Sabby Lewis

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William Sebastian "Sabby" Lewis (born November 1, 1914 in Middleburgh , North Carolina , also Zabby Lewis ; † July 9, 1994 in Massachusetts ) was an American pianist, band leader and disc jockey in the field of swing and rhythm and blues .

biography

Lewis took piano lessons at the age of five and founded the first of several formations in Boston in 1936 with which he was active in the music scene in the New England states until the 1960s . From his ensembles, usually with seven to nine members, numerous well-known jazz musicians emerged, such as Cat Anderson , Jimmy Crawford , Alan Dawson , Roy Haynes , Osie Johnson , Al Morgan , Big Nick Nicholas , Sonny Stitt , Idrees Sulieman , Freddie Webster or the young Paul Gonsalves , who had his first professional engagement at Sabby. Arrangers who worked for Sabby Lewis included Jerry Heffron, Paul Broadnax, Osie Johnson, Gigi Gryce, and Tadd Dameron . Lewis participated in a total of eight recording sessions from 1944 to 1956; Records were made for labels such as Crystaltone, Continental , London, Mercury, ABC-Paramount and Phoenix. In addition to swing music, he also played rhythm and blues ("Ugly Woman Blues" on Mercury 1949), Doo Wop ("Forgive Me My Love") and novelty song material, which appeared under the band name Sabby Lewis & the Vibra Tones . Until the 1970s he performed as a soloist or in a trio on Broadway , in dance halls and in nightclubs in Manhattan , a. a. with Dinah Washington and Billy Eckstine . In the 1950s he was the first African American disc jockey to work in Boston.

Discographic notes

  • Sabby Lewis Orchestra & Sextet: Boston Bounce (Phoenix Jazz, 1944–46) with Paul Gonsalves, Maceo Bryant, Freddie Webster, Ray Perry, Al Morgan, Big Nick Nicholas, Jimmy Tyler

Lexigraphic entries

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ astronomy.sussex.ac.uk
  2. ↑ Other musicians who played for Lewis were Joe Booker (dr), Eugene Caines (tp), Francis Williams (tp), Thomas "Top Cat" Browne (git, voc), Jimmy Tyler (sax), Mae Arnette (voc ), Maceo Bryant (tp, tb), Dan Turner (ts), Herbie Williams (tp), Clarence Jackson (voc), Oscar Dunham (tp), Elwyn Fraser (as), Champlain "Champ" Jones (b), Bill Dorsey (bars), Al Morgan (bass), the brothers George (sax) and Ernie Perry, Evelyn White (voc), Joe Gordon, Lennie Johnson (tp), Harold Layne, George Jones (bass), Charlie Hooks, Sherman Freeman (reeds).
  3. ^ 78discography.com Mercury Records
  4. ↑ Jazz Violin - Discography
personal data
SURNAME Lewis, Sabby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lewis, William Sebastian; Lewis, Zabby
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician and band leader
DATE OF BIRTH November 1, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Middleburgh , North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH July 9, 1994
Place of death Massachusetts