Tuesday Nite Big Band to perform with jazz drummer
Palm Beach State College’s Tuesday Nite Big Band will perform with guest-artist and American jazz drummer Victor Lewis from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 22 in the Duncan Theatre. Admission is $15. PBSC students, faculty, staff, as well as K-12 students are admitted for $5.
The concert will feature musical numbers including “G’Day Mates” by Scott Whitfield, “No Harmful Slide Effects” by Willie Maiden and “Samba Siete” by Hand Levy. Selections from the concert spotlighting Lewis include “From the Heart,” “Hey, It’s Me You’re Talkin’ To” and “I Wanted to Say.”
“Victor Lewis is one of the great modern colourists on jazz drum set that we have today,” said Associate Professor David Gibble, who directs the Tuesday Nite Big Band. “He first established himself on the world stage as a sideman for jazz legends Woody Shaw and Stan Getz in the 70s and 80s and expanded his notoriety co-leading the group Horizon with alto sax great Bobby Watson. In short, Victor is an unsurpassed painter of moods and colors on the drum set.”
Born into a family of musicians in Omaha, Neb., Lewis began his musical studies taking classical lessons in cello and piano, before moving on to the drums. He began playing professional local gigs at age 15 and went on to study music at the University of Nebraska.
In 1974, Lewis moved to New York City, where he proceeded to perform with many top jazz artists. In addition to working with Woody Shaw and Stan Getz, he also collaborated with Carla Bley, David Sanborn and Dexter Gordon. He was a member of the Stan Getz Quartet from 1980 to 1991 along with Kenny Barron (piano) and Rufus Reid (bass). By the late 1980s, he had built himself a busy career as a freelancer, touring and recording with artists like Barron, Art Farmer, J.J. Johnson, Mike Stern, John Stubblefield, Grover Washington Jr., Gary Bartz, Bobby Hutcherson and Bobby Watson.
Aside from performing, Lewis also does work as a composer and educator. He features several of his compositions on his own albums, “Family Portrait,” “Eeeyyess!,” “Know It Today,” “Know It Tomorrow,” and “Three Way Conversations.”
In 2003, Lewis joined the jazz faculty at Rutgers University, where he teaches drums and coaches chamber jazz groups.
The Tuesday Nite Big Band is composed of students and community professionals. For more information, call the Duncan Theatre box office at 561-868-3309.
The PBSC music department will also host a Concert Band & Concert Chorus performance from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 29 and Dec. 6. The Nov. 29 performance will be held at the Duncan Theatre and the Dec. 6 event will take place at the Eissey Campus Theatre.
