Willie Lewis
With the popularity of jazz slipping and sliding in its native America, many players have over the years chosen to relocate in Europe. Those who do are following in the footsteps of Willie Lewis. Born William T. Lewis, this historic jazz clarinetist and bandleader grew up in Dallas where he began his music career on the variety theater circuit. While some of his peers opted for on the job training on tour, Lewis chose the academic route and headed east to study at the New England Conservatory of Music. He had success in this period trying out for an open spot in the Will Marion Cook Orchestra and, as is sometimes the case with joining bands, there were unpredictable long-range consequences. Bandleader Sam Wooding wound up hijacking the entire Cook band, honing its sound through a long New York City nightclub engagement before taking the group on tour in Europe.
While every tour has at least some residual impact on a player, the effect of the collaboration with the wide-ranging vagabond Wooding cannot be overemphasized. From 1925 he took Wooding's Symphonic Syncopators where no jazzmen had gone before, including tours of North Africa and South America as well as working throughout Europe. In 1931, Wooding canned the band and Lewis promptly formed Willie Lewis & His Entertainers, holding over some of the members of the old group and staying put in Europe. The activities of this group established Lewis as the first important black expatriate jazz bandleader in Europe. He expanded his capabilities as a performer from this perch, doubling on alto and baritone saxophone and even bursting into song when the spirit moved him.
Important players such as pianist Herman Chittison, alto saxophonist Benny Carter, and trumpeter Bill Coleman all spent time in Lewis' groups, recording for the French Disques Swing label. The group prospered for about a decade, disbanding in 1941 with Lewis returning to New York. Over the next two decades his musical activities diminished greatly, and while he did branch out into acting, his main occupation was unfortunately toiling as a waiter. In the '80s he began to be featured in the reissue market, sometimes on his own merits and sometimes in the context of memorializing players such as Coleman, who had worked for him.
© Eugene Chadbourne /TiVo
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Diskografie
20 Album, -en • Geordnet nach Bestseller
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Bread of Heaven & I Wanna Be Ready
Hörbücher - Erschienen bei Lewis Music and Records am 01.01.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1941
Jazz - Erschienen bei Complete Jazz Series am 30.03.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1932 - 1936
Jazz - Erschienen bei Complete Jazz Series am 30.03.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1936 - 1938
Jazz - Erschienen bei Complete Jazz Series am 30.03.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Box Blues
Pop - Erschienen bei Music City Entertainment am 01.06.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Fantastic Christmas Songs
Jazz - Erschienen bei Best Holidays Recordings am 13.12.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Time Songs Imagination
Jazz - Erschienen bei Time Songs Imagination Music Rec am 21.03.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nobody is Dancing
Pop - Erschienen bei Studiomasters am 01.09.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Small Songs
Jazz - Erschienen bei WL Muzik Collections am 22.12.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Once Upon a Summertime
Pop - Erschienen bei Golden Pearls am 18.08.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rhythm Is Our Business
Jazz - Erschienen bei CoolNote am 01.01.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
On Your Toes
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazz League Music am 09.08.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lady Be Good
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazz League Music am 19.07.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Riding Tunes
Jazz - Erschienen bei Bertilo o Solemio am 18.04.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Take a Coffee Break
Willie Lewis, His Entertainers
Jazz - Erschienen bei moreeguale am 26.05.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classics, 1941 (Hq remastered 2023)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Vintage Recordings am 18.02.2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Classics, 1932-1936 (Hq remastered 2023)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Vintage Recordings am 18.02.2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Classics, 1936-1938 (Hq remastered 2023)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Vintage Recordings am 18.02.2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
A Shanty in Old Shanty Town
Jazz - Erschienen bei Record Classics am 01.10.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo