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Jesse Lewis

"Rebirthing the cool in the 21st century, Jesse Lewis is flipping the script on jazz for a whole new generation," writes Australian music critic Jeremy Balius (Fly Global Music). Hailed as “an articulate ace” (NY Times) and a “poet of the steel string” (Stereophile Magazine), New York City based guitarist Jesse Lewis is a first call collaborator with the finest musicians in the world.

Known as an extremely versatile and eclectic artist, Lewis’ distinctive sound can be heard on a wide variety of projects crossing through the worlds of jazz, world music, pop, and electronica.

Lewis performs at major music festivals and clubs all over the world and works regularly in New York City at the Blue Note, Birdland, Smalls, Joe’s Pub, and 55 Bar, and has performed at legendary venues such as Town Hall and Carnegie Hall.

Born in Boston, Lewis was first drawn to the guitar in high school through the music of rock groups like Nirvana, the Ramones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin; and later, after hearing artists like Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, and John Scofield, he began playing jazz music.

Wanting to learn more about the tradition and where jazz music originated, Lewis moved to New Orleans and studied with guitar marvel, Steve Mazakowski at the University of New Orleans. During his seven years in "the birthplace of jazz,” Lewis released his debut album Jesse Lewis Union (Lakefront Digital) which garnered critical acclaim. During those years, he also collaborated with many of the biggest names in New Orleans, including Nicolas Payton, Ellis Marsalis, Johnny Vidocovich, Stanton Moore, and Jason Marsalis.

In 2002, Lewis moved to New York City, where he finished his degree at the Manhattan School of Music, and has since performed or recorded with many of the City's finest creative jazz musicians, including Chris Potter, Dave Binney, Mark Turner, Ingrid Jensen, Aaron Parks, Donny McCaslin, Anat Cohen, Chris Speed, Joel Frahm, Louis Bonilla, Bill Goodwin, Dick Oatts, John Riley, Dave Douglas, and Matt Wilson.

In April of 2008 Lewis released his highly anticipated sophomore recording, Atticus. On this recording Lewis explored new sonic possibilities and blended jazz, rock, and electronic music.

Lewis' unique and eclectic style has also been utilized by a wide variety of artists outside of the instrumental jazz world, such as Grammy Award winning R&B sensation Chrisette Michele; African music legends Chiwoniso and Sam Mtukudzi; EDM superstar Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic; and Motown Legends Little Anthony and the Imperials. Lewis has also worked with many legendary jazz vocalists including the New York Voices, Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer), and recently he worked on Taking Pictures, the new album by singer/songwriter Jo Lawry, which features Sting.

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Album Review

Sara Caswell: The Way To You

Read "The Way To You" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Formalmente il precedente album da leader di Sara Caswell risale al 2005 (But Beautiful, Arbors) ma questa nuova incisione a suo nome non è il ritorno dopo una lunga pausa. Ci sono infatti le quattro incisioni --dal 2013 al 202-col trio cooperativo 9 Horses e la leadership condivisa con la sorella Rachel del 2014 (Alive in the Singing Air, Turtle Ridge) nel un gruppo comprendente Fred Hersch. Aggiungiamo poi la ventina di collaborazioni, anche discografiche, con Brad Mehldau, Miho Hazama, ...

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Sara Caswell: The Way To You

Read "The Way To You" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Although The Way to You is heralded as Grammy-nominated violinist Sara Caswell's first album as a leader in more than seventeen years, it was actually recorded in 2019, roughly four years before its release date. Still, it is Caswell's first new album in quite a long time, and those who relish her tasteful and melodic violin should be grateful for that. Caswell leads her longtime working quartet here, with vibraphonist Chris Dingman sitting in on four of ...

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Nadje Noordhuis: Gullfoss

Read "Gullfoss" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


There's a beyond-category beauty emanating from trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis' Gullfoss. Recorded live at Musig im Pflegidach in Switzerland, inspired by the splendors of nature in their many forms, and showcasing the breathtaking work of an incomparable ensemble, it plays like a warm and inviting refuge for the ears and soul. Painting aural pictures befitting natural wonders is no easy feat, but Noordhuis and her well-chosen bandmates are more than up to the challenge here. Sympathetic to one ...

Album Review

Ike Sturm - Jesse Lewis: Alive in the Wilderness

Read "Alive in the Wilderness" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Sono trascorsi più di 50 anni da quando Paul Horn pubblicò Inside the Taj Mahal registrando sotto la cupola del famoso tempio indiano. All'alba degli anni settanta nacquero di Oregon e nella metà di quel decennio William Ackerman fondò a Palo Alto l'etichetta Windham Hill, dando vita a un filone che avrà molte diramazioni e un'infinità di esecutori, fino a legarsi—nel bene e nel male—a etichette onnicomprensive e generiche come new age e ambient. Da allora non ...

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Album Review

Endless Field: Alive in the Wilderness

Read "Alive in the Wilderness" reviewed by Geno Thackara


It would have been simple enough just to evoke the feel and mood of various nature spots, but Endless Field--Ike Sturm and Jesse Lewis--would rather show us that there's nothing like being there. Alive in the Wilderness was recorded in precisely that way, in a series of places through the desert of southwestern Utah, with all the natural meandering and quiet majesty that implies. The nature- conscious angle makes this session a perfect fit, Fabian Almazan's brainchild Biophilia Records (released ...

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Album Review

DUCHESS: Live At Jazz Standard

Read "Live At Jazz Standard" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


There are a fair number of vocal groups blending harmoniously and swinging through the jazz set today, but none are as charmingly sassy as DUCHESS. With two studio albums already under a collective belt—actually three, if you include an under-the-radar Christmas set—it only made sense for vocalists Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner and Melissa Stylianou to finally show the greater listening community what Duchess does on the stage. Joining up with its regular rhythm section—pianist Michael Cabe, guitarist ...

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Album Review

Mike Holober: Hiding Out

Read "Hiding Out" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Un decennio dopo Quake (Sunnyside 2009), l'arrangiatore e bandleader Mike Holober riporta sotto i riflettori la newyorchese Gotham Jazz Orchestra in uno scintillante doppio compact che raccoglie due ricercate composizioni ("Flow" in tre movimenti, “Hiding Out" in cinque) e tre brani medio-lunghi (tra cui il delizioso “Caminhos Cruzados" di Jobim in due versioni). Come è ovvio che sia, l'organico registra alcune sostituzioni. Tra i nuovi ingressi il trombettista Marvin Stamm, i sassofonisti Jason Rigby e Bill Drewes, il ...

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"Rebirthing the cool in the 21st century, Jesse Lewis is flipping the script on jazz for a whole new generation" (Fly Global Music)

“an articulate ace” (NY Times)

“poet of the steel string” (Stereophile Magazine)

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Way To You

Anzic Records
2023

buy

Gullfoss

Little Mystery Records
2021

buy

Live At Jazz Standard

Anzic Records
2020

buy

Alive in the...

Biophilia Records
2020

buy

Hiding Out

Zoho Music
2019

buy

Jo Lawry - Taking...

ABC Music/Universal
2016

buy

South Shore

From: The Way To You
By Jesse Lewis

Compelled

From: Hiding Out
By Jesse Lewis

We Go

From: Music Notes
By Jesse Lewis

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