Blue Engine Presents: The Music of John Lewis feat. Jon Batiste
Few captured the sleek, swinging sophistication of jazz better than pianist, composer, and bandleader John Lewis, who had a long, deep, personal relationship with Jazz at Lincoln Center. “He used to always call our program a miracle,” says Wynton Marsalis. “He used to always say, ‘Keep that miracle going.’”
In 2013, when the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis set out to honor the legacy of the Modern Jazz Quartet’s maestro, they teamed up with New Orleans’ own Jon Batiste. The bandleader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and a prodigious pianist in his own right, Batiste joined the JLCO to tackle some of Lewis’s most iconic tunes during a sold-out concert in Rose Theater, the House of Swing. That concert is now The Music of John Lewis.
From the blistering bebop of “Two Bass Hit” to the down-home blues of “2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West”—from small group configurations to the big band might of the full JLCO—The Music of John Lewis captures the elegance and soulfulness of Lewis’s daring compositions. The record also includes a four-movement suite pulled from the Modern Jazz Quartet’s classic recording, The Comedy.
“The depth of his belief makes his music timeless,” Batiste says of Lewis. “For artists, what remains impactful and meaningful in one’s art depends on the accuracy and intensity of your insights. Mr. Lewis's music is still with us, and it is an honor to place my artistry in the tradition of serving it. So put on this record, listen with your eyes closed, and engage your imagination.”
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2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West
Watch Jon Batiste and several members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra perform "2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West" off their new album "The Music of John Lewis."
Personnel
Victor Goines - Clarinet
Doug Wamble - Guitar
Jon Batiste - Piano
Carlos Henriquez - Bass
Ali Jackson - Drums -
Piazza Navona
Watch Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra perform "Piazza Navona" off their album "The Music of John Lewis."
Personnel:
Chris Crenshaw - Conductor
Sherman Irby - Alto saxophone
Ted Nash - Alto saxophone
Victor Goines - Tenor saxophone
Walter Blanding - Tenor sa... -
Django
Watch Jon Batiste perform a solo rendition of "Django" off his new album with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis: "The Music of John Lewis."
Album Personnel:
Chris Crenshaw - Conductor
Sherman Irby - Alto saxophone
Ted Nash - Alto saxophone
Victor Goines - Tenor saxophone
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Delaunay's Dilemma
Watch Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste, and several members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra perform "Delaunay's Dilemma" off their new album "The Music of John Lewis."
Personnel:
Wynton Marsalis - Trumpet
Ted Nash - Alto saxophone
Chris Crenshaw - Trombone
Jon Batiste - Piano
Carlos Henrique... -
La Cantatrice
Watch the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Jon Batiste perform "La Cantatrice" off their album "The Music of John Lewis."
Personnel:
Sherman Irby - Alto saxophone
Ted Nash - Alto saxophone
Victor Goines - Tenor saxophone
Walter Blanding - Tenor saxophone
Paul Nedz... -
Pulcinella
Watch the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Jon Batiste perform "Pulcinella" off their album "The Music of John Lewis."
Personnel:
Sherman Irby - Alto saxophone
Ted Nash - Alto saxophone
Victor Goines - Tenor saxophone
Walter Blanding - Tenor saxophone
Paul Nedzela... -
Animal Dance
Watch the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Jon Batiste perform "Animal Dance" off their album "The Music of John Lewis."
Personnel:
Sherman Irby - Alto saxophone
Ted Nash - Alto saxophone
Victor Goines - Tenor saxophone
Walter Blanding - Tenor saxophone
Paul Nedze... -
Spanish Steps
Watch the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Jon Batiste perform "Spanish Steps" off their album "The Music of John Lewis."
Personnel:
Sherman Irby - Alto saxophone
Ted Nash - Alto saxophone
Victor Goines - Tenor saxophone
Walter Blanding - Tenor saxophone
Paul Nedz...
