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Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations.
The Worm is an album by American jazz organist Jimmy McGriff featuring performances recorded in 1968 and originally released on the Solid State label.
May 10, 2024 · Mel Lewis is celebrated as a masterful drummer and a true jazz legend, his contributions forever etched in the history of jazz. References: Lisik, D. & Allen, E. (2017). 50 Years at the Village Vanguard: Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Skydeck Music. Mel Lewis picture.
Jan 10, 2012 · He was the fire. But it wasn’t a fire of bright, dancing flames. Mel’s fire consisted more of glowing embers that provided a permeating warmth—a cozy fire, but one with enough flickers of flame and pops and crackles to give you a start now and then if you started getting too comfortable.
In an era when big band drummers were expected to be showmen who drove their ensembles with aggressive timekeeping and fast, furious fills, Mel Lewis defied the trend and served the music by supporting the band rather than by calling attention to his own playing.
Mar 29, 2019 · Over the years, I’ve seen and heard Mel Lewis play in a variety of settings. Night after night, I’d run around town to listen to him play drums in an assortment of big bands: Stan Kenton’s Orchestra, the Terry Gibbs Big Band, the Bill Holman Big Band, the Marty Paich Tentette [recording sessions], the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
Apr 9, 2015 · Mel Lewis. Biography. Articles. News. Has Influenced. Lewis, best known for his small group approach to big band drumming, was one of the first drummers to vary the ride cymbal beat, giving the music a loose and swinging feel. His commanding presence never dominated the spotlight and always stressed the interplay between the band members.
