George Lewis
George Lewis never tried to be a virtuoso soloist. He loved to play melodic ensembles where his distinctive clarinet was free to improvise as simply as he desired. When Lewis was inspired and in tune, he could hold his own with any of his contemporaries in New Orleans and he always sounded beautiful playing his "Burgundy Street Blues." To everyone's surprise (including himself), he became one of the most popular figures of the New Orleans revival movement of the 1950s.
It took Lewis a long time to achieve fame. He taught himself clarinet when he was 18 and worked in the '20s with the Black Eagle Band, Buddy Petit, the Eureka Brass Band, Chris Kelly, Kid Ory, the Olympia Orchestra, and other New Orleans groups. He played with Bunk Johnson in Evan Thomas' group in the early '30s but had a day job throughout most of the decade. When Bunk was discovered in 1942, Lewis became part of his band, playing with him Johnson, however, was difficult to get along with and a homesick Lewis returned to New Orleans by 1946. He played locally with his own group (featuring trombonist Jim Robinson) and in 1950 was portrayed in an article for Look. That exposure led to him recording regularly, and by 1952, Lewis was in such great demand that he was soon working before crowds in California and touring Europe and Japan. In addition to Robinson, Lewis' band in its prime years often featured trumpeter Kid Howard, pianist Alton Purnell, banjoist Lawrence Marrero, bassist Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau, and drummer Joe Watkins. George Lewis, who recorded for many labels (a Mosaic box set of his Blue Note sessions is one of the best reissues), became a symbol of what was right and wrong about the New Orleans revival movement, overpraised by his fans and overcritized by his detractors. At his best he was well worth hearing.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Donaueschingen (Duo) 1976
Free Jazz & Avantgarde - Erschienen bei hat ART CD am 02.02.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sonic Rivers
Wadada Leo Smith, George Lewis, John Zorn
Jazz - Erschienen bei Tzadik am 24.06.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Beverly Caverns Sessions
Jazz - Erschienen bei Good Time Jazz am 01.01.1953
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Usual Turmoil and Other Duets with George Lewis & Miya Masaoka
Klassik - Erschienen bei Music and Arts Programs of America am 21.07.1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A New Orleans Dixieland Spectacular (Digitally Remastered)
Dixieland - Erschienen bei Essential Media Group am 11.09.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sequel (For Lester Bowie)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Intakt Records am 15.01.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz At Preservation Hall: The George Lewis Band Of New Orleans
Jazz - Erschienen bei Rhino Atlantic am 01.01.1963
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Yankees
Derek Bailey, George Lewis & John Zorn, Derek Bailey, George Lewis, John Zorn
Jazz - Erschienen bei Celluloid am 14.05.1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Lewis
Dixieland - Erschienen bei Everest Records am 01.01.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Change Of Season
Steve Lacy, George Lewis, Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, Arjen Gorter
Jazz - Erschienen bei Soul Note am 31.12.1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Keeper of the Flame
Jazz - Erschienen bei Storyville am 21.01.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of George Lewis 1943-1964
Jazz - Erschienen bei GHB am 20.12.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Lewis' Ragtime Band (Digitally Remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Essential Media Group am 02.10.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Funeral at New Orleans
Jazz - Erschienen bei Olympic Records am 05.10.1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Solo Trombone Record
Free Jazz & Avantgarde - Erschienen bei Sackville am 01.01.1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Homage To Charles Parker
Jazz - Erschienen bei Black Saint am 31.12.1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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George Lewis with Papa Bue's Viking Jazzband
George Lewis, Papa Bue's Viking Jazzband
Jazz - Erschienen bei Storyville Records am 20.01.1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Circle Recordings
Jazz - Erschienen bei American Music am 26.11.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In Hi-Fi ................Plus
George Lewis, George Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, Bob Thomas, Alton Purnell, Alcide Slow Drag Pavageau, Joe Watkins
Jazz - Erschienen bei Upbeat Jazz am 16.07.2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Will to Adorn: The Music of George Lewis
International Contemporary Ensemble, George Lewis, Steven Schick, David Fulmer
Kammermusik - Erschienen bei Tundra am 06.01.2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo