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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Wait Till the Sun Shines Nellie
Jazz - Released by GHB on Dec 16, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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George Lewis In Hi-Fi
Jazz - Released by CoolNote on Jan 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Move Around
Rock - Released by Creative Minds Records on Jan 1, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Storming of the Winter Palace (Live in Moers & Zurich)
Irène Schweizer, George Lewis, Maggie Nicols, Joëlle Léandre, Gunter Sommer
Jazz - Released by Intakt Records on Jul 2, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The George Lewis Band 1956 with Clem Raymond and Tony Parenti
Jazz - Released by American Music on Dec 9, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Lewis' Ragtime Jazz Band, Municipal Auditorium, Congo Square
Jazz - Released by American Music on Dec 9, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ultimate Jazz Archive 9 (3 Of 4)
Jazz - Released by Carinco AG on Feb 18, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Louis Nelson Big Four, Vol. 1
Jazz - Released by GHB on Feb 10, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Simply George Lewis
Jazz - Released by Sharp Edge Records on Jun 4, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Original Dixieland One Step
Jazz - Released by Nostalgia Gold Records on Apr 29, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My Sweet Home (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by That's What Records on May 13, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Lewis Of New Orleans
Jazz - Released by BHM on Jul 29, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Burgundy Street Blues
Jazz - Released by Wamsenzo on Sep 19, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo