(drawn by Dr. Edward S. Light)
Short Bio
Andrew Light is an accomplished New Jersey-area guitarist, producer, and composer...an artist of deep passion and an unlimited devotion to music. Well known for his proficiency in a number of musical styles, Andrew is equally at home playing vintage swing guitar with a 20-piece big band, creating moody soundscapes and lush arrangements, programming fuzzy electronic drum beats, or playing full-on sensory assault rock. As a performer he has played the quietest of living room jazz gigs to the loudest of Meadowlands arena rock concerts, as he did in 2003 when opening for Kansas. Andrew has toured the U.S. four times with his various original groups, which have included Secret Agent Abe, the Big Mechanical Bull, and Lunar City. He is an in-demand producer, arranger, and guitarist around the New Jersey/ New York area, and has produced records for artists in styles as varied as R&B, trip-hop, and traditional Irish folk.
Although Andrew's unique approach to music and his instrument is largely self-taught, he has earned a B.A. in music from Monmouth University and privately studied jazz guitar with famed jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Andrew has been acclaimed in the U.S. and European press for his guitar playing, which combines rock attitude with spy-jazz hipness and virtuosity, and he enjoys a strong reputation as a musician's musician in the New Jersey club scene. Due to his unusually wide range of musical loves and interests, it is very rare that you meet a musician that possesses Andrew's versatility.
This Jersey Shore native divides his time between performing, teaching, arranging, recording, and producing music for himself and for others in his studio, LightLab. He is currently active in a jazz duo with singer Allie Moss, as well as his 'psychobilly getaway sci-fi terror rock' group the Big Mechanical Bull on Jerk Records. While he has scaled back his concert touring as of late, and he does miss the road, Andrew is happy to be in his studio producing on a full-time basis.
Andrew achieved success with his heavy surf-funk band Secret Agent Abe, who spent much of 1996-2000 on the road headlining shows and festivals and getting considerable radio airplay. Plans for a long overdue follow-up to the band's highly successful record 'Canaan', which The Aqarian describled as "a cosmic musical trip leaving no genre untouched", are rumored to be in the works.
Andrew is also a highly in-demand guitar teacher whose students rank among the tri-state area's most accomplished players. For information on studying with Andrew privately please email info@andrewlight.com.