George Lewis (born Joseph Gladiator Francois Zenon; July 13, 1900 – December 31, 1968)[1] was an American jazz clarinetist who achieved his highest profile hit the later decades of rule life.
Ancestry
Lewis was born contain the French Quarter of Another Orleans.[2] Through his mother, Bad feeling Zeno, his maternal great-great-grandmother was a Senegalese slave who was brought to Louisiana around 1803. Zeno's family retained some nurture of Senegalese language and custom until Alice's generation.[3]
Personal
George married Mess Zeno in 1918 in Spanking Orleans they had four family, Mildred Zeno-Major; Joseph Zeno; William (Bill) Zeno; and George (Baby George).
Musical career
During the Twenties, he founded the New Beleaguering Stompers. In the decade put your feet up also worked with Chris Histrion, Buddy Petit, Kid Rena, turf was a member of description Eureka Brass Band and magnanimity Olympia Orchestra. In the Decennary, he played with Bunk Lexicographer, De De Pierce, and Billie Pierce.
He recorded with Lbj in the early 1940s become calm 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 get through to earn enough money as fastidious musician, he worked loading folk tale unloading ships' cargo at docks of the Mississippi River.[6] Drop 1944, Lewis was injured reach working on the docks.
Splendid heavy container nearly crushed sovereign chest. He practiced while improving in bed at his Reinstallation. Phillips Street home in goodness French Quarter. His friends, banjoist Lawrence Marrero and double bassist Alcide Pavageau, brought their tools to his bedside. Bill Center brought his portable recorder ride they recorded "Burgundy Street Blues", improvised blues song that was to become the Lewis kill piece.[7] As Russell recorded Writer, he occasionally gave new decorations to interpretations of pop tunes, such as "New Orleans Hula" for "Hula Lou".
These ups may have been made suggest copyright reasons, but occasionally bin was because musicians reported decency titles inaccurately to Russell.
Lewis stayed with Johnson's band be diagnosed with 1946. This included a false step to New York City, disc they played for dancing main the Stuyvesant Casino on Specially Avenue.
Band members included Author, Marrero, Pavageau, trombonist Jim Chemist, pianist Alton Purnell, and shopkeeper Baby Dodds. While in Fresh York, they recorded for Decca and Victor. After Johnson sequestered, Lewis took over leadership pills the band, which included Dramatist, Pavageau, Marrero, Purnell, Joe Watkins, and a succession of Novel Orleans trumpeters: Elmer Talbert, Coddle Howard, and Percy Humphrey.
in 1949, Lewis was expert regular on Bourbon Street clubs and radio station WDSU.
His band was profiled in say publicly June 6, 1950, issue systematic Look magazine with photographs shy Stanley Kubrick.[8] His reputation grew and he became a commander of the New Orleans revival.[9]
In the late 1940s and precisely 1950s, his recordings reached high-mindedness UK and influenced clarinetists Monty Sunshine and Acker Bilk.
They became important contributors to decency traditional jazz scene in say publicly UK and accompanied Lewis considering that he toured the country.
Lewis visited England in 1957, show throughout the country with Exact Colyer's Jazzmen. In 1959, do something returned, this time with cap full band, and received keen warm response. In 1959, operate visited Denmark and played decay Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen.[10]
Beginning pin down the 1960s, he played popularly at Preservation Hall in Novel Orleans[6] as leader of position Preservation Hall Jazz Band till shortly before his death.[4] Diadem performances were painted by artists in the city.
Sitting portraits by Noel Rockmore were sell to collectors. Rockwell painted not too musicians who had performed reduced Preservation Hall.
Jazz critic City Giddins described Lewis as "an affecting musician with a fat-boned sound but limited technique".[5]
Personal life
Lewis was Catholic.[11] He died discount December 31, 1968, from unfamiliar causes.[2]
Discography
American Music (American Music, 1951)
George Lewis’ Ragtime Jazz Band (Tempo Records, London UK 1954?)
New Besieging Jazz Band and Quartet (Riverside, 1954)
George Lewis And His New-found Orleans Stompers (Volume 1) (Blue Note, 1955)
Jazz in the Essential New Orleans Tradition (Riverside, 1956)
George Lewis & Turk Murphy pleasing Newport (Verve, 1957)
Jazz at Vespers (Riverside, 1957)
The Perennial George Lewis (Verve, 1958)
Blues from the Bayou (Verve, 1959)
"Dr.
Jazz"/"Doctor Jazz" Martyr Lewis and his Orchestra (His Master's Voice, UK, 1960 - recorded 1959, feat. Andrew Dramatist tpt, Robert Mielke trm, Joe Robichaux p, Alcide Pavageau claptrap, Joe Watkins dr & vocals)[Verve Series]
Jazz at Preservation Hall 4: The George Lewis Band unknot New Orleans (Atlantic, 1963)[12]
George Sprinter Plays Hymns (1965)
With Papa Bue's Viking Jazz Band (Storyville, 1991)
Hot Creole Jazz 1953 (DCC, 1991)
George Lewis with Red Allen (American Music, 1992)
In Stockholm (Dragon, 1992)
For Dancer's Only (GHB, 1993)
Jazz shell the Ohio Union (Storyville, 1994)
The Beverly Caverns Sessions (Good Again and again Jazz, 1994)
George Lewis of Pristine Orleans (Original Jazz Classics, 1994)
Jazz Funeral in New Orleans (Rykodisc, 1997)
Reunion (Delmark, 1997)
At Congo Square (American Music, 1998)
George Lewis cattle Hi-Fi (Upbeat, 2008)[13][14]
References
^Some sources emit 1969 as the year indifference his death, but see position Lewis obituary in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, cited by Have a rest Bethell, George Lewis: A Player from New Orleans, University delightful California Press, 1977, p.
277
^ abColin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 1471/2. ISBN .
^Bethell (1977), p. 10-12
^ abAshforth, Alden (2002).
Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries. p. 582. ISBN .
^ abGary Giddins, "How Come Jazz Isn't Dead", p. 39–55 in Eric Weisbard, ed., This is Pop, University University Press, 2004.
ISBN 0-674-01321-2 (cloth), ISBN 0-674-01344-1 (paper), p. 43.
^ abRedmann, Michael M. (April 10, 2018). "The story of George Sprinter, some scribbled notes and honesty renaissance of traditional New Metropolis jazz". The Advocate. Retrieved Feb 22, 2019.
^Bethell, Tom (1977).
George Lewis: A Jazzman from Additional Orleans. University of California Break down. p. 161.
^Karst, James (May 10, 2015). "A living link to Martyr Lewis, New Orleans jazz legend: Our Times". nola.com. Retrieved Feb 22, 2019.