The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis (Volume 10) (North Texas Lives of Musician Series) - Softcover

Smith, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1574416537 ISBN 13: 9781574416534

Publisher: University of North Texas Press, 2016

Synopsis

Mel Lewis (1929–1990) was born Melvin Sokoloff to Jewish Russian immigrants in Buffalo, New York. He first picked up his father’s drumsticks at the age of two and at seventeen he was a full-time professional musician. The View from the Back of the Band is the first biography of this legendary jazz drummer. For over fifty years, Lewis provided the blueprint for how a drummer could subtly support any musical situation. While he made his name with Stan Kenton and Thad Jones, and with his band at the Village Vanguard, it was the hundreds of recordings that he made as a sideman and his ability to mentor young musicians that truly defined his career.

Away from the drums, Lewis's passionate and outspoken personality made him one of jazz music's greatest characters. It is often through Lewis's own anecdotes, as well as many from the musicians who knew him best, that this book traces the career of one of the world’s greatest drummers. Previously unpublished interviews, personal memoirs, photos, musical transcriptions, and a selected discography add to this comprehensive biography.

About this title

About the Author

CHRIS SMITH was raised in Iowa and began playing the drums at age eight. He holds degrees from Northern Illinois University and Manhattan School of Music, and a doctorate from University of Northern Colorado. He is currently a professional drummer and educator in New York, frequently giving master classes throughout the U.S.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of North Texas Press
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1574416537
• ISBN 13: 9781574416534
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416