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
-
The Will to Adorn: The Music of George Lewis
International Contemporary Ensemble, George Lewis, Steven Schick, David Fulmer
Chamber Music - Released by Tundra on Jan 6, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Endless Shout
Alternative & Indie - Released by Tzadik on Jan 25, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classic New Orleans Jazz Vol. 1 From The Rare Center Series
George Lewis, The Mustache Stompers
Jazz - Released by Biograph Records on Oct 16, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Funeral in New Orleans
Jazz - Released by Tradition Records on Oct 5, 1953
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
George Lewis and Alton Purnell
Jazz - Released by Upbeat Jazz on Oct 5, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Storyville Presents The A-Z Jazz Encyclopedia-L
Jazz - Released by Storyville on Oct 19, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At "A Space" 1975
Muhal Richard Abrams, George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell
Jazz - Released by Sackville on Jun 18, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A New Orleans Dixieland Spectacular (Digitally Remastered)
Dixieland - Released by Essential Media Group on Sep 11, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dutch Masters
Steve Lacy, George Lewis, Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, Ernst Reÿseger
Jazz - Released by Soul Note on Mar 25, 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Keeper of the Flame: At the Ohio Union (Pt. 1)
Jazz - Released by Storyville on Jan 21, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
George Lewis Douglas Ewart
Jazz - Released by Black Saint on Jan 1, 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Famous Manchester Free Trade Hall Concert 1957 (Remastered 2022) (Live)
Jazz - Released by Upbeat Jazz on May 10, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Lewis: Changing With the Times
Classical - Released by New World Records on Jan 1, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rare Cuts: Well Done, Vol. 8
Albert Nicholas, Edmond Hall, George Lewis
Jazz - Released by Jazz Crusade on Dec 12, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The George Lewis Band at Herbert Otto's Party 1949
Jazz - Released by American Music on Dec 10, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Lewis Of New Orleans
Jazz - Released by Riverside on Jan 1, 1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Louis Nelson Big Four, Vol. 2
Jazz - Released by GHB on Feb 10, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Lewis and the Easy Riders Jazz Band
George Lewis, The Easy Riders Jazz Band
Jazz - Released by GHB on Jun 7, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo