Luke Sullivant

Luke Sullivant– Jazz Educator and Professional Sideman With a 25-year career as a professional sideman, Luke has explored an extraordinary array of musical paths, often surprising himself more than anyone. After living in Detroit as a youngster, Luke spent his most formative growing-up years in Kansas City. He began his musical journey early, recording guitar and bass in local studios and performing both domestically and abroad by the age of 17. During these years, he immersed himself in the rich and diverse music scene of Kansas City, a city steeped in over 100 years of jazz legacy. Alongside the blues, rock, folk, R&B, hip hop, and religious music scene at that time, the city’s vibrant jazz tradition left an indelible mark on his musical identity. For the past 18 years, Luke has been based in Nashville, where his work as a guitarist, bassist, composer, arranger, and producer has made him a sought-after collaborator. His impressive resume includes recording and performing with renowned artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Little Big Town, TobyMac, Lauren Daigle, We the Kingdom, Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, and The Gettys, among many others. Along with being recognized as having played on Grammy winning albums, the latest Muso.ai charts show that recordings Luke was hired to play on have been streamed 1 billion times. In addition to his studio and touring work, Luke has achieved success as a composer for film and television. His original scores include the full-length soundtrack for The Silent Natural, as well as commissioned original music for documentaries, short films, and advertising campaigns. Whether performing at iconic venues like Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, or Red Rocks Amphitheatre, or spending countless hours in world-class recording studios in Nashville and Los Angeles, Luke has remained deeply connected to his jazz roots. His early years performing with his jazz trio and other ensembles in Kansas City continue to inform his artistry across all musical genres. Luke is thrilled to share his wealth of experience with students at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. With a passion for uncovering connections between musical styles and celebrating jazz as one of history’s greatest artistic achievements, he brings a unique perspective to jazz education. Luke aims to inspire students to see jazz not just as a genre, but as a timeless language that informs and enriches all forms of music.