James Brandon Lewis Trio

"A saxophonist who embodies and transcends tradition" (The New York Times), James Brandon Lewis has emerged in just over a decade as one of the most acclaimed young artists in jazz - an artist who has carved a niche for himself with his unique blend of gospel, blues and R&B and evocative saxophone explorations of John Coltrane, Albert Ayler and Sonny Rollins. His performance coincides with the release of his album Eye and I by ANTI Records. His live trio consists of electric bassist Josh Werner and drummer Gerald Cleaver.

"James Brandon Lewis' solos are like a jumbo jet," enthuses Marc Ribot. "You have to give them plenty of room to take off and land. Because they're huge, not just in terms of sound, skill, soul, ideas, energy and originality (although they have all that in abundance), but because they carry a precious cargo: the living legacy of John Coltrane. I'm not talking about the skillful reproduction of a historic jazz sound by a young lion, but the courage of a young artist to take up the spiritual challenge - to channel what needs to be channeled now."