{"title":"James Brandon Lewis","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eBorn 13 August 1983 in Buffalo, New York, James Brandon Lewis is an American tenor saxophonist and composer described by The Guardian as \"one of the fiercest sounds in jazz today\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eLewis has released over fifteen albums, working extensively with his quartet featuring pianist Aruán Ortiz, bassist Brad Jones, and drummer Chad Taylor, and also leading the Red Lily Quintet. His 2021 album \u003cem\u003eJesup Wagon\u003c\/em\u003e, a dreamlike mosaic of gospel, folk-blues, and catcalling brass bands inspired by inventor George Washington Carver, was selected as Album of the Year by DownBeat critics and JazzTimes. \u003cem\u003eEye of I\u003c\/em\u003e appeared in 2023 as his joyous and exploratory debut for ANTI- Records, followed by \u003cem\u003eThe Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis\u003c\/em\u003e in 2024, a collaboration with experimental jazz punk trio the Messthetics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eHis latest album \u003cem\u003eApple Cores\u003c\/em\u003e (2025) was recorded with Chad Taylor on drums and mbira and Josh Werner on bass and guitar as a collective compositional process over two intense, entirely improvised sessions, informed by the rhythms and textures of hip-hop and funk whilst remaining rooted in jazz. Taking its name and intention from the column that Amiri Baraka wrote for DownBeat in the 1960s, the album pays tribute to trumpeter Don Cherry with each song title designed as a cryptogram making subtle references to Cherry's life and music.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"james-brandon-lewis-trio-apple-cores-2025-anti-vinyl-lp","title":"James Brandon Lewis Trio - Apple Cores (2025 Anti- Vinyl LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Brandon Lewis Trio - \u003cem\u003eApple Cores\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl LP - 2025 Anti- Records\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOne of contemporary jazz's most vital saxophonists\u003c\/strong\u003e - Lewis continues pushing creative boundaries\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDon Cherry tribute\u003c\/strong\u003e - each track title references the legendary trumpeter's life and music\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEntirely improvised sessions\u003c\/strong\u003e - hip-hop and funk textures meet spontaneous jazz creation\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis presents his trio's latest statement, eleven tracks captured across two entirely improvised recording sessions at Orange Sound with bassist\/guitarist Josh Werner and drummer\/mbira player Chad Taylor. Taking its name and conceptual framework from Amiri Baraka's 1960s DownBeat column, the album pays tribute to trumpeter Don Cherry through cryptographic track titles that make subtle references to Cherry's life and music. Augmented by guitarist Guilherme Monteiro on five tracks and percussionist Stephane San Juan on four, the trio's collective compositional process draws from hip-hop and funk rhythms and textures while remaining rooted in jazz improvisation. Released on 7 February 2025 by Anti- Records and pressed at GZ Media, this European pressing captures the spontaneity and collective creativity of two intense studio sessions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album's improvisational approach reflects Lewis' commitment to spontaneous creation rather than predetermined compositions, the trio developing material collectively in real time. Werner's dual role on bass and guitar creates timbral variety essential to this approach, his bass providing foundation while his guitar adds harmonic and textural dimensions. Taylor's drums and mbira (African thumb piano) bring polyrhythmic complexity influenced by both jazz traditions and global percussion practices, his playing incorporating the rhythmic feels of hip-hop and funk without abandoning jazz swing. Lewis' tenor saxophone, robust and emotionally direct, leads the explorations while remaining responsive to his collaborators' contributions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cryptogram concept adds intellectual dimension to the improvisational process, each track title encoding references to Don Cherry's biography and musical legacy. Cherry's influence on free jazz and world music fusion resonates throughout the album's approach, the trio's willingness to incorporate diverse rhythmic and textural sources echoing Cherry's own eclecticism. The inclusion of Ornette Coleman's \"Broken Shadows\" further acknowledges the free jazz lineage informing Lewis' work, Coleman and Cherry's collaborations providing historical foundation for contemporary exploration.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anti-","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43216891183163,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/a1975346151_10.jpg?v=1771111934"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/james-brandon-lewis.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}