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Leslie Lewis

Leslie, a native of East Orange, New Jersey, has toured as a featured jazz vocalist with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, with members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, with Musique Sur La Mer Chamber Orchestra in concert in London, as well as performances with Jazz Tap Ensemble in New York and Los Angeles. She began her career with a move to Los Angeles to perform as a singer/dancer at Disneyland. That lead to performances at Disneyworld in Orlando FL and Opryland in Nashville TN. Back in California, Leslie was featured along with Jack Sheldon on the Tom Kubis Big Band recording “At Last” and expanded her career into acting roles in films and television.

Following the critical success of her previous recordings, in 2012 Leslie released "Midnight Sun" her third CD on the SURF COVE JAZZ label. Her first recording “Of Two Minds” (Surf Cove Jazz 2008) features Leslie with the Gerard Hagen Trio and several of Los Angeles' finest jazz musicians including Gary Foster, Ron Stout and Larry Koonse. Having received considerable airplay on national jazz radio programs, and charting at #28 on the national jazz radio report CMJ, “Of Two Minds” was released in Japan on SSJ Inc. where it received 5 stars in Swing Journal magazine. In 2010 she released a follow up recording “Keeper Of The Flame” (Surf Cove Jazz) which features Brazilian Jazz music. It debuted at #15 on the CMJ national radio report and has been programmed on Sirius XM radio. "Of Two Minds" and "Keeper Of The Flame" have received international radio airplay and have been featured on several syndicated radio shows including "Jazz With Bob Parlocha" and "Jazz After Hours". In addition Leslie is featured on a track on "From California With Love" (SSJ Records) a recording featuring number of California based jazz artists that was released in Japan as a vehicle to raise funds for Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami relief efforts. A recent trip to perform in New York City provided her with an opportunity to record tracks for a yet to be released piano/vocal duo recording.

Performance venues (partial list) include, London (Royal College of Music, SoHo Jazz Club Pizza Express) Paris (Sunside/Sunset, Jazz Club Etoile, Palais des Congrés, Chez Papa Jazz Club, Café Laurent) Tokyo (Satin Doll) New York, (Joyce Theatre, Lehman College Jazz Festival, Trumpets Jazz Club-Montclair, NJ) Los Angeles, (Smothers Theatre, L.A. County Art Museum, The Culver's Club for Jazz, Hollywood Studio Bar and Grill, Vitello's Jazz and Supper Club, Steamers Jazz Club) Irvine, CA (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Barclay Theatre) Glendora, CA (Haugh Performing Arts Center) Napa, CA (Napa Valley Opera House) (The Bop Stop) Cleveland, OH, Albuquerque, N.M.

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13
Album Review

Funky Ella: I Put a Spell on You

Read "I Put a Spell on You" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Although singer Leslie Lewis and her husband, pianist Gerard Hagen, have been making beautiful music together for some years and recorded five earlier CDs together, I Put a Spell on You is the first under the group name Funky Ella (which represents a deep bow to another jazz singer of note). The album was recorded in Paris, France, the ensemble's home base, with guitarist Nicolas Peslier, bassist Peter Giron, drummer Mourad Benhammou and percussionist Jean-Philippe Naeder completing the lineup.

3
Album Review

Leslie Lewis: Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen in New York

Read "Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen in New York" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Vocalist Leslie Lewis' previous recording, Midnight Sun (Self Produced, 2012), revealed a a thoughtful and well-managed talent able to imbue her music with a dark pathos. Not dark in any negative sense of the word, but rich and romantic. Her followup, Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen in New York, made with her husband/pianist, distills Lewis' talent to the intimate duet level, concentrating the music to a point where much is revealed. “Like Someone In Love" is introduced ...

3
Album Review

Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen: In New York

Read "In New York" reviewed by Jack Bowers


In November 2011, less than a year before leaving for their new home in Paris, singer Leslie Lewis and her pianist / husband, Gerard Hagen, paused in New York City long enough to record this delightful album of standards on which Lewis' charming voice is accompanied only by Hagen's compliant piano. The menu is comprised for the most part of well-known standards, the mood more calm and laid-back than Lewis' more outgoing persona in nightspots here and abroad where she ...

109
Album Review

Leslie Lewis: Midnight Sun

Read "Midnight Sun" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Jazz singing does not so much require an obedient voice as a directed but free-spirited one. There are few vocalists who can pull off the elastic fireworks of a Betty Carter, Lisa Sokolov or Tierney Sutton and fewer still who should even try. East Coast-West Coast vocalist Leslie Lewis has a beautifully perfect alto voice for singing jazz. By tone alone, she can claim a well deserved corner of the jazz vocal map for herself, much in the same way ...

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JAZZ TIMES MAGAZINE: "Leslie Lewis is all a good jazz singer should be. Her beautiful tone and classy phrasing evoke the sound of the classic jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Leslie Lewis' vocals are complimented perfectly by her husband, Gerard Hagen, and his trio, and special guest Gary Foster on sax."

CASHBOX MAGAZINE: "Leslie Lewis has a hot one on her hands with "Keeper Of The Flame." A bona fide sure thing for jazz radio success, the album is packed with tracks destined for cooler iPods nationwide. 5 Stars."

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

I Put a Spell on You

Self Produced
2021

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In New York

Surf Cove Jazz
2013

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Midnight Sun

Self Produced
2012

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