Luke Faust

Who is Luke Faust?

Luke Faust is an American musician. In the early 1960s he played a five-string banjo and sang Appalachian ballads, at The Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village, New York City. For five or six years Faust performed with Jerry Rasmussen. One of his fellow entertainers at the Gaslight was Bob Dylan who described Faust as "Someone closer in temperament to me."

Faust moved to Hoboken, New Jersey in 1963. In the early 1960s he briefly played the jug performing with the Holy Modal Rounders. He would get on stage with a full gallon of red wine and unscrew the top, take a few chugs and start playing. His tone would get deeper as the gig went on.

In the late 1960s Faust was a founding member of the band The Insect Trust, he was the band's banjo, fiddle and harmonica player. Later in the 90's he went on to form 'The Jug Jam' an improvisational Jug band with Perry Robinson, Lou Grassi and Wayne Lopes. Faust also played with 90 proof - a band with Steve James.

Faust is currently performing with The Carolina Jug Stompers playing rags, blues and breakdowns in the old-time jug - stringband style.