James Brandon Lewis trio share new single ‘Prince Eugene’
JAMES BRANDON LEWIS TRIO SHARE NEW SINGLE ‘PRINCE EUGENE’
ANNOUNCE UK/EU TRIO TOUR STARTING IN APRIL INCLUDING LONDON’S VORTEX ON 3 MAY
& UK/EU TOUR WITH THE MESSTHETICS INCLUDING LONDON’S 100 CLUB ON 16 FEB
NEW ALBUM APPLE CORES, OUT 7 FEBRUARY VIA ANTI-
“One of the fiercest sounds in modern jazz”
The Guardian
“A saxophonist who embodies and transcends tradition”
The New York Times
“One of the finest musicians of the age”
Clash
“A significant artist just got more significant”
Jazzwise
“Lewis hits peak saxophone artistry”
Mojo
Listen to ‘Prince Eugene’ here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArGU4K1vHEw
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At the end of last year James Brandon Lewis Trio announced a new album Apple Cores which will be released on 7 February via ANTI-. Following lead single ‘Five Spots to Caravan’ they have today shared a new single ‘Prince Eugene’, a hazy ballad that combines a dub bassline, drums and mbira as Lewis’ saxophone sings and guides us through the tune’s heavy yet minimal groove.
James Brandon Lewis Trio’s new album Apple Cores was recorded with longtime collaborators Chad Taylor (drums/mbira) and Josh Werner (bass/guitar). The recording was a collective compositional process that happened over the course of two intense, and – remarkably given how astutely realised the music sounds – entirely improvised sessions.
The album takes its name and intention from the column that poet and jazz theorist Amiri Baraka wrote for DownBeat in the 1960s. “I was first exposed to Amiri Baraka at Howard University [also Baraka’s alma mater]”, says Lewis. “Blues People [Baraka’s groundbreaking 1963 study of Black American music], was required reading. I’m always in constant dialogue with his work”.
In addition to Baraka, the influence of another jazz giant looms mightily over Apple Cores: trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist, Don Cherry. In a testament to Cherry’s influence over the music that the trio is playing, Lewis designed each song title as a cryptogram of sorts, making subtle references to Cherry’s life and music.
“The record itself is a nod to Amiri but mainly a nod to Don Cherry, using Amiri as a branch to really get the conversation going,” Lewis explains. “It’s not a tribute in the sense that we’re playing Don Cherry compositions, but that the music is commenting on his musical curiosity.”
His sixteenth album, Apple Cores further cements Lewis as one of the provocative and prolific musical voices of his generation. It follows his breakthrough with JazzTimes’ ‘Album of the Year’ Jesup Wagon (2021), a dreamlike mosaic of gospel, folk-blues, and catcalling brass bands inspired by inventor George Washington Carver, and Eye Of I (2023), his joyous and exploratory debut for ANTI-.
Later in 2023 Lewis reunited Jesup Wagon’s Red Lily Quintet for his tribute to Mahalia Jackson, For Mahalia, With Love (“one of the finest albums of the year” – The Quietus). In 2024 he released The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, a collaboration with experimental jazz punk trio The Messthetics. Recently named their ‘Rising Star’ as both ‘Artist of the Year’ and ‘Composer of the Year’, following their cover feature, Downbeat declared: “James Brandon Lewis does not take the easy road. Having forged a singular sound on the tenor saxophone, he could simply devise settings that showcase his brawny tone. Instead, he has rooted his recent music in extramusical research.”
Next month James will return to the UK and Ireland for a tour with The Messthetics which includes a show at London’s 100 Club on 16 Feb. A hometown album release show has also been announced in Brooklyn, NY at Public Records on 6 March and following that show the James will embark on a UK/EU tour with the Trio in April and May with dates including London’s Vortex on 3 May. All upcoming dates are listed below. More dates to be announced.
Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez
High-res images can be found here
Pre-Order Apple Cores here:
https://jblewis.ffm.to/applecores
Tour dates:
7 Feb – Dublin @ Grand Social ^
8 Feb – Belfast @ The Black Box ^
10 Feb – Glasgow @ Nice N Sleazy ^
11 Feb – Manchester @ Yes ^
12 Feb – Birmingham @ The Hare And Hounds ^
13 Feb – Nottingham @ Boat Club ^
14 Feb – Bristol @ The Lantern ^
15 Feb – Lewes, @ Lewes Con Club ^
16 Feb – London @ 100 Club ^
3 Mar – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
6 Mar – Brooklyn, NY @ Public Records
7 Mar – Chicago, IL @ Constellation
26 Apr – Paris, FR @ Maison de la Radio Studio 104
27 Apr – Cologne, DE @ Stadtgarten
28 Apr – Brno, CZ @ Cabare des Peches
29 Apr – Vienna, AT @ Porgy & Bess
30 Apr – San Sebastian, ES @ Victoria Eugenia club
2 May – Barcelona, ES @ El Molino
3 May – London @ Vortex
7 May – Tilburg, NL @ Paradox
8 May – Liege, BE @ Jazz A Liege Festival
^ = with the Messthetics
Tickets are available here:
https://jblewis.com
Apple Cores tracklist:
1. Apple Cores #1
2. Prince Eugene
3. Five Spots to Caravan
4. Of Mind and Feeling
5. Apple Cores #2
6. Remember Brooklyn & Moki
7. Broken Shadows
8. D.C. Got Pockets
9. Apple Cores #3
10. Don’t Forget Jayne
11. Exactly, Our Music
Praise for James Brandon Lewis:
“One of the fiercest sounds in modern jazz”
The Guardian
“A saxophonist who embodies and transcends tradition”
The New York Times
“One of the finest musicians of the age”
Clash
“A distinct tone, with caterwauling blasts and soul-searching cries, that has quickly become instantly recognisable in the US East Coast music scene”
The Wire
“Challenging, with its knotty lines, angular rhythms and intricate structures, but it’s also fiery, beautiful and compelling”
The Quietus
“A significant artist just got more significant”
Jazzwise
“Lewis hits peak saxophone artistry”
Mojo
“Next-gen sax colossus […] blazes impressively from emotional blues to wild free jazz”
Uncut
“Eye of I is ultimately driven by the untamed expression of seminal practitioners”
The Line of Best Fit
“Melds the harmonious groove of gospel or blues to the transcendent modal jazz stylings of Coltrane or, most obviously, Sonny Rollins. He’s very good”
The New Cue