Luke Polipnick is a composer and guitarist who infuses modern jazz with rock, roots, and avant-garde sensibilities. Armed with a keen ear, virtuoso technique, and a sense of humor, he navigates the contemporary musical landscape with fearless abandon and joyful aplomb. Born in Saint Paul, MN, Luke spent most of his late teens and early twenties exploring the vibrant Twin Cities arts scene, following modern jazz and free improv’ artists like Happy Apple, Fat Kid Wednesdays, and Milo Fine. A decade later, Luke has performed with many of his early musical heroes, toured the country many times in a multitude of settings, and continues to develop his unique musical voice as a guitarist and composer.

Luke’s compositions were featured in the avant-rock trio Volcano Insurance. He currently writes for and plays in Wailing Ships, Type Type, Glacier, Knife Stunts, Deconunisms, Lean Years, and plays in many ad-hoc configurations, as well as maintaining a full calendar as a sideman and music educator. Luke is also an active composer; his piece “Descriptive Data” for bass clarinet and computer earned him a spot on the 2009 Spark Festival for Electronic Arts, and he recently completed the score to the documentary “Broken Ground,” directed by Clay Masters. He has releases on out Public Eyesore Records, eh? Records, and Friends and Relatives records, as well as several self-releases. He has four albums that are slated for release later in 2012.

In addition to being an in-demand composer and guitarist, Luke is a successful organizer of concerts and a scene builder wherever he goes, co-founding the jazz promotion cooperative “Surrounded By Reality” in Madison, WI, which has brought in such icons as Peter Brotzmann and Hamid Drake, the Matt Wilson Quartet, and many of the greats from Chicago’s jazz and improvised music scene. He recently relocated to Omaha, NE, where he continues his work as a solid sideman and fearless innovator.

Select list of past and present collaborators:

Dave King Trucking Company, Anthony Cox’s Regional Jazz Trio, Fareed Haque’s Flat Earth Ensemble, Mike Pride, Kirk Knufke, Tatsuya Nakatani, Eric Reevis, Amy Denio, Fat Kid Wednesdays, Tim Daisey, Anton Hatwich, Patrick Breiner, Dave Miller, Chris Bates, JT Bates, Adam Linz, Michael Lewis, Joey Van Phillips, Deric Dickens, Will McEvoy, Adam Schatz, Bryan Day (Shelf Life, Eloine), Darren Keane (The Show is the Rainbow).