Leslie Lewis, a native of East Orange, New Jersey, enjoys a vibrant career as a jazz vocalist. She has performed throughout the country including tours as a featured vocalist with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, and with members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra on an Ellington Tribute concert as well as performances with Jazz Tap Ensemble. Leslie was featured, along with Jack Sheldon, on the Tom Kubis Big Band recording “At Last”. Her solo recording, Of Two Minds features Leslie with the Gerard Hagen Trio and L.A. jazz all-stars, Gary Foster, Ron Stout, Rob Lockart, and Larry Koonse. The recording charted at #28 on the CMJ national jazz radio chart and was released in Japan on SSJ Inc, where it received 5 stars in Swing Journal magazine. Recently, Leslie released her follow up recording Keeper Of The Flame, which features her and the Gerard Hagen Trio exploring Brazilian Jazz music. She has worked with pianist John Bunch, trombonist Britt Woodman, trumpeter Joe Wilder, and saxophonists Norris Turney and Harry Allen. She recently appeared with Patrice Rushen at the L.A. County Museum of Art Jazz Series and in New York City with the Jazz Tap Ensemble. Currently she resides in Laguna Niguel, California with her husband, pianist Gerard Hagen and is busy performing throughout the Los Angeles area.
Keeper Of The Flame is Leslie Lewis’ follow up recording to Of Two Minds (2008). It is a vocal jazz recording of (mostly) Brazilian music with a few standards done (predominately) in a Brazilian style. The music has those things that make it feel like Jazz!
Leslie has taken these songs and put her imprint on them with the support of the Gerard Hagen Trio (Gerard Hagen piano, Domenic Genova bass, Jerry Kalaf drums) and guest artist Gary Foster (saxophone/flute). Some of the composers represented are: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Richard Rodgers, Mark Levine, Ivan Lins, and Kurt Weill. The music has a rhythmic energy that propels these songs in an engaging and dynamic fashion.