How James Brandon Lewis Got Over

A conversation with the saxophonist about focus, faith and 'For Mahalia, With Love'

James Brandon Lewis. (Henri Selmer Paris)

The last time I wrote about tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis at The Gig, he was blowing the roof off Johnny Brenda’s with his trio, on the heels of his recording Eye of I. Today he released an album featuring his acclaimed Red Lily Quintet, with Kirk Knuffke on cornet, Chris Hoffman on cello, William Parker on bass and Chad Taylor on drums. It’s titled For Mahalia, With Love, and it’s glorious.

At WRTI, I ran a short feature about the new album, with thoughts from Lewis. Here at The Gig, I wanted to pull back the curtain and provide access to our conversation. If you’re a paid subscriber, keep scrolling to hear audio from the interview, and read a transcript. James opens up about his grandmother’s influence, his early aim to become a gospel musician, how he channeled the magic of Mahalia Jackson, and what he gets out of playing with William Parker. We also talk about how he balances instinct and intellect as a creative artist — a calibration that Lewis takes seriously.

Before we go further, I want to acknowledge the passings of another revelatory saxophonist from Buffalo, Charles Gayle, and a magisterial bassist, Richard Davis. (Ethan Iverson has a good appreciation of Davis here.) Earlier this week I paid tribute to Curtis Fowlkes, a wonderful trombonist who died at the end of August. We keep losing our masters; it’s an inevitable truth. But as we mark their transitions, we also celebrate the next generation, who are doing what they can to carry the fire.