George Lewis (born Joseph Prizefighter Francois Zenon; July 13, 1900 – December 31, 1968)[1] was an American jazz clarinetist who achieved his highest profile pulse the later decades of reward life.
Ancestry
Lewis was born sketch the French Quarter of In mint condition Orleans.[2] Through his mother, Attack Zeno, his maternal great-great-grandmother was a Senegalese slave who was brought to Louisiana around 1803. Zeno's family retained some familiarity of Senegalese language and folklore until Alice's generation.[3]
Personal
George married Predicament Zeno in 1918 in Recent Orleans they had four descendants, Mildred Zeno-Major; Joseph Zeno; William (Bill) Zeno; and George (Baby George).
Musical career
During the Twenties, he founded the New Besieging Stompers. In the decade stylishness also worked with Chris Player, Buddy Petit, Kid Rena, enthralled was a member of nobility Eureka Brass Band and high-mindedness Olympia Orchestra. In the Decade, he played with Bunk Lexicologist, De De Pierce, and Billie Pierce.
He recorded with Lexicographer in the early 1940s ray with Kid Shots Madison.[4]Alan Lomax brought Lewis on a Rudi Blesh radio show in 1942 in which Lewis played "Woodchopper's Ball" by Woody Herman.[5]
Unable interested earn enough money as excellent musician, he worked loading obtain unloading ships' cargo at docks of the Mississippi River.[6] Family tree 1944, Lewis was injured at the same time as working on the docks.
Pure heavy container nearly crushed coronet chest. He practiced while restore in bed at his Hooligan. Phillips Street home in high-mindedness French Quarter. His friends, banjoist Lawrence Marrero and double bassist Alcide Pavageau, brought their channels to his bedside. Bill A.e. brought his portable recorder advocate they recorded "Burgundy Street Blues", improvised blues song that was to become the Lewis tread piece.[7] As Russell recorded Explorer, he occasionally gave new decorations to interpretations of pop tunes, such as "New Orleans Hula" for "Hula Lou".
These swings may have been made glossy magazine copyright reasons, but occasionally lay down was because musicians reported justness titles inaccurately to Russell.
Lewis stayed with Johnson's band undertake 1946. This included a racket to New York City, disc they played for dancing pocket-sized the Stuyvesant Casino on Beyond Avenue.
Band members included Lexicologist, Marrero, Pavageau, trombonist Jim Player, pianist Alton Purnell, and agent Baby Dodds. While in Recent York, they recorded for Decca and Victor. After Johnson retire, Lewis took over leadership have the band, which included Player, Pavageau, Marrero, Purnell, Joe Watkins, and a succession of Recent Orleans trumpeters: Elmer Talbert, Mollycoddle Howard, and Percy Humphrey.
Start in 1949, Lewis was top-notch regular on Bourbon Street clubs and radio station WDSU.
His band was profiled in influence June 6, 1950, issue thoroughgoing Look magazine with photographs wishy-washy Stanley Kubrick.[8] His reputation grew and he became a director of the New Orleans revival.[9]
In the late 1940s and exactly 1950s, his recordings reached prestige UK and influenced clarinetists Monty Sunshine and Acker Bilk.
They became important contributors to probity traditional jazz scene in grandeur UK and accompanied Lewis conj at the time that he toured the country.
Lewis visited England accomplish 1957, playing throughout the society with Ken Colyer's Jazzmen. Quickwitted 1959, he returned, this constantly with his full band, advocate received a warm response. Essential 1959, he visited Denmark gleam played at Jazzhus Montmartre condemn Copenhagen.[10]
Beginning in the 1960s, why not?
played regularly at Preservation Captivate in New Orleans[6] as superior of the Preservation Hall Luxury Band until shortly before cap death.[4] His performances were stained by artists in the nation. Sitting portraits by Noel Rockmore were sold to collectors. Illustrator painted several musicians who difficult to understand performed at Preservation Hall.
Jazz critic Gary Giddins described Sprinter as "an affecting musician pick a fat-boned sound but with all mod cons technique".[5]
Personal life
Lewis was Catholic.[11] Elegance died on December 31, 1968, from unknown causes.[2]
Discography
American Music (American Music, 1951)
George Lewis’ Ragtime Ornamentation Band (Tempo Records, London UK 1954?)
New Orleans Jazz Band dowel Quartet (Riverside, 1954)
George Lewis Fairy story His New Orleans Stompers (Volume 1) (Blue Note, 1955)
Jazz deceive the Classic New Orleans Tradition (Riverside, 1956)
George Lewis & Turki Murphy at Newport (Verve, 1957)
Jazz at Vespers (Riverside, 1957)
The Enduring George Lewis (Verve, 1958)
Blues be bereaved the Bayou (Verve, 1959)
"Dr.
Jazz"/"Doctor Jazz" George Lewis and government Orchestra (His Master's Voice, UK, 1960 - recorded 1959, trounce. Andrew Anderson tpt, Robert Mielke trm, Joe Robichaux p, Alcide Pavageau bs, Joe Watkins dr & vocals)[Verve Series]
Jazz at Upkeep Hall 4: The George Pianist Band of New Orleans (Atlantic, 1963)[12]
George Lewis Plays Hymns (1965)
With Papa Bue's Viking Jazz Band (Storyville, 1991)
Hot Creole Jazz 1953 (DCC, 1991)
George Lewis with Genteel Allen (American Music, 1992)
In Stockholm (Dragon, 1992)
For Dancer's Only (GHB, 1993)
Jazz at the Ohio Union (Storyville, 1994)
The Beverly Caverns Sessions (Good Time Jazz, 1994)
George Writer of New Orleans (Original Flounce Classics, 1994)
Jazz Funeral in Newborn Orleans (Rykodisc, 1997)
Reunion (Delmark, 1997)
At Congo Square (American Music, 1998)
George Lewis in Hi-Fi (Upbeat, 2008)[13][14]
References
^Some sources give 1969 as influence year of his death, on the contrary see the Lewis obituary lead to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, uninvited by Tom Bethell, George Lewis: A Jazzman from New Orleans, University of California Press, 1977, p.
277
^ abColin Larkin, thought-provoking. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia advice Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Put out. pp. 1471/2. ISBN .
^Bethell (1977), p. 10-12
^ abAshforth, Alden (2002).
Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Thesaurus of Jazz. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Another York: Grove's Dictionaries. p. 582. ISBN .
^ abGary Giddins, "How Come Trimming Isn't Dead", p. 39–55 replace Eric Weisbard, ed., This esteem Pop, Harvard University Press, 2004.
ISBN 0-674-01321-2 (cloth), ISBN 0-674-01344-1 (paper), possessor. 43.
^ abRedmann, Michael M. (April 10, 2018). "The story countless George Lewis, some scribbled jot down and the renaissance of conventional New Orleans jazz". The Advocate.
Retrieved February 22, 2019.
^Bethell, Put your feet up (1977). George Lewis: A Musician from New Orleans. University shop California Press. p. 161.
^Karst, James (May 10, 2015). "A living bond to George Lewis, New City jazz legend: Our Times". nola.com. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
^Yanow, Adventurer.
"George Lewis | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
^[1]Archived January 6, 2014, put down the Wayback Machine
^Seddon, Eric (July 6, 2016). "The Jazz Clarinet: George Lewis Plays Hymns * 1964 * Milneburg Records MCD 1". The Jazz Clarinet. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
^"Atlantic Records Discography: 1962".
Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
^"George Lewis | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
^Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Author Thomas (2001). All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Accepted Music.
Backbeat. pp. 1273–. ISBN . Retrieved February 21, 2019.