Vic Lewis was a British jazz guitarist and bandleader with enormous taste and ease. In 1963, he recorded a superb album entitled Vic Lewis Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away (HMV). The first side was recorded in London in February and the second side was recorded in Hollywood in January. What's remarkable about this album are the musicians brought in for the dates. In both the London and Hollywood sessions, we're talking about the very upper tier of studio players who could nail master takes quickly, with flavor.
The London musicians: Jimmy Deuchar (tp,mel), Shake Keane (tp,flhrn), Tubby Hayes (ts,fl), Ronnie Scott (ts), Terry Shannon (p), Ray Dempsey (g), Freddie Logan (b), Kenny Clare and Vic Lewis (dir). [Photo above of Vic Lewis]
Here are the London tracks and arrangers:
- Vic's Tune (arranged by Johnny Keating)
- Ricardo (arr. by Tubby Hayes)
- Danielle (arr. by Jimmy Deuchar)
- Last Minute Bossa (arr. by Ronnie Scott)
The Hollywood musicians: Shorty Rogers (flhrn,arr), Jack Sheldon (tp), Bud Shank (ts,fl), Bob Cooper (ts), Victor Feldman (p,vib), Al Hendrickson (g), Laurindo Almeida (g, added only on Bossa Nova Blues), Don Bagley (b), Shelly Manne (d) and Vic Lewis (dir).
Here are the Hollywood tracks and arrangers:
- Bossa Nova Scotia (arranged by Howard Lucraft)
- Rio (arr. by Lucraft)
- Two Note Samba (arr. by Shorty Rogers)
- Bossa Nova Blues (arr. by Leonard Feather)
JazzWax notes: If I'm being objective, I'd have to give the edge to the London session. The songs and arrangements are craftier and brighter and less gimmicky.
As for the cover, Lewis's waving arrival via Pan Am came a year before the Beatles. In a twist of irony, Lewis would sell his management company to Beatles manager Brian Epstein in 1964 and then worked with him to arrange the Fab Four's global tours. Vic Lewis died in 2009.
Here's Side A of Vic Lewis Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away without commercial interruption...
And here's Side B...
Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:
- Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
- Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
- Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
- Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
- Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
- Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
- Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
- Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
- Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
- Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
- Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
- Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
- Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
- Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
- Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
- Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
- Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
- Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
- Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
- Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
- Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
- Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
- Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
- Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
- Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
- Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
- Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
- Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
- Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
- Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
- Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
- Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
- Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
- Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
- Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
- Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
- Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
- Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
- Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
- Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
- Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
- Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
- Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
- Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
- Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
- Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
- Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
- Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
- Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
- Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
- Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
