Eric Lewis

Born in 1973 in Camden, New Jersey, USA, Lewis pursued piano studies at the Settlement Music School in Queen Village, close to his residence. During the mid- to late 1990s he gained notice through performances alongside Betty Carter, Elvin Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Clark Terry—one of the pianists featured on the trumpeter’s duo collection One On One—and Cassandra Wilson on Traveling Miles; however, victory at the 1999 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition markedly elevated his standing. Lewis has also appeared on recordings by alto saxophonist Craig Bailey, Robin Eubanks, and Wynton Marsalis. Although his technique is virtuosic, he deploys it with measured introspection, merging delicate impressionism and robust swing. His first album as a bandleader appeared in 2005.