Victor Lewis

Since the 1980s Victor Lewis has stood out as a versatile and powerful drummer able to deliver intense swing across numerous contemporary contexts, becoming an indispensable presence on hundreds of recording dates. Both of his parents worked as musicians traveling with territory ensembles. He began with cello before turning to piano, on which he received four years of classical training, and eventually concentrated on drums. A native of Omaha, Nebraska, he landed his earliest hometown engagements at age fifteen; following high school graduation he enrolled as a music major at the University of Nebraska. When his group shared a bill with the Herbie Hancock Sextet in 1972, Buster Williams and Billy Hart urged him to relocate to New York. After a short interval in Minnesota he settled in the city in 1974 and quickly found steady work. Among the leading figures he accompanied were Woody Shaw, Carla Bley, David Sanborn, and Dexter Gordon. From 1980 through 1991 he belonged to Stan Getz’s quartet alongside pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Rufus Reid. During part of the 1990s he received prominent exposure in Horizon, the ensemble he co-directed with Bobby Watson. Beyond his instrumental contributions, Lewis has earned recognition for mentoring emerging players, and several of his compositions have been interpreted by fellow jazz artists. He has headed his own dates for Red, AudioQuest, and Enja. In 2007 he rejoined his former Getz rhythm-section colleagues Barron and Reid for the album We Used to Dance, with Joel Frahm serving as session leader on tenor saxophone.