Lewis, Eric
Fortress, 2006, CD+DVD
Instrument: Piano
Issue: 12.1
Jazz Ruler Type: R&B+Jazz
Performance: 4
Sound: 4
Score: 
O’s Notes: Pianist Lewis won the Thelonius Monk competition a few years ago and has burst onto the jazz scene making a lot of waves. His style is an accessible blend of straight-ahead jazz backed by danceable beats. This is a great CD & DVD combination. The video captures all of the essence and shows how engaging his music can be. The session includes “Love Letters” a warm ballad, some Latin bounce on “Puerto Rico” and a cool cover of Wayne Shorter’s “Pinocchio”. Lewis has a lot of dexterity he blazes across the keyboard effortlessly without being flashy. Wynton Marsalis introduces the sole solo piano piece, “Cherokee” and also provides some comments about Eric at the conclusion. Watch out for Lewis! He’ll be around for a while.
