Born in 1977 in a small suburb of Dallas Texas, Michael began playing piano at the age of five and early interest quickly evolved to passion. While deepening his curiosity and developing his musical talent on the piano, he began playing trombone in middle school and in 1995, he was admitted on scholarship to the highly competitive jazz program at the University of North Texas, eventually working his way to solo chair in the world-renowned “One O’Clock” lab band from 1998-2001 participating in several international jazz festivals as well as recording four albums with the ensemble. Lucke also has performed and recorded with the University of North Texas Wind Symphony and appeared with musicians including Kenny Wheeler, Joe Lovano, and the Brecker Brothers. A coveted placement in the inaugural class of the Julliard Jazz Program as one of three trombonists capped his formal music education.

Once in New York, live performance began to fall second to Michael’s growing passion for what Wynton Marsalis would call “the grammar and vocabulary of jazz.” His interests turned toward the understanding and analysis of the musical form through the process of transcription. Inspired by a transformative live performance by Brad Mehldau in 2001 in Austin, he worked obsessively over the next decade to transcribe the artist’s (and others) most memorable performances. After years of work, what was primarily a labor of love and learning became a profession. 

Now recognized as one of the most talented transcribers in the world, he works regularly with Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch and other emerging jazz talents to bring their ephemeral works to paper in order to inspire a new generation of jazz artists in the process.