One week before showtime, LUCA learned he’d be performing at one of New York City’s most famous jazz venues.
“I almost didn’t want to play,” he said. “I was like, how am I going to get my whole band ready in one week?”
He was left with just five days to rehearse two back-to-back sets after INAYAH, the previously scheduled performer, dropped out due to personal circumstances.
That was all LUCA needed to headline his first show at the Blue Note Jazz Club.
Sounds of clanking dinner plates and laughter filled the room. Waiters squeezed between tables and took orders under candlelight. Guests sat right next to the stage, close enough to touch the microphone stands.
When LUCA took the stage, all eyes turned to him. With open arms and a bright smile, he welcomed everyone to his world of song.
“You have to enter performances with zero doubts, you know,” he said. “Just let your body do all the talking.”
Pinks and blues illuminated the venue. LUCA’s sequin top reflected under the lights, sparkling in the wall mirrors. The stage became its own piece of art: a vibrant starry night flickering with the city’s buzz.
Much of the audience was unfamiliar with his music. Some guests I spoke to before the show told me they came to support LUCA’s band members. Others were simply looking for a musical dinner experience.
LUCA introduced his sound with one promise: an evening of “healing frequencies.”
Neo-soul, Motown and funk tied together with an air of jazz started the night off in a groove. His smooth vocals reflected the 60s and 70s — think Curtis Mayfield or James Brown. It was impossible not to feel the rhythm through the twinkling keyboard, punching drums, reverberating bass and of course, trumpet that spoke proudly through the music.
His setlist was reminiscent of the artists that shaped his current style, such as Black Crowes and Stevie Ray Vaughn. But it was also a love letter to music as a whole and how it has guided his life thus far.
“If you receive a talent, your job is to give that back to the people in the world,” LUCA said. “It’s my divine path.”
He dedicated a portion of his set to his hometown, Harlem, and to the people that helped bring his music to life. At his first headlining show, he shared the stage with his band members, often stepping to the side to let the other vocalists, Jade Nicole and Miss Kaya Kulu, shine.
“You have to showcase the people around you that make you who you are,” LUCA said. “What a privilege it is to have them.”
Despite the surprise performance, the road to Blue Note Jazz Club wasn’t short. LUCA began sharing his records on streaming platforms in 2021, with two EPs and two singles to date. In between, he has posted multiple covers on his social media platforms through his series, “Timeless Tuesdays,” and recorded a performance with On The Radar Radio.
“You got to take it one step at a time,” he said. “It’s one week you suddenly get the Blue Note.”
Over the years, his main genres shifted. His first EP, Decisions, is more indie and guitar-heavy, while his second, In Bloom, focuses on a pop-based sound.
LUCA opted not to play his indie-influenced older music, instead starting his set with two unreleased records: “I Surrender” and “Let Go Let God.” He shared with me that he’s more focused on sharing his latest self.
“I’m ready to showcase my new talents, my new world. My songwriting has evolved so much,” he said. “I’m going to share with you what I believe is the best of me.”
LUCA prompted everyone to sing the lyrics to his rhythmic choruses. His catchy lines made it easy for unfamiliar listeners to sing along. Soon enough, he was sharing the stage with the audience.
But he still gave time to a few of his released songs, putting a jazzy spin on them. His upbeat vocals and swinging instrumentals transformed the moody indie tracks into cheerful tunes that guests danced along to.
Cheers erupted when he began performing his recent viral single, “Sympathy.” An ode to old-school soul, “Sympathy” captures the hearts of listeners looking for vintage sounds. It’s hard not to do a double take at the release date upon first listen. Every aspect, from the music video shot with a TV camera to the organ riffs, feels like it’s from a decades-past hit. Even hearing it live, LUCA’s decadent vocals brought me back in time.
The song has spread far and wide, garnering the attention of Anita Baker and other artists. One of his Instagram reels promoting it has 654,000 views and counting, with his other posts also having tens of thousands of views.
For the public, “Sympathy” was an overnight hit. For LUCA, it was the culmination of months shooting videos, editing content and planning social media posts.
“I think people sometimes see viral moments and they see luck… To get a viral post, I posted like 200 times in the span of two months,” LUCA said. “When you spend hundreds of hours on your phone working towards it, it’s really hard work.”
Releasing a new project is not an overnight endeavor for LUCA; he takes part in writing and producing each of his songs, incorporating his own experience in his lyrics.
“Every record that we do is a story about my life or a story of someone close to me,” he said. “Those first two records [“I Surrender” and “Let Go Let God”] are totally about my own experience of letting go. There’s this Buddhist quote that goes, ‘When you let go of the need to arrange your life, abundance flows naturally.’”
LUCA exited the stage, receiving warm applause. The audience cheered for an encore despite learning his name only a few hours prior. As I revelled in the aftermath of his set, it slipped my mind that he only had one week to prepare. Instead, I was left with earworms and life mottos to remember forever.
Performing at the Blue Note Jazz Club is only the beginning of what LUCA has planned. Currently, he is gearing up to release his next album, which will be out “very soon.” But if another spontaneous opportunity comes, he’s willing to take it. Whether it’s blowing up on social media overnight or playing a dream venue with a week’s notice, he’s ready for whatever comes at him.
“God only gives you the opportunities that you’re prepared for,” he said. “Here we are. We did it.”
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