James Brandon Lewis Quartet

The charismatic saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis is the musician of the moment in the broad field of contemporary jazz. With his prominent quartet - pianist Aruán Ortiz, bassist Brad Jones and drummer Chad Taylor - James Brandon Lewis released the studio album Code of Being and the live album Molecular Systematic Music Live in 2022. The new album Transfiguration was released in February 2024. The debut album Molecular, which Lewis recorded with his quartet in 2020 just a few months before Lockdown, was hailed by all sides as one of the most exciting releases of 2020 (Intakt CD 350). Code of Being is a powerful work consisting of eight compositions by James Brandon Lewis. Beautiful melodies create the magic of the songs.

The four exceptional musicians, each with a strong personality of their own, create a haunting ensemble sound that moves energetically through a wide range of timbres, rhythms and moods. With a profound sense for lyrical melodies, tonal conciseness and dynamics, the quartet develops a spirited interplay that responds to the smallest atmospheric vibrations on the sound and groove level. "This is captivating music that is hard to resist, especially the melodies with their thematic beauty," writes Florian Keller in the liner notes.

James Brandon Lewis (b. 1983) is a critically acclaimed composer, saxophonist and writer. He has received awards from NPR, the ASCAP Foundation and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. The New York Times has called him "a saxophonist who embodies and transcends tradition" and a promising young talent who has listened to jazz legend Sonny Rollins' elders. "The saxophonist has harmonized a deep, gospel-influenced spirituality with the insouciance of free jazz and a hard funk-meets-hip-hop underpinning," according to Rolling Stone Magazine. He has released several critically acclaimed albums and tours internationally as the leader of various ensembles. He is a member and co-founder of the American Book Award-winning ensemble Heroes Are Gang Leaders. James was voted Rising Star Tenor Saxophonist by Downbeat magazine's 2020 International Critics Poll.