John Lewis
Piano
About
John Lewis was one of the most intellectually rigorous and influential figures in modern jazz. As the founding musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet from 1952 until the group's final disbandment, he led what many considered the longest-continuing small ensemble in jazz history. A pioneering architect of Third Stream jazz, Lewis fused Baroque counterpoint and fugal composition with bebop harmony and blues feeling, producing works of extraordinary refinement. His signature composition "Django" (1954), a tribute to guitarist Django Reinhardt, became one of the most frequently performed pieces in jazz. Lewis composed acclaimed film scores including "Odds Against Tomorrow" (1959), contributed arrangements to Miles Davis's landmark "Birth of the Cool" sessions, and recorded with Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Dizzy Gillespie's big band. He was posthumously named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2001.
Trivia
Lewis originally pursued a double major in music and anthropology at the University of New Mexico, only turning fully to music after being advised that career prospects in anthropology were limited. He was among the earliest champions of Ornette Coleman, securing him a scholarship to the Lenox School of Jazz and recommending him to Atlantic Records. Lewis's wife, Mirjana, was a classically trained harpsichordist with whom he recorded works by Bach. His nephew was folk and blues musician Eric Bibb. Lewis served as musical director of the Monterey Jazz Festival for roughly twenty-five years.
Early Life
John Aaron Lewis was born on May 3, 1920, in La Grange, Illinois, though he was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by his grandmother, Edith English. His mother introduced him to classical piano at age seven, grounding him in the works of Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven, while an aunt's love of dance music gave him early exposure to jazz. He performed in his family band, church choir, and Boy Scout music groups. After graduating from Albuquerque High School, Lewis attended the University of New Mexico, where he studied music under pianist Walter Keller and led a small dance band. Military service from 1942 to 1945 proved pivotal: he met drummer Kenny Clarke, who encouraged him to move to New York. There he enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music, ultimately earning a master's degree in 1953.
John Lewis Solos
1948
Piano solo - Barbados - 1948
4/4 swing in F major at 167 BPM
Piano solo - Au-Leu-Cha - 1948
4/4 swing in F major at 177 BPM
Piano solo - Constellation - 1948
4/4 swing in C major at 328 BPM
Piano solo - Parker's Mood - 1948
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 77 BPM
Piano solo - Perhaps - 1948
4/4 swing in C major at 194 BPM
Piano solo - Marmaduke - 1948
4/4 swing in F major at 194 BPM
Piano solo - Steeplechase - 1948
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 175 BPM
Piano solo - Merry-Go-Round - 1948
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 307 BPM
1947
Piano solo - Milestones - 1947
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 157 BPM
Piano solo - Little Willie Leaps - 1947
4/4 swing in F major at 221 BPM
Piano solo - Sippin' at Bells - 1947
4/4 swing in F major at 203 BPM