John Lewis – Biography, Discography & Instruments

Biography

John Lewis was a jazz musician who played piano. John Lewis was born on 3 May 1920 in La Grange and died on 29 March 2001 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz and hard bop. Record labels: Atlantic Records. The discography here lists 34 albums, from “Afternoon in Paris” (1957) to “2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West” (2011). Honours include NEA Jazz Masters.

John Aaron Lewis (May 3, 1920 – March 29, 2001) was an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger, best known as the founder and musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Afternoon in Paris 1957 · Atlantic Grand Encounter 1957 · Pacific Jazz The John Lewis Piano 1957 · Atlantic Improvised Meditations & Excursions 1959 · Atlantic John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music 1: Jazz Abstractions: Compositions by Gunther Schuller & Jim Hall 1960 · Atlantic The Golden Striker 1960 · Atlantic Original Sin: Music for Ballet Composed by John Lewis 1961 · Atlantic The Wonderful World of Jazz 1961 · Atlantic A Milanese Story (original Soundtrack) 1962 · Atlantic Essence 1962 · Atlantic European Encounter 1962 · Atlantic Animal Dance 1964 · Atlantic An Evening With Two Grand Pianos 1979 · Little David Records Piano Play House 1979 · Toshiba Records Kansas City Breaks 1982 · Finesse Records J.S. Bach: Preludes & Fugues, Volume 1 1984 · Philips J.S. Bach: Preludes & Fugues, Volume 2 1984 · Philips Garden of Delight 1987 The Garden of Delight Delaunay's Dilemma 1988 · EmArcy J.S. Bach Preludes & Fugues, Volume 3 (from Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1) 1989 · Philips Midnight In Paris 1989 · EmArcy The Chess Game Part 2 1990 · Philips The Chess Game Part I 1990 · Philips

Django 1991

Private Concert 1991 · EmArcy Evolution 1999 · Atlantic Mirjana 2000 Evolution II 2001 · Atlantic Live in Tokyo 2003 · Live Orchestra U.S.A.: The Debut Recording 2004 · Lone Hill Jazz European Windows 2010 · American Jazz Classics 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West 2011 · Poll Winners Records

Sensitive Scenery

Slavic Smile · Baystate

Also plays on

Albums where John Lewis is credited as a sideman

1951	Modern Jazz Trombones — Kai Winding, Jay Jay Johnson	piano
1951	Modern Jazz Trombones Volume Two — Bennie Green, J.J. Johnson with Sonny Stitt	piano
1952	Wizard of the Vibes — Milt Jackson	piano
1952	Modern Jazz Quartet — Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1953	The Compositions of Al Cohn — Miles Davis	piano
1953	Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown, Jimmy Heath, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke — J.J. Johnson	piano
1954	The President — Lester Young	piano
1955	Charlie Parker Memorial Vol. 1 — Charlie Parker	piano
1955	The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2 — Jay Jay Johnson	piano
1955	The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1 — Jay Jay Johnson	piano
1955	Concorde — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1956	Blue Haze — Miles Davis	piano
1956	Sonny Rollins With the Modern Jazz Quartet — Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet feat. Art Blakey & Kenny Drew	piano
1956	Ballads & Blues — Milt Jackson	piano
1956	Fontessa — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1956	Modern Jazz Quartet — Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1956	Django — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1956	Sonny Stitt Bud Powell J.J. Johnson — Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell & J.J. Johnson	piano
1956	Chris Connor — Chris Connor	arranger, piano
1956	The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1957	For Musicians Only — Stan Getz / Dizzy Gillespie / Sonny Stitt	piano
1957	Four Trombones — Kai Winding + J.J. Johnson + Bennie Green + Willie Dennis And Featuring John Lewis & Charlie Mingus	piano
1957	The Modern Jazz Quartet — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1958	The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays One Never Knows - Original Film Score for “No Sun in Venice” by John Lewis — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1958	Jazz Piano International — René Urtreger, Derek Smith, Dick Katz	producer
1959	Music from Odds Against Tomorrow — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1959	The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn, Volume 2 — The Modern Jazz Quartet with Sonny Rollins	piano
1961	The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1962	Lonely Woman — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano
1962	The Comedy — The Modern Jazz Quartet	piano

Standards written by John Lewis

Title	Key	Form	Groove
Django	F minor	AABBC · 40	Medium swing
Afternoon In Paris	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Skating In Central Park	C major	AABA · 85	Jazz waltz
Milano	C major	AABA · 32	Slow swing

Member of

Modern Jazz Quartet 1952– · American musical group; jazz ensemble

Awards

NEA Jazz Masters

Historic 78 rpm records

D and E Milt Jackson Quartet · Milt Jackson · John Lewis · Ray Brown · Kenny… archive.org ↗
Moving Nicely Milt Jackson Quartet · Milt Jackson · John Lewis · Percy Heath · Al… archive.org ↗
Round About Midnite Milt Jackson Quartet · Milt Jackson · John Lewis · Percy Heath · Al… archive.org ↗
Yesterdays Milt Jackson Quartet · Milt Jackson · John Lewis · Ray Brown · Kenny… archive.org ↗
FOX HUNT JAY JAY JOHNSON'S BOPPERS · JAY JAY JOHNSON · SONNY ROLLINS · KENNY… · 1949 archive.org ↗
HILO JAY JAY JOHNSON'S BOPPERS · Jay Jay JOHNSON · SONNY ROLLINS · KENNY… · 1949 archive.org ↗
"ELYSSES" JAY JAY JOHNSON BOPPERS · MAX ROACH · Kenny Dorham · Sonny Rollins ·… · 1949 archive.org ↗
Milt Meets Sid Milt Jackson Quartet · Ray Brown · Milt Jackson · John Lewis · Kenny… · 1951 archive.org ↗

Books about John Lewis

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did John Lewis play?

John Lewis is known for playing piano.

When and where was John Lewis born?

John Lewis was born 3 May 1920 in La Grange.

What are John Lewis's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Afternoon in Paris (1957), Grand Encounter (1957), The John Lewis Piano (1957), Improvised Meditations & Excursions (1959) and John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music 1: Jazz Abstractions: Compositions by Gunther Schuller & Jim Hall (1960).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.