Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nominations.

Biography

Early years

Lewis was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents Samuel and Mildred Sokoloff. He started playing professionally as a teen, eventually joining

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...

in 1954. His musical career brought him to Los Angeles in 1957 and New York City in 1963.''All Music Guide to Jazz''. Yanow, Scott (1996). Miller Freeman Books.

Career

In 1966 in New York, he teamed up with

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Early life, family and education Thad Jones was born i ...

to lead the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. The group started as informal jam sessions with the top studio and jazz musicians of the city, but eventually began performing regularly on Monday nights at the famed venue, the

Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jaz ...

. In 1979, the band won a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

for their album '' Live in Munich''. Like all of the musicians in the band, it was only a sideline. In 1976, he released an album titled ''Mel Lewis and Friends'' that featured him leading a smaller sextet that allowed freedom and improvisation. When Jones moved to

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

in 1978, the band became known as Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra. Lewis continued to lead the band, recording and performing every Monday night at the Village Vanguard until shortly before his death from cancer at age 60. The band still performs on most Monday nights at the club. Today, it is known as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and has released several CDs.''50 Years at the Village Vanguard: Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra''. Lisik, Dave; Allen, Eric (2017). Skydeck Music.

Playing style and approach

Lewis's

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...

work was considered unique among many musicians.Mel Lewis (May 10, 1929 - February 2, 1990). ''Drummer World''
Retrieved on May 12, 2019. Of his style, drummer Buddy Rich had remarked: "Mel Lewis doesn't sound like anybody else. He sounds like himself." Lewis insisted on playing genuine Turkish-made cymbals, switching from the Zildjian Company later in his career to the Istanbul brand. His setup included a 21-inch ride on his right, a 19-inch crash-ride on his left, and his signature sound, a 22-inch swish "knocker" with rivets on his far right. The rather lightweight cymbals exuded a dark, overtone-rich sound. Lewis' wood-shell drums were considered warm and rich in their sound. He almost exclusively played a Gretsch drums set, although in later years, played Slingerland drums equipped with natural

calfskin Calfskin or calf leather is a leather or membrane produced from the hide of a calf, or juvenile domestic cattle. Calfskin is particularly valuable because of its softness and fine grain, as well as durability. It is commonly used for high-qual ...

top heads. Regular

mylar BoPET (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate) is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical stability, dimensional stability, transparency reflectivity, an ...

heads were used on the bottom. Lewis described a playing philosophy of not "pushing or pulling" but "supporting." "If you watch me, it doesn't look like I'm doing much," he remarked in an interview.

Declining health and death

In the late 1980s, Lewis was diagnosed with

melanoma Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye (uveal melanoma). In very rare case ...

. It was identified in his arm, then surfaced in his lungs, and ultimately went to his brain. He died on February 2, 1990, just days before his band was to celebrate its 24th anniversary at the

Discography

*'' Mellifluous'' (Gatemouth, 1981)

Mel Lewis and the Orchestra

* ''Naturally'' (

Telarc Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the label has had a long assoc ...

, 1979) * ''Live in Montreux: Mel Lewis Plays Herbie Hancock'' ( MPS, 1980)) * ''Live at the Village Vanguard...Featuring the Music of Bob Brookmeyer'' (1980) * ''Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra'' (Finesse, 1982) * ''20 Years at the Village Vanguard'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, 1985) * ''The Definitive Thad Jones, Live from the Village Vangard'' ( Nimbus, 1988) * ''Definitive Thad Jones, Vol. 1'' ( MusicMasters, 1988) * ''Definitive Thad Jones, Vol. 2'' (MusicMasters, 1988) * ''Soft Lights and Hot Music'' (MusicMasters, 1988) * ''To You: A Tribute to Mel Lewis'' (MusicMasters, 1990)

Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

* '' Opening Night'' (recorded 1966, released Alan Grant Presents, 2000) * '' Presenting Thad Jones / Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra'' ( Solid State, 1966) * '' Presenting Joe Williams and Thad Jones / Mel Lewis, The Jazz Orchestra'' (Solid State, 1966) * '' Live at the Village Vanguard'' (Solid State, 1967) * '' The Big Band Sound of Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Featuring Miss Ruth Brown'' (Solid State, 1968) * '' Monday Night'' (Solid State, 1968) * '' Central Park North'' (Solid State, 1969) * ''

Basle, 1969 ''Basle, 1969'' (also released as ''Live on Tour Switzerland'') is a big band jazz album recorded by the The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra in Basle (Basel), Switzerland for a Swiss radio broadcast. It was ...

'' (recorded 1969, released TCB, 1996) * '' Consummation'' ( Blue Note, 1970) * '' Live in Tokyo'' (

Denon is a Japanese electronics company dealing with audio equipment. The Denon brand came from a merger of Denki Onkyo (not to be confused with the other Onkyo) and others in 1939. It originally started as Nippon Chikuonki Shoukai in 1910 by Freder ...

, 1974) * ''

Potpourri Potpourri ( ) is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to provide a gentle natural scent, commonly in residential settings. It is often placed in a decorative bowl. Etymology The word "potpourri" comes into English from ...

'' (Philadelphia International, 1974) * '' Thad Jones / Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica'' (

Pausa In linguistics, pausa (Latin for 'break', from Greek παῦσις, ''pâusis'' 'stopping, ceasing') is the hiatus between prosodic declination units. The concept is somewhat broad, as it is primarily used to refer to allophones that occur in ...

, 1974) * '' Suite for Pops'' ( A&M, 1975) * '' New Life: Dedicated to Max Gordon'' (A&M, 1975) * '' Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra With Rhoda Scott'' aka ''Rhoda Scott in New York with...'' (1976) * '' Live in Munich'' (A&M, 1976) * '' It Only Happens Every Time'' (1977) EMI – with Monica Zetterlund * '' Body and Soul'' aka ''Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra in Europe'' (1978)

West Wind A west wind is a wind that originates in the west and blows in an eastward direction. Mythology and literature In European tradition, it has usually been considered the mildest and most favorable of the directional winds. In ancient Greek ...

– Live in Berlin * '' A Touch of Class'' (West Wind, 1978) – Live in Warsaw

Thad Jones Mel Lewis Quartet

*'' The Thad Jones Mel Lewis Quartet'' (Artists House, 1978)

Mel Lewis

*''Mel Lewis Sextet'' (Mode Records, 1957) *'' Mel Lewis and Friends'' (A&M, 1977)

Video

* '' Jazz Casual – Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra...'' (recorded 1968) – a 1968 television appearance

Compilations

* '' The Blue Note Reissue Series: Thad Jones / Mel Lewis'' (Blue Note, recorded 1966 – 1970) * '' The Complete Solid State Recordings of the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra'' (recorded 1966 – 1970, Blue Note, 1994) * '' In Europe'' (ITM, 2007) * '' The Complete (Live in) Poland Concerts 1976 & 1978'' (Gambit, 2009)

Jones and Lewis as guests with other orchestras

* '' Greetings and Salutations'' (1975) Town Crier – Jones, Lewis and Jon Faddis with the Swedish Radio Jazz Group, Stockholm * '' Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and UMO'' (1977)

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

– Jones and Lewis with the UMO Jazz Orchestra, Helsinki

As sideman

With Pepper Adams *'' Pepper Adams Quintet'' (Mode, 1957) *'' Critic's Choice'' (World Pacific, 1957) *''

Ephemera Ephemera are items which were not originally designed to be retained or preserved, but have been collected or retained. The word is etymologically derived from the Greek ephēmeros 'lasting only a day'. The word is both plural and singular. On ...

'' (Spotlite, 1973) With Manny Albam *'' Brass on Fire'' (Sold State, 1966) With

Frankie Avalon Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American singer, actor and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including Record ...

*''And Now About Mr. Avalon'' (Chancellor, 1961) With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

*'' Theme Music from "The James Dean Story"'' (World Pacific, 1956) with

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

*'' Once Upon a Summertime'' (Artists House, 1980) With Bob Brookmeyer *'' Bob Brookmeyer Plays Bob Brookmeyer and Some Others'' (Clef, 1955) *'' The Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer'' (Prestige, 1955) *'' 7 x Wilder'' (Verve, 1961) *'' Gloomy Sunday and Other Bright Moments'' (Verve, 1961) *'' Back Again'' (Sonet, 1978) With

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige Records, Prestige, Blue Note, Verve Records, Verve, CTI Records, CTI, Muse Records, Muse, and Concord Records, Conco ...

*'' Blue Bash!'' (Verve, 1963) – with Jimmy Smith *'' Ellington Is Forever'' (Fantasy, 1975) With

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

*'' Sax ala Carter!'' (United Artists, 1960) *'' BBB & Co.'' (Swingville, 1962) with

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor Saxophone, saxophonist. He performed in the United States and Europe and made many recordings with Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Johnny Hodges, a ...

and

Barney Bigard Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone. Biography Bigard was born in New Orleans to Creoles of color, Cr ...

*'' Central City Sketches'' (MusicMasters, 1987) With

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record " Confessin' that I Love You" ...

*'' A Swingin' Dream'' (Stash, 1989) With

Al Cohn Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist ...

*'' Son of Drum Suite'' (RCA Victor, 1960) *'' Jazz Mission to Moscow'' (Colpix, 1962) *'' Body and Soul'' (Muse, 1973) with

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

With Bob Cooper *'' Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper'' (Contemporary, 1958) With

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...

and

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McGriff started playing pia ...

*'' Soul Survivors'' (Milestone, 1986) With Eddie Daniels *'' First Prize!'' (Prestige, 1967) With Eric Dolphy *'' Live in Germany'' (Magnetic, 1992) With

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

*'' The Blues Roar'' (Mainstream, 1965) With Dean Friedman * ''Dean Friedman'' (Lifesong, 1977) With

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

*'' Stan Getz Plays Music from the Soundtrack of Mickey One'' (MGM, 1965) With

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

*'' The New Continent'' (Limelight, 1962) With Jimmy Hamilton *'' It's About Time'' (Swingville, 1961) With

Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on sop ...

*''

Sandy's Gone ''Sandy's Gone'' is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges featuring performances recorded in 1963 and released on the Verve Records, Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1963) With Thad Jones and Pepper Adams Quintet *'' Mean What You Say'' (Milestone, 1966) With

*'' Contemporary Concepts'' (Capitol, 1955) *'' Kenton in Hi-Fi'' (Capitol, 1956) *''

Cuban Fire! ''Cuban Fire!'' is an album by Stan Kenton and his orchestra released in 1956 by Capitol Records. This was Stan Kenton's big band's first full-length recording of Afro-Cuban-styled music. The LP charted for four weeks in ''Billboard (magazine), B ...

'' (Capitol, 1956) *'' Kenton with Voices'' (Capitol, 1957) *'' The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton'' (Capitol, 1958) With

Morgana King Maria Grazia Morgana Messina (June 4, 1930 – March 22, 2018), better known as Morgana King, was an American jazz singer and actress.Liner notes by Joel Dorn – Morgana King album ''The Complete Reprise Recordings'' (2000).Liner notes by Ed Osb ...

*''With a Taste of Honey'' (Mainstream, 1964) *''Miss Morgana King'' (Reprise, 1965) *''A Taste of Honey'' (Mainstream, 1971) With Jimmy Knepper *'' Dream Dancing'' (Criss Cross, 1986) With

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

*'' Jump for Joy'' (Capitol, 1958) *'' Sugar 'n' Spice'' (Capitol, 1962) *'' Mink Jazz'' (Capitol, 1963) With Joe Lovano *'' Tones, Shapes & Colors'' (Soul Note, 1985) With

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

*'' I Want to Live'' (United Artists, 1958) With

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

*'' Great Ideas of Western Mann'' (Riverside, 1957) *'' The Magic Flute of Herbie Mann'' (Verve, 1957) *'' Impressions of the Middle East'' (Atlantic, 1966) *'' The Herbie Mann String Album'' (Atlantic, 1967) With

Warne Marsh Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as ...

*'' Star Highs'' (Criss Cross Jazz, 1982) With

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuffy (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. He was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz ...

*'' Prelude'' (Prestige, 1963) With Gary McFarland *'' The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying"'' (Verve, 1962) *'' Point of Departure'' (Impulse!, 1963) *'' Tijuana Jazz'' (Impulse!, 1965) With

*'' A Bag Full of Blues'' (Solid State, 1967) *'' The Worm'' (Solid State, 1968) With Melanie * '' Stoneground Words'' (Neighborhood, 1972) With

Helen Merrill Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milcetic; July 21, 1929) is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording ''Helen Merrill (album), Helen Merrill'' (with Clifford Brown on EmArcy), was an immediate success and associat ...

*''Chasin' the Bird'' (Inner City, 1980) *''

Collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. The ...

'' (EmArcy, 1988) With James Moody *'' Great Day'' (Argo, 1963) *'' Moody and the Brass Figures'' (Milestone, 1966) With

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

*'' Thighs and Whispers'' (Atlantic, 1979) With

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing t ...

*'' Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges'' (Verve, 1959) with

*'' The Concert Jazz Band'' (Verve, 1960) *'' Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band at the Village Vanguard'' (Verve, 1961) *'' Gerry Mulligan Presents a Concert in Jazz'' (Verve, 1961) *'' Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band on Tour'' (Verve, 1962) *'' Two of a Mind'' (RCA Victor, 1962) with Paul Desmond *'' Holliday with Mulligan'' (DRG, 1980) with

Judy Holliday Judy Holliday (born Judith Tuvim, June 21, 1921 – June 7, 1965) was an American actress, comedian, and singer.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', June 9, 1965, p. 71. She began her career as part of a nightclub act before working in Bro ...

With Mark Murphy *'' This Could Be the Start of Something'' (Capitol, 1958) *'' Mark Murphy's Hip Parade'' (Capitol, 1960) With

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

*'' Cool Heat'' (Verve, 1959) *'' All the Sad Young Men'' (Verve, 1962) With Chico O'Farrill *'' Nine Flags'' (Impulse!, 1966) With Esther Phillips *''And I Love Him!'' (Atlantic, 1966) With Shorty Rogers *'' Gigi in Jazz'' (RCA Victor, 1958) *'' Chances Are It Swings'' (RCA Victor, 1958) *'' The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs'' (RCA Victor, 1959) *'' The Swingin' Nutcracker'' (RCA Victor, 1960) *'' Jazz Waltz'' (Reprise, 1962) *'' An Invisible Orchard'' (RCA Victor, 1997) With Pete Rugolo *'' Percussion at Work'' (EmArcy, 1957) *'' Behind Brigitte Bardot'' (Warner Bros., 1960) With Sal Salvador *'' Starfingers'' (Bee Hive, 1978) With Shirley Scott *'' Latin Shadows'' (Impulse!, 1965) With

*'' Bud Shank - Shorty Rogers - Bill Perkins'' (Pacific Jazz, 1955) *'' New Groove'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961) With

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

* '' The Concert Sinatra'' (Reprise, 1963) * '' Sinatra's Sinatra'' (Reprise, 1963) * '' Softly, as I Leave You'' (Reprise, 1964) * '' My Kind of Broadway'' (Reprise, 1965) With

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...

*'' Sonny Stitt Blows the Blues'' (Verve, 1959) *'' Saxophone Supremacy'' (Verve, 1959) *'' Sonny Stitt Swings the Most'' (Verve, 1959) With

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "the Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arrangement, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roa ...

*'' Mel Tormé and the Marty Paich Dek-Tette'' (Betlehem, 1956) *'' Prelude to a Kiss'' (Tops, 1958) *'' Back in Town'' (Verve, 1959) *'' Mel Tormé Swings Shubert Alley'' (Verve, 1960) *'' Swingin' on the Moon'' (Verve, 1960) With

Gerald Wilson Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. He arranged music for D ...

*'' You Better Believe It!'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961) *'' Moment of Truth'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) *'' Portraits'' (Pacific Jazz, 1964) With

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues and jazz singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, an ...

*'' Blues for Easy Livers'' (Prestige, 1965) With Emily Yancy * ''Yancy'' (Mainstream, 1965)

Filmography

Concert performances

*1999: ''Jazz at the Smithsonian'' (Kultur Video) *2003: ''Jazz Casual – Thad Jones & Mel Lewis and Woody Herman'' (Jazz Casual) *2005: ''Jazz Masters Series – Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra'' (Shanachie) *2007: ''Mel Lewis and His Big Band'' (VIEW)

Film

*1958: '' Kings Go Forth'' - Jazz Musician: Drums (uncredited)

Sources

External links

Allmusic.com – Biography by Scott Yanow
* Falzerano, Chet (1995). ''Gretsch Drums: The Legacy of That Great Gretsch Sound''. Publisher: Centerstream Publications.
Mel Lewis at The Percussive Arts SocietyThe Mel Lewis Collection
at the Miller Nichols Library of the University of Missouri–Kansas City
History of Jazz Drumming interview recordings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Mel 1929 births 1990 deaths American jazz drummers American jazz bandleaders American big band bandleaders West Coast jazz drummers American people of Russian-Jewish descent Grammy Award winners Musicians from Buffalo, New York Atlantic Records artists Red Baron Records artists Deaths from melanoma in New York (state) 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra members American Jazz Orchestra members Black Lion Records artists Drummers from New York (state)