

“That’s why it’s fun what we do,” said Allard, adding their show is family friendly. “It’s fun to see the kids dancing around.”

Allard, a Carp native now living in Morgan’s Grant, and Haneman will celebrate their one-year anniversary as a musical group three days after Canada Day.

They are looking forward to the July 1 festivities and the other bands they’ll be playing alongside during the evening.

“The bands that we’re playing with are extraordinary musicians,” said Allard, who sings lead vocals and plays rhythm guitar and the ukulele. “We’re excited.”

Both Haneman and Allard enjoy the Kanata event; Haneman said he has early childhood memories of going on rides at the fair ground, and Allard worked as an enchanted princess over the last four years.

Gigs have picked up for the band since the new year, including shows at the Great Canadian Cabin, Maverick’s and The Heart and Crown.

“We've got a lot of shows all the time,” said Allard.

The duo is planning on recording an album over the summer, with a possible release set for the fall, said Allard.

“We’re excited to get something together,” said Haneman.

Go Long (!) is set to perform at 5:15 p.m. at the Canada Day in Kanata event on the Urbandale Stage, followed by Open Sky, Plush Garden and headliner Sloan.

Haneman and Allard are keeping hush on their set list though.

“We don’t want to give it away,” said Haneman. - Yourottawaregion.com

03/08/2011
LONDON – Ottawa’s Lucas Haneman, CNIB’s 2010 iFactor winner, has been awarded the CNIB scholarship to the Master Class Series, taught by some of the most influential jazz guitarists in the world, and taking place during the inaugural Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler, this Labour Day weekend.

Along with 70 other guitar students, the 24-year-old will fine tune his talent under the tutelage of six Master Class Series faculty members who have 130 combined years of teaching experience. Headed by renowned jazz guitarist Kevin Eubanks, the Master Class Series will take place in the intimate theatre at Maurice Young Millennium Place in Whistler, B.C.

“I have dreamed of studying with players like these for most of my life,” says Haneman. “I was taken aback, humbled, and blown away when I received the call for this amazing chance to learn from some of the most unique and knowledgeable guitarists in the world.”

The most improved students in the Master Class Series will be invited to perform with their teachers at the Jazz On The Mountain All-Star Jam on September 4, 2011 on the free outdoor concert stage in Village Square, in the heart of Whistler Village.

“We are very pleased that such a talented guitarist as Lucas will be participating in the inaugural Master Class Series,” says Arnold Schwisberg, founder and producer of Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler. “His journey to overcome extraordinary hurdles, develop his talent and share it with the world inspires us. We hope he will in turn, be inspired by the Master Classes. Close-up, Lucas can learn the unique and distinctive instrumental voices of each of the artists, and ask questions about their personal techniques and tips. We hope this will be a true milestone in his career.”

An expressive and soulful guitarist with a sound that reaches beyond genres, Haneman, who has been blind since birth, won over his fellow contestants, judges and the crowd at the 2010 iFactor finale, CNIB’s premier musical competition for people with vision loss. Earlier this year, Haneman released his debut album; This is What’s Up, which he describes as Soul Jazz with flares of funk, rock, blues and a little bit of folk. (For more information, please visit www.myspace.com/lucashaneman)

As Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler’s charity of choice, CNIB will receive a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales to help support local CNIB programs and services for people who are blind or partially sighted. CNIB clients will receive free admission into Whistler Olympic Plaza, the Festival’s main venue.

About CNIB

CNIB is a registered charity, passionately providing community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. For more information, visit www.cnib.ca or call 1-800-563-2642.

About The iFactor

The iFactor is a nationwide musical competition for people living with vision loss, where contestants are given the opportunity to further their musical talents under the guidance of renowned entertainment industry professionals.

About JOMAW

Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler is Canada’s newest jazz festival taking place Labour Day weekend September 2 to 4, 2011 in the lively pedestrian village of Whistler, British Columbia. Combining top international and Canadian jazz artists performing in a picturesque, intimate and highly interactive setting, Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler offers over thirty free and ticketed shows providing entertainment for everyone and perfectly complementing the end-of-summer vibe in Whistler.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Shannon Simpson, Communications Specialist
P: 519-685-8420 ext. 5147 E: shannon.simpson@cnib.ca - CNIB

Guitar virtuoso Lucas Haneman, BFA 10, from Kanata, Ontario, was the big winner at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind's The I Factor, a Canadian Idol-style musical competition for individuals living with vision loss.

Hosted by comedian Mike Bullard, it was held August 7 at CNIB's Lake Joseph Centre in Mac Tier, Ontario.

Celebrity judges singer-songwriter Shirley Eikhard, musician Terry Kelly and Farley Flex, music promoter, motivational speaker and Canadian Idol judge, provided commentary on the top ten contestants at the live finale. Votes from the live audience determined the top three, of which Lucas was first!

A crowd favorite, Lucas had the audience cheering by the end of the evening!

Find out more at CNIB website | Hear Lucas's music on his Myspace page - Concordia University

Lucas Haneman said his goal wasn’t winning the top prize, but learning as much as he could from the celebrity judges. Lucas was one of ten lucky finalists in CNIB’s The i Factor musical competition and was named the winner at the finale. The top ten were given the unique opportunity to travel to CNIB’s Lake Joseph Centre for a week of intensive training that included instruction in vocals and stage presence, in preparation for the finale on August 7, 2010.
Blind since birth, and playing as well as performing since age 6, Lucas has always possessed a natural talent for the guitar. Originally focusing on styles like folk and blues, he began delving into genres such as jazz and original alternative rock as a teenager. Lucas had the chance to perform in many national jazz bands and received a CBC Galaxie Rising Stars Award in 2005 at the Ottawa International Jazz festival.

Since then he has focused on creating and performing original music with vocalist Elyssa Mahoney, with whom he received an Ontario Independent Music Award in 2008 for their song "How to Dance." Now an accomplished musician in many genres, Lucas has attended Concordia University where he received the prestigious Oscar Peterson jazz scholarship, and recently completed a Bachelors of Fine Arts with great distinction and a Jazz Studies specialization.


Well liked by both the audience and his fellow contestants, Lucas’ passion, natural talent and stage presence made him the audience favourite.

"We’re proud of him and thrilled for his success,” says CNIB’s President and CEO John Rafferty, “He is a gifted guitarist and a perfect example of what we want to showcase: great talent, perseverance and spirit all in the presence of vision loss.”

The August 7 finale was the culmination of several days of preparation and training for the contestants. Judge Farley Flex gave his time to mentor all the contestants and Terry Kelly also shared his wisdom. It was a life changing weekend for everyone involved.

A special thanks goes out to the amazing emcee Mike Bullard for hosting the evening and to Shirley Eikhard, Terry Kelly and Farley Flex for judging the event.



http://www.lucashaneman.com

http://www.cnib.ca - "ROCKIN' THE BLUES FROM CANADA"

Lucas Haneman won the nationwide I Factor contest on Aug. 7.EMC News - Kanata resident Lucas Haneman is the Canadian National Institute for the Blind I Factor champion after winning a nationwide competition on Aug. 7.

The Canadian Idol style music contest was held at the CNIB's Lake Joseph Centre in Mac Tier, north of Toronto for people living with vision loss.

Haneman has been partially sighted since birth and playing as well as performing since he was six years old.

He auditioned in June by submitting a two minute video of him singing and playing 'Wait until Tomorrow' by Jimi Hendrix. It was a web fundraiser for the CNIB so he sent out e-mails and messages on Facebook for friends to vote for him. Along with the votes a panel of judges including Murray McLaughlin reviewed the videos. He was shocked and honoured to have him as one of the judges. He received a call in early July saying he made it to the top 10.

"It was crazy to be in the top 10. People all across the country entered the competition. It was quite an achievement for me to make it and I was really excited," said Haneman.

He left for the camp on Aug. 4 for what he calls the greatest four days of his life. Some of the highlights of the four days included late night jam sessions, vocal coaching and spending time with Canadian music elite such as Farley Flex, Shirley Eikhard and Terry Kelly. He learned valuable performance tips such as placing a raised mat under his mic stand, that way he is able to feel by foot where the mic is.

On the first night of the competition he sang one of his original songs titled 'Don't Hide' and played the acoustic guitar. Although he has played at the Ottawa Jazz Festival, won numerous awards and many gigs he had pre-show butterflies because it was a competition but that soon changed.

"The second I got my guitar in my hand I felt great, I was relaxed and in my happy place ... the guitar has always been number one for me it's that girlfriend that never lets you down. It's the most reliable thing in the world," said Haneman.

He felt the biggest compliment came from Eikhard who commented that he had the whole package sounding like he had more than one guitar.

The next night the top three played again, this time he performed a song by Ray Charles called 'I don't need no Doctor," with the backup band. As he waited for the announcement they were entertained by comedian Mike Bullard, who he notes is funnier in person and had them all in stitches.

Once his name was announced he couldn't contain his happiness.

"I jumped up and gave my dad a hug, I screamed, I was overjoyed... all of us did a great job and I made nine of the best friends of my life."

He calls the overall experience a blast and notes that he learned a lot about living and having a great time.

He won the chance to open for Kelly at one of his Canadian shows and the top 10 are also recording an album in support of the CNIB. Haneman recently graduated from Concordia University where he received the prestigious Oscar Peterson Jazz scholarship and completed a Bachelors of Fine Arts with great distinction and a jazz studies specialization.

He says that music has been his passion forever and knew the only thing he could study was music.

So what's next for the 23 year star? He is recording two albums this fall, one with the Lucas Haneman Quintet and the second with The Robbie Sinclaire Band. As he works to become a full-time musician his calendar is quickly filling up. You can catch him on Aug. 21 PJ Quigley's and on Aug. 26 at noon at the World Exchange Plaza.

- EMC

Jazz-guitarist Lucas Haneman is a busy musician these days.
The 23-year-old Beaverbrook man is juggling his time teaching music in Kanata and travelling back and forth between Montreal and Ottawa, performing in night clubs with a variety of bands.

Meanwhile, he’s promoting three albums, including his debut solo CD, This is What’s Up, to be released at Tucson’s in Ottawa on May 20.

“It’s the first CD I’ve done in my own name,” he said. “These are the songs I’ve written in the past five years.”

Haneman will open the show with Kanata singer Danielle Allard, performing music from a musical project called Go Long(!)

The duo hope to record an album together.

This summer Haneman will tour Canada with Montreal-based Robbie Sinclair and The Beggars Laughing, a folk/reggae/blues band, which will release their new album in June.

But this year is nothing unusual.

Haneman’s hands have been perpetually busy ever since his parents bought him his first guitar when he was six years old, the same year he performed on stage at a school talent show.

Last year he performed at Ottawa’s annual Bluesfest – twice, performing a solo gig and also jamming with his then-newly formed band at LeBreton Flats.

He also managed to find time to graduate from Concordia University, where he studied jazz guitar and won the second annual i Factor, a national music competition for people with vision loss a the Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s Lake Joseph Centre in Muskoka, Ont.

FIRST REAL SIX STRING

Haneman first picked up a guitar at the age of six.

The budding musician couldn’t read sheet music; he was blind in one eye and had 25 per cent vision in the other. Lucas learned to play by listening to a song and then plucking the strings of his Degas metal guitar to produce similar sounds, eventually memorizing his music.

In 2003, Haneman helped create the Kanata rock band Eppiphane, a four-person group that included Lucas on guitar, lead singer Adam Kavanagh, bass guitarist Alex Mastronardi and Jiash Wu on drums.

The band moved from house parties and school coffee houses to placing third at the Ottawa Bluesfest Battle of the Bands in 2003.

When he graduated from Earl of March Secondary School, Haneman was courted by university and college music programs in both the United States and Canada.

He then graduated from Concordia with a fine arts degree with a specialization in jazz studies.

Haneman, who was born with detached retinas, said his visual disability has made him become a better musician. He had surgery when he was just a baby to correct the problem in his right eye, but still has very limited sight. He said the lack of vision gave him a different perspective on music, forcing him to learn by ear.

Haneman has won many awards and musical scholarships including the Robert D. Ball Memorial Scholarship (2009), the Oscar Peterson scholarship for jazz performance at Concordia University (2008) and the Ontario Independent Music Award (best blues song, 2008) for How to Dance, co-written and recorded with Elyssa Mahoney.

Haneman and Mahoney released a 12-song album in 2008.

CD RELEASE

This month’s release of This is What’s Up is a hallmark moment in Haneman’s music career.

Haneman said the CD is his statement album, marking his evolution as a guitarist, and the development of his own musical style.

“It’s really the music I’ve loved for so long that stems from my love of jazz music, but also extends to funk and blues and folk and rock as well,” he said. “It’s a combination of all those styles of music.

“What I was trying to do with this album is to create something that was unique and was my own style,” he said. “It’s soul-jazz – it’s jazz, but it’s accessible music.”

Elements of world music and funk find their way into the songs, he added.

Haneman has dedicated the CD to his mother, Darcy Haneman, who died a couple of years ago from cancer.

Haneman is backed up by saxophonist Averil Parker, drummer Evan Tigh, bassist Paul Van Dyk and singer Angela Galuppo, a quintet of musicians he met while studying at Concordia.

This is What’s Up will be released in Montreal at the Upstairs Jazz Club on May 31, starting at 8:30 p.m.

For more information visit the website www.myspace.com/lucashaneman.

Haneman will perform at Tucson’s, 2440 Bank St., starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available online at cdbaby.com

Haneman will perform during the following dates:

* June 4: Shenkman Arts Centre, Orleans Festival, 7:30 p.m.

* June 14: Tilley’s Restaurant, Carleton Place, 7:30 p.m.

* June 19: St. James Gate Irish Pub, Carleton Place, a jazz-duo with Peter Brown on keyboard, 7 to 10 p.m.

* June 24: Ottawa Jazz Festival, noon.

* July 1: Canada Day in Kanata, to be announced. - Yourottawaregion.com

Lucas Haneman has what he considers to be a different approach to playing guitar.

“It’s so tactile,” the 24-year-old Ottawa musician says. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he adds.

And yet, Haneman relies so heavily on touch only because he can barely see. After his mother’s appendix burst, Haneman was born two months prematurely, with both retinas detached. However, he had more much serious health issues than blindness. Weighing less than two pounds, Haneman spent the first six months of his life in an incubator and was given only a 40-per-cent chance at survival.

Against those odds, and any further impediments, Haneman has established himself as an up-and-coming musician in Ottawa and Montreal — where he graduated from Concordia University last year — and he will mark a career milestone on Friday, May 20, when he launches This Is What’s Up, his first CD.

The disc features Haneman with several young Montrealers tackling his original compositions, and the playing and writing are rooted in jazz. But Haneman’s early passions for blues, funk, rock and folk are apparent too, in his guitar sounds and melodies. There’s even a rollicking solo version of Neil Young’s Ohio.

Haneman’s loved that tune since his childhood, and he’s been attracted to guitar for just as long.

Haneman took up the instrument when he was six, inspired by his father, Wayne, a tech company executive who played guitar as a hobby.

As a result, the sound of guitar “was always ingrained in my subconscious,” Lucas says. It has always instantly taken him to “a happy place.”

On his own, Lucas absorbed a lot of music. He learned to play scales, he says, by imitating Eric Clapton solos. He got Calypso stylings and aspects of country playing under his fingers, despite the fact that his left eye, with its detached retina, doesn’t work, and his right eye, with its re-attached retina, sees poorly — about 20/200, Haneman says.

Legally blind, Haneman titled one of his compositions Tunnel Vision — the blues that opens his CD — as a nod to his condition. Last August, a month before he recorded his disc, Haneman won the CNIB (formerly the CNIB) national i Factor contest for musicians with vision loss.


At 10, Haneman began studies with Ottawa guitarist Wayne Eagles, who stoked his interest in blues and later jazz playing. “I was immediately struck by his incredible enthusiasm for the guitar and his interest in a range of musical styles — characteristics that still define him. Lucas was already playing well beyond his years,” Eagles says.

Eagles discerned very quickly that Haneman had a tremendous ear, giving him the ability to mimic lines, chord voicings and chord progressions. “His musical memory is remarkable,” Eagles added.

Since Haneman couldn’t read music, he taped all his lessons with Eagles — and quickly progressed. “There was a period of adjusting some unconventional fingerings and technique, but he adapted easily,” Eagles says. “Of course, Lucas was blessed with an incredibly supportive and encouraging family — their influence can’t be underestimated.”

At 13, Haneman attended the Ottawa JazzWorks summer camp, which has boosted and inspired jazz lovers from Juno-winning singer Kellylee Evans to weekend jazz warriors content to jam at the Carleton Tavern. ”I was this crazy sponge,” Haneman says. Exposed to teachers such as Ottawa bassist John Geggie and saxophonist Rob Frayne, Haneman left thinking, “this is the type of music I would like to play.”

Raised in Kanata, Haneman attended Earl of March High School and eventually earned a spot playing in the Nepean All-City Jazz Band, which for more than 20 years has assembled Ottawa brightest teenaged jazz talents.

Neil York-Slader, that band’s director, recalls that his initial concerns about Haneman’s disability quickly fell away.

He has qualms at first about Haneman handling must-play, written material. “What I discovered very quickly, to my delight, was Lucas’s remarkable aural acuity. He would hear something once and have it down immediately,” Yorke-Slader says.

“He also possessed excellent musical judgment about where and how to fit in the guitar part into the larger ensemble,” the acclaimed band director adds. “I cannot recall any time when he ever played anything that did not fit.” Yorke-Slader also admired Haneman as a person — “as a teenager who was remarkably self-aware, comfortable in his own skin. He had a wonderful sense of humour, and made others feel at ease.”

However, Haneman’s father, Wayne, is quick to give credit to Ottawa’s musical community and to music more generally for bolstering his son socially.

Lucas was immediately encouraged at Ottawa jam sessions and open stages, Wayne says. “It helps you feel involved, accepted.

Before he attended high school, Lucas did not have a lot of friends, his father adds. “Kids weren’t that accepting,” Wayne says. “Music really helped to bridge that gap.” Wayne notes that Lucas flourished at Earl of March, which he chose over a school for the blind in Brantford, Ont.

“Everyone in the All-City Band both adored and admired him,” Yorke-Slader said. “They all knew how hard they’d worked on their own musical development, and understood the incredible dedication and amazing talent Lucas showed.”

In Yorke-Slader’s group, Haneman developed a special bond with the talented young bassist Alex Mastronardi, off the bandstand too. Haneman, Yorke-Slader says, “didn’t need to be guided directly in new settings. He would sort of linger near Alex’s shoulder so he’d know where to go.”

The friendship continues, and Mastronardi, who records music and plays bass in Ottawa, engineered Haneman’s disc.

Haneman attended Concordia University, where one of his teachers was Ottawa guitarist Roddy Ellias.

“What continued to amaze me for the three years of guitar lessons and other courses as well, was, and is, Lucas’ depth — his depths as a musician and his depth as a person,” Ellias says. “I guess when you think about it, one reflects the other.

“Lucas was a dream to teach because he always brought more to the lesson than the task or question at hand — and he was a total inspiration to work with,” says Ellias. The teacher and his student a few years ago performed a night of duets at Cafe Paradiso in Ottawa.

At Concordia, Haneman says he began to find his artistic direction almost as a reaction against his studies. “The way that music is taught, it boxes us in,” he says. As immersed in jazz as Haneman was at Concordia, he came to realize that he couldn’t abandon his early love of funk, blues and folk.

“I thought it’s important for me to keep those things alive. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be true to myself.”

Haneman takes voice lessons these days and calls himself a “closet singer-songwriter.” He performs in a duo called
Go Long! with singer/instrumentalist Danielle Allard. He appears on two other forthcoming CDs. One is a folk-reggae project with Montrealers, and another is an indie-rock outing with the Montreal singer Angela Galuppo, who sings on two tracks on Haneman’s disc.

Both of those songs, Haneman’s original Smiling Faces and the jazz standard If I Should Lose You, are dedicated to Haneman’s late mother, Darcy. She died in June 2009 after a three-year battle with cancer.

Her passing had a huge and immediate impact on Haneman’s music. “It has opened up a gateway into a deeper form of expression,” he says. ”Right after my mother passed away I can remember experiencing a deep pocket of inspiration that made me want to practise with a ferocious amount of organization, and to work harder than I ever had before. As a result I had a religious and almost ritualistic connection with my guitar for a few months, and I experienced the most drastic shift in my playing that I had ever felt.”

Almost two years later, Haneman says the loss of his mother still informs his playing. “Her passing still has a continuous impact on the way I perceive and play music,” he says. “It is an impact that ebbs and flows, but it is always there in one form or another when I pick up my instrument.”

Lucas Haneman plays Friday, May 20, at Tucson’s, 2440 Bank St. (near Hunt Club Road). The music starts at 9 p.m.

Haneman also marks the release of his CD on Tuesday, May 31 at 8:30 p.m. at Upstairs in Montreal. - Ottawa Citizen

Paul VanDyk on acoustic double bass and Evan Tighe on drums (both from Montreal) experience playing together with Haneman – live and on Haneman's recently released CD “This is What’s Up showed in their easy communication and smooth transitions. Haneman's electric guitar set the style – fluid and melodic and fusion-influenced. Some songs, like Tunnel Vision and Odds and Ends, were funkier, while Taken Captive displayed a touch of Pat Metheny . Particularly notable were Sahara Sand Dune, in which Haneman steadily increased the tension with fast pizzicato notes on his guitar playing against VanDyk's steady bowing on the bass, and Smiling Faces, a lovely ballad.
Both the musicians on stage and audience members smiled often during the concert. Almost no one vacated the chairs, and there was enthusiastic applause at the end followed by brisk purchasing of his CD.
Brett Delmage Ottawajazzscene June 2011 review of Ottawa Jazz Festival “Lucas Haneman Trio”
- Ottawa Jazz Scene