ROGER LEWIS turns 83! Four Tracks from and for the master-musician, ROGER LEWIS, of New Orleans, recorded 2021-2024.
68 YEARS HE'S GIVEN US ON STAGES AND IN STUDIOS!
Roger and Don, recording for the Album LOUISIANA STORIES at the Marigny Studio in New Orleans, April 15, 2024—photo by ace engineer and musician ADAM KEIL.
I’m 11 days late in a Birthday Tribute to the great friend and artist ROGER LEWIS. Nonetheless, I hope that his very singular spirit and excellences comes across to you here!
ROGER LEWIS began to play professional gigs when was 15. That is, 1956! That is, the Carousel Club and then the Dew Drop Inn. That is, early Stages for RAY CHARLES’ LITTLE RICHIE, ETTA JAMES, ALLEN TOUSSAINT, … He studied on those stages with HERBERT HARDESTY and KIDD JORDAN. Off work-hours, he practiced COLTRANE with WILLIE TEE. He …
Well, let me present the Four TRACKS featurist, both as WHOLE FILE more than a Lucky 22:26 minutes in length, and then as individual TRACKS, first, so that you may listen, if you wish, while browsing the Text and Images below. Generous SUBSTACK let’s us Upload in full-fidelity!
FOUR from and for ROGER
1. “Little Things”
2. “Bobee (What A Spirit Walks That Way)”
3. ‘Maybe You See Horses (for Kidd Jordan)’
4. ‘My Mother’s Spirit Speaks to Me, Whispering of Eternity’
Now, the individual Tracks.
“Little Things”, Roger, composer, on Piano and Alto Saxophone. Recorded on August 1, 2021 at Rick G. Nelson’s Marigny Studio with Rick as engineer.
“Bobee (What A Spirit Walks That Way”, Roger, composer, on Saxophones; KIRK JOSEPH Sousaphone; HERLIN RILEY Drums-Set; DON PAUL, lyrics, and HERLIN RILEY Vocals. Recorded on August 1, 2021 …
Things happen in New Orleans as nowhere else. “Bobee” is Roger’s first-born child, a new Marine and College Student who passed away quite suddenly, age 21, in 1982 due to irremediable bone-cancer. Roger wrote the “Song for Bobe” tune embodying his son and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band released it on their 1990 The New Orleans Album. Herlin, born in 1957, four years before Bobe, must have know this peer. His wordless vocal began as we listened to playback in the Marigny Studio control-room. I loved its sound and encouraged him to add it to our Track. It’s moving to me like nothing spoken could be.
‘Maybe You See Horses (for Kidd Jordan)’ Group Improvisation with Roger Lewis Baritone Saxophone; Kirk Joseph Sousaphone; Herlin Riley Drums-Set; Don Paul, lyrics and vocal. Recorded on August 1, 2021 …
Herlin, Roger and Kirk with LARRY BLUMENFELD’s drawing of Kidd Jordan in live performance.
‘Maybe You See Horses (for Kidd Jordan)’ Group Improvisation with Roger Lewis Baritone Saxophone; Kirk Joseph Sousaphone; Herlin Riley Drums-Set; Don Paul, lyrics and vocal. Recorded on August 1, 2021 …
Kidd Jordan was mentor and aid to Roger, Kirk, and Herlin, both in New Orleans and in Europe. I wrote ‘Maybe You See Horses’ when invited to perform with Kidd, HAMIET BLUIETT and ALVIN FIELDER, DARRELL LAVIGNE, and BRIAN QUEZERGUE for the Louis Satchmo Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp in April 2015.
‘Maybe You See Horses (for Kidd Jordan)’
‘My Mother’s Spirit Speaks To Me, Whispering Of Eternity’ Group Improvisation with Roger Lewis Baritone Saxophone; Kirk Joseph Sousaphone; DON VAPPIE Electric Guitar; Don Paul, lyrics and vocal. Recorded on July 31, 2024 at Dockside Studio with JUSTIN TOCKET as Engineer..
Don Vappie joined RIVERS ANSWER MOONS last November. He’s contributed inestimably. As HERMAN LEBEAUX said to me last June: “Don Vappie is a hundred!”—meaning 100-percent in terms of commitment and expression. The trio and I recorded ‘My Mother’s Spirit […]’ early in our second day at Dockside Studio, July 31, 2024, with the great JUSTIN TOCKET as engineer, about one hour before arrival of LOUIS and ANDRE MICHOT as our collaborators with new Band-Member ALEXEY MARTI. Justin and I mixed this Track among the 12 we accomplished—he was SO able, helpful and intuitiively sympathetic—last week, October 7 and 8.
Photo by Justin Tocket at Dockside Studio on July 31, 2024. Left-to-right: André Michot, Don Vappie, DP, Roger, Kirk, Louis Michot, and Alexey Marti.
‘My Mother’s Spirit Speaks To Me, Whispering Of Eternity’
Now, you may go, if you wish, to MARYSE PHILIPPE DEJEAN’S ‘Appreciating the Spirit Flame of Roger Lewis’, lead-page in the booklet Roger’s debut Album ALRIGHT!, recorded in August 2021, when the lad was about to make 80, in the booklet for that Charts-Topping Album.
We look further into the Booklet for ALRIGHT!, learning more about Mr. Lewis.
We close with a SALUTE, late afternoon, October 16, 2024, that we hope carries over the River. May we have EVEN MORE from the inestimable Roger Hayward Lewis!
