paul secor Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I'm looking for a good George Lewis - the N.O. clarinetist, not the AACM musician - recording. The only George Lewis I have is Reunion on Delmark, but I like that more for Jim Robinson's and Cie Frazier's playing than for Mr. Lewis. I'm thinking about his Plays Hymns CD. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John L Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 You will probably get a lot of different opinions here. One of the problems is that some of Lewis' own best playing is with rather out of tune bands. Of the discs that I have, I like the Beverley Caverns sessions quite a bit. I also like "With Kid Shots" on American, although be warned that some of the playing here by the band is rather rough. I also find the Riverside album George Lewis of New Orleans (Original Zenith Jazz Band and Eclipse Alley Five) to be interesting, although perhaps primarily from the historical point of view. I find it to be one of the more convincing of many attempts to get older New Olreans musicians in the 1940s to resurrect the music lias they played it 30 years previous to then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I thought there was another one on Delmar(k) that consisted of funeral music, which I don't have. Saw it once sealed for $40 and the jacket alone really got under my skin. Unfortunately, my wallet was even thinner than my skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I like the material that's under his name which was included on the OOP Mosaic Atlantic New Orleans Sessions set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 It's hard to single out one label - his work is pretty much what it is. If you like it - you'll like most of all of what you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I'll second the recommendation for the Beverly Caverns, and I really like the Verve albums, which unfortunately aren't on cd (what a nice Select that would be). I like all the Riversides as well, and haven't explored the GHB labels output too thoroughly, something else to look forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazztrain Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 There are a lot (to put it mildly) of George Lewis recordings that have been issued over the years. There's a certain sameness to the recordings (similar groups, similar material). Some of the material was recorded at live concerts, and the fidelity of some issues leaves a lot to be desired. One George Lewis recording that stands out for me and which I've recommended to others is a trio session where he plays spirituals ("George Lewis Plays Hymns", Milneburg Records MCD 1). It's from 1964. And I just noticed that it was mentioned in Paul's original question that started this thread (missed that reference originally). So, if you are predisposed to jazz versions of spirituals, definitely go for that one. I'll second the recommendation for the Beverly Caverns, and I really like the Verve albums, which unfortunately aren't on cd (what a nice Select that would be). I like all the Riversides as well, and haven't explored the GHB labels output too thoroughly, something else to look forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I've only got one George Lewis - a live album on Storyville of some radio broadcasts from 1953. I like it quite a bit; definitely fun stuff. The guy who flogs me organic groceries in Ponty is a huge George Lewis fan. I asked him what he'd recommend, because they're all a bit expensive over here, and he said, "go around the charity shops and buy any you see." MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I'll second the recommendation for the Beverly Caverns, and I really like the Verve albums, which unfortunately aren't on cd (what a nice Select that would be). I like all the Riversides as well, and haven't explored the GHB labels output too thoroughly, something else to look forward to. I like the Verves too..and they've really been ignored. I don't think any of them have been in print since the early 60s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 I have the Atlantic NO set, the Blue Note CD (from their 60th b-day series which was made up of six very good trad-jazz/swing releases: BN Jazzmen 2CD, BN Swingtets, Edmond Hall, Sidney Bechet "Runnin' Wild" - or was it just five, I can't recall another one...), and this one on Jazzology/American Music, which is my favourite: http://www.jazzology.com/item_detail.php?id=AMCD-4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted January 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 Thanks for all of the feedback. I'll probably give either the Play Hymns CD or the Atlantic NO material - available on Collectables - a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montg Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 The Atlantic material, particularly the trio session, is my favorite George Lewis. For me, George Lewis in large doses is a little overwhelming, but there are times when NOTHING else will do--he occupies a unique space. Has anyone heard the Red Allen/George Lewis CD from AMerican Music?--it's one I've been curious about for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsMobley Posted January 19, 2013 Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) in theory i'd have preferred Mosaic but since either they or most of us will be dead before they get to George Lewis again... the Upbeat label seems to have embarked on a Lewis series while some weren't lookin'-- http://www.upbeatrecordings.co.uk/product.asp?pn=2786 www.upbeatrecordings.co.uk/product.asp?pn=2866 www.upbeatrecordings.co.uk/product.asp?pn=2569 www.upbeatrecordings.co.uk/product.asp?pn=2484 TOOT TOOT!! I like the Verves too..and they've really been ignored. I don't think any of them have been in print since the early 60s. Edited January 19, 2013 by MomsMobley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjazz Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 I like the material that's under his name which was included on the OOP Mosaic Atlantic New Orleans Sessions set. Jazz At Perservation Hall is re-issued again on the Collectables Jazz label http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Perservation-Hall-Pure-Blues/dp/B00000J27P/ref=sr_1_6?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1358642895&sr=1-6&keywords=george+lewis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted O'Reilly Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 There's a great performance recording of George Lewis that could be hard to find. Over the years I've had both Japanese (King) and German (Telefunken) versions on LP. The Japanese CD version I've had since about 1990 is on Paddle Wheel (a King label) 240E 6846. May have been reissued since then... It's Lewis with Punch Miller (tpt), Louis Nelson (tbn), Joe Robichaux (pno), Emanuel Sayles (bjo), "Papa" John Joseph (bss) and Joe Watkins (dms). Fourteen tracks (all the expected tunes) recorded with a lovely natural ambiance at Kosei-Nenkin Kaikan Hall in Tokyo on Aug.21, 1963. I always think of them as Old Men, but most were just in their early 60s at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Did anyone actually ever compare the Mosaic and the two discs with some of the same material on American Music? I was overjoyed to find the Mosaic some time back, but then didn't like the discovery that I've already owned a substantial part of it ... and just stacked the discs away then ...How come, anyway, that material ended up on American Music and Blue Note? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Did anyone actually ever compare the Mosaic and the two discs with some of the same material on American Music? I was overjoyed to find the Mosaic some time back, but then didn't like the discovery that I've already owned a substantial part of it ... and just stacked the discs away then ... How come, anyway, that material ended up on American Music and Blue Note? As you probably know, the 1943 George Lewis recordings were made in New Orleans by Bill Russell. Alfred Lion was with him; he was very excited by the recordings and wanted to issue them, which he did on Climax. I don't know the details of the deal they made, but I do know that Russell kept the original session acetates - Lion took copies. I'm doing a little reading between the lines here, but I think that the deal as Russell understood it didn't give Blue Note the right to release the alternate takes; Russell leased various unreleased masters to the Japanese Dan label in the 1970s. Russell is clearly talking about Mosaic in his liner notes to the George Lewis Trios & Bands CD on American Music; he's speaking about three alternate takes from the 1943 session: "Although these selections have recently been issued in a third-of-a-million-dollar illegal bootleg operation this is the first time these three numbers have been issued from the original master acetates." Based on a couple of other cases where other labels have issued material belonging to the Jazzology group, I'm guessing that American Music/Jazzology complained to Mosaic and/or threatened a lawsuit and won the right to issue the entire session themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 Thanks for those details ... no, didn't know much about it yet, as I only heard the music but hadn't ready any liners yet. Will have to dedicate some time to that next time I grab some George Lewis, I love that music, but still don't play it all that often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 I am about to start writing the notes for an 8-CD George Lewis boxed set to be issued on Storyville. The recordings were made between 1953 and 1959 at various locations: Ohio State University; Hangover Club, SF; New Orleans; Bakersfield, CA, and Denmark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 (edited) I have the Hangover Club material and it's very good! Edited February 8, 2013 by jazzbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesnik Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 A good compilation to me is his Blue Note album, called George Lewis and his New Orleans Stompers, which was recorded in 55. It was part of a series of CDs put out by Blue Note in 98 about New Orleans jazz, which also included the excellent Blue Note Swingtets album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 (edited) I can recommend " Dr Jazz" from 1959 ( HMV) UK ex. Verve. UK edition in fine sound with a rather interesting pianist Joe Robichaux. He has a very modern touch which at time sounds as if he's floundering over the keys but I like a lot. The great studio sound in decent stereo helps a great deal. Excellent session and the best I've heard from George Lewis ( I've only heard half a dozen!) . Repertoire isn't all that common place either Royal Telephone Into each life sound rain must fall Chant of the tuxedos The old spinning wheel Bugle boy boy march 2:19 blues Doctor Jazz Oh, Mary don't you weep GL ( cl), Andrew Anderson (t), Robert Mielke(tmb) , JR (p) , Alcide Pavageau (bs) & Joe Watkins (dms) Edited February 24, 2013 by Clunky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 I like that one too, Clunky, for some of the same reasons, like the non-cliched repertoire. And Andy Anderson is an underrated New Orleans trumpet player whose playing I enjoy; he also played with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band, and "Chant of the Tuxedos" is his tune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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