Bill Lancton

Education

Bill is originally from Yonkers, New York, and graduated from Yonkers High School. After attending Indiana State University and IUPUI, Bill began his successful career in music by touring from 1973 until the early 1980s with various national acts, among them the popular funk band Fresh.

Career

In the 1980s he settled in Indianapolis, Indiana, teaching, performing, and composing. Between 1994 and 2008, in addition to releasing three solo jazz CDs, he recorded 4 CDs with the award winning reggae band Dog Talk.

One of Bill's musical passions is paying honor to his favorite's, through a series of tribute concerts. Jay Harvey, from The Indianapolis Star, in reviewing A Tribute To Blue Note, one of Bill's shows, writes: "Lancton evoked the best of Grant Green, Kenny Burrell...Lancton's melody driven solo on Green's Miss Ann's Tempo demonstrated that a distinctive style can be affectionately inhabited without narrow mimicry....on Blue Train, Lancton in particular was able to find a smooth balance of virtuosity and soulfulness in his solo". (The Indianapolis Star, November 23, 2002)

Awards and recognition

Bill was awarded a Creative Renewal Fellowship and grant in 2005 from the Arts Council of Indianapolis, and was elected to the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame the same year. He has performed with many great jazz artists, including Mindi Abair, Fareed Haque, Henry Johnson, Melvin Rhyne, Steve Allee, and leads the Bill Lancton Coalition