Victor Lewis

by Scott YanowA major drummer since the 1980s who is capable of swinging hard in a variety of modern settings, Victor Lewis has been a strong asset on a countless number of sessions. His parents were musicians who toured with territory bands. Lewis studied cello, piano (he had four years of classical lessons) and then drums. His first gigs were when he was 15 and he was a music major at the University of Nebraska. After his band opened for Herbie Hancocks Sextet in 1972, Lewis was encouraged by Buster Williams and Billy Hart to move to New York. After a brief stay in Minnesota, Lewis did relocate to NY in 1974 and soon he was in great demand. He performed with many top artists including Woody Shaw, Carla Bley, Kenny Barron, David Sanborn, Dexter Gordon and (during 1980-91) Stan Getz. For a period in the 1990s he was well featured with Horizon (a group he co-led with Bobby Watson). In addition to his playing abilities, Lewis is well-known for encouraging young talent while his compositional skills have resulted in some of his songs being recorded by other jazz musicians. Victor Lewis has led sessions of his own for Red, AudioQuest and Enja.