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3 unusual facts about Mel Lewis


Juhani Aaltonen

He recorded with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis and with Heikki Sarmanto in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and his first album as a soloist, Etiquette, was released in 1974.

Mel Lewis

During his life, Lewis was a prominent solo performer, and a professor at William Paterson University, during which time he also authored a book on the art of drumming.

Next Wave Jazz Ensemble

Musical material for the group includes works originally performed by the Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton, and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis bands, along with more recent compositions by the likes of Bob Curnow.


Alvino Rey

The band was Mutual Broadcasting's houseband for three years, and through the band passed such musicians as Johnny Mandel, Paul Fredricks, Skeets Herfurt, Neal Hefti, Dave Tough, Mel Lewis, Don Lamond, Andy Russell, Alfred Burt and three of Woody Herman's future "Four Brothers" sax section: Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, and Herbie Steward.


see also

Thad Jones

Greetings and Salutations (Four Leaf Clover, 1977) with Mel Lewis, Jon Faddis and the Swedish Radio Jazz Group (Lennart Åberg, Arne Domnérus, Bengt Hallberg, Georg Riedel, Rune Gustafsson, ...)