Bobby Lewis.
No Expiration Date
Cool Horn Records, 2023
By Jeff Cebulski | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
On No Experation Date, the Indefatigable Bobby Lewis Shines Again. It’s shockingly easy to take the iconic trumpet musician Bobby Lewis for granted. He’s been around so long that “once you hear Bobby play you’ve heard him forever,” or something like that. The amazing thing is that if you heard him play in, oh, 1964, then 1984, then 2004, and then now, he’s always sounded the same: the dulcet tone, lyrical expression (even in improvisation), and multi-style comfortability. One understands why he was a favorite of Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, and a vast number of other singers (including Sinatra), as well as a steady presence on local stages like Andy’s and the Showcase.
And if you canvass his studio recordings that began in the 90’s, you’d realize that as good as Lewis was ‘back then’, he’s somehow just as good now. His latest album, No Expiration Date, is not only symbolic of that suggestion but also a wonderful vehicle for getting to know him, if you haven’t yet. The range of styles and mixture of ensembles make clear that Chicago jazz fans are
In the process, Lewis has formed meaningful bonds with some of Chicago’s finest, especially horn player Pat Mallinger, guitarist Andy Brown, and bassist Stewart Miller, with no shade cast here on two of Chicago’s great veterans, pianist Jeremy Kahn and drummer Bob Rummage. All contribute wonderfully to the proceedings, which demonstrate that Lewis, for as good as he is, cares more for the group endeavor than just for his own presence. Perhaps that equanimity
comes from years of accompanying star performers. Nonetheless, Bobby Lewis is all about sharing the glory even when he is the featured artist.
The material on this album ranges from quintet pieces to trumpet-guitar-bass trios to a solo, with a live Showcase recording of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Tanga” from 2003. For my money, Lewis could record in the trio format exclusively; the relationship between him and Brown hearkens back to that of Art Farmer and Jim Hall, which was the first thing I thought of when I heard their rendition of Luis Bonfa’s “The Gentle Rain.” With the expert sound engineering of Scott
Steinman, Miller’s bass becomes the perfect foil during the three trio pieces, including Basie’s “Blue and Sentimental” (featuring the sweet trombone-like alto trumpet) and Clark Terry’s lively “Snapper.” Lewis and Brown also sensitively duet on Leonard Bernstein’s poignant ballad “Lonely Town.”
Among the quintet assortment, Lewis and Mallinger’s synchronicity shines on the playful opener, “Hoo Noo?”, the funky title cut, and the breezy Bossa “Coasting,” which rides Miller’s buoyant playing and Jeremy Kahn’s bright comping. Lewis’s chosen solo, “Lush Life,” is about as fine a rendition of that Strayhorn classic as one could experience.
The live “Tanga” is a well-recorded, spirited 2003 recording from the famed Jazz Showcase, demonstrating Lewis’s affinity for Dizzyesque performance.
Sometimes Lewis is double-tracked, adding a sonic depth that enhances rather than muddies the music’s texture (a nice example occurs on his 2016 album Play On, during a trio version of John Lennon’s “Love”).
Any Bobby Lewis album possesses evidence of the trumpet player’s brilliance and versatility, but No Expiration Date, to these ears, represents our local hero in ways that clearly attest to his importance as a representative of Chicago’s fine jazz history and culture.
For more info on this and other albums, go to bobbylewis.com.
Bobby Lewis, No Expiration Date. Cool Horn Records, 2023.
Bobby Lewis, trumpet, flugelhorn, alto trumpet
Pat Mallinger, alto, soprano, and tenor saxophones
Andy Brown, guitar
Jeremy Kahn, piano
Stewart Miller, bass
Bob Rummage, drums
On “Tanga”
Jim Ryan, piano
Thomas Kini, electric bass
Jeff Stitely, drums
Alejo Poveda, percussion
Geraldo De Oliveira, percussion
About Jeff Cebulski
Jeff Cebulski, who lives in Chicago, is a retired English educator (both secondary and collegiate) and longtime jazz aficionado. His career in jazz includes radio programs at two stations in southeast Wisconsin, an online show on Kennesaw State’s (GA) Owl Radio from 2007 until 2015, and review/feature writing for Chicago Jazz Magazine since 2016, including his column "Jazz With Mr. C". He has interviewed many jazz artists, including Joshua Redman, Charles Lloyd, Dave Holland, John Beasley, and Chris Brubeck, as well as several Chicago-based players. Jeff is a member of the Jazz Journalists Association. Contact Jeff at jeff@chicagojazz.com