Bill Lancton

Bill Lancton (b. Yonkers, New York - ) – Guitarist and composer. A native of New York, Bill Lancton attended Indiana State University and IUPUI. Starting in 1973, he traveled the country with various acts – particularly the Indy-based funk band Fresh. At some point, he played with Sam & Dave and Kenny Loggins, and he has performed at the Grand Ole Opry. After settling in Indy in the 1980s, he has become a mainstay at jazz venues and won a Creative Renewal Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis in 2005, the same year that he was inducted into the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Hall of Fame. Since 1997, he has released three solo CDs, the second (Yeah Man) with Allen “Turk” Burke on keyboards, Kenny Phelps on drums, and Jonathon Wood on Bass. In addition to leading his own groups – a six-piece combo named Coalition, quartet and trio – he has played with the eclectic band Dog Talk since 1994 and formed the Indy Guitar Summit for three to five guitars and rhythm section in 2002. Current jazz artists he has performed with include saxophonist/vocalist Mindi Abair and guitarist Fareed Haque.