picture of Greg Lewis
Greg Lewis
Born into a musical family, Lewis’ introduction to jazz came from hearing Monk records from the collection his late father, pianist David Lewis, who was a dedicated fan of Thelonious. "It all started there," the younger Lewis proclaims, also naming unsung master Elmo Hope as a major influence. Lewis started his own piano studies at the age of eleven and began playing professionally around New York as a teenager. He credits jazz legend Gil Coggins, who sent him as a sub one night to a gig where there was a Hammond B-3, for setting him on the path to becoming a bona fide organist. These days Lewis has so devoted himself to mastering the difficult instrument with such fervor that he considers himself to be an "organ monk".
 
Working weekly for the past five years at the hip Brooklyn club Night Of The Cookers, with his regular trio featuring Ron Jackson on guitar, Lewis has honed his skills on the B 3 to become one of New York’s first call organists. It was at the club that he first met drummer Cindy Blackman, who was so impressed with his playing that she sat in with the group and made arrangements to later perform with Lewis. An unwavering fan of the Tony Williams Lifetime group, featuring Larry Young on organ, Blackman is the perfect complement for Lewis’, who names Young as his primary influence on the instrument (along with, of course, Jimmy Smith as well as Sly Stone). Lewis cites Young’s landmark interpretation of "Monk’s Dream" from the classic Unity album as a further inspiration for his decision to devote this his first date to the music of Thelonious.
contact: greg@greglewismusic.com
homepage: www.greglewismusic.com
myspace www.myspace.com/thetruthgreglewis
on tour Click on the logo to see Greg's tour dates.

 

Discography
Organ Monk
no label
recorded 2010 in USA
Greg Lewis, organ
Ron Jackson, guitar
Cindy Blackman, drums
Uwo In The Black
no label
recorded 2012 in USA
Greg Lewis, Hammond organ
Ron Jackson, guitar
Nasheet Waits, drums, cymbals
Reginald Woods, tenor sax
American Standard
no label
recorded 2013 in New York City/USA
Greg Lewis, Hammond B-3 organ
Ron Jackson, guitar
Riley Mullins, trumpet
Jeremy Bean Clemons, drums, cymbals
Reginald Woods, tenor sax
Time Remembered: The Music Of Bill Evans
Unseenrain Records UR9960
recorded March 2013 in Paramus, NJ/USA
Pat Hall, trombone
Greg Lewis, Hammond organ
Marvin Sewell, guitar
Mike Campenni, drums
The Breathe Suite
no label
recorded 2017 (?) in USA
Greg Lewis, Hammond B-3 organ
Nasheet Waits, drums
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons, drums
Marc Ribot, guitar
Ron Jackson, guitar
Reggie Woods, tenor sax
Riley Mullins, trumpet
Organ Monk Blue
no label
recorded 2017 (?) in USA
Greg Lewis, Hammond B-3 organ
Marc Ribot, guitar
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons, drums, cymbals
Trust Me
Scholz Productions

Gerry Eastman, guitar
Greg Lewis, organ
Taru Alexander, drums
Organ Monk Going Home
Sunnyside SSC1662
Spotify
Gregory Lewis, organ
Kevin McNeal, guitar
Nasheet Waits, drums

 
Sound Samples
MP3 n/a
Video n/a

 
YouTube videos
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