William Lewis

William Parker Quartet - O'Neal's Porch (2003) {AUM Fidelity}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 519 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 173 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 23 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2003 AUM Fidelity | AUM022
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Free Jazz

On the heels of two very intriguing CDs (Painter's Spring and Mayor of Punkville), luminary bassist William Parker let loose another for 2000 on his own Centering Music label. O'Neal's Porch, a tribute of sorts to Parker's late uncle, features a quartet with Rob Brown on alto sax, Lewis Barnes blowing trumpet, and Hamid Drake, Parker's compatriot since 1998, banging drums. While Brown and Barnes are familiar playing with the bassist (both have performed in his large ensembles), Parker and Drake comprise the best rhythm section in jazz; together, they should go down in the history books as one of the most fruitful and interesting musical relationships this side of Ellington and Strayhorn, Diz and Bird, and Miles and Trane.

William Parker Double Quartet - Alphaville Suite (2007) {RogueArt}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 467 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 170 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 9 Mb
© 2007 RogueArt | ROG-0010
Jazz / Free Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Bass

The great thing about William Parker is that he doesn't stop looking for new approaches to music, as long as they're acoustic and based on genuine interplay between real musicians. On this CD he brings a double quartet, his usual band consisting of himself on bass, Rob Brown on alto sax, Lewis Barnes on trumpet and Hamid Drake on drums, augmented with Mazz Sqift on violin, Jessica Pavone on viola, Julia Kent on cello and Shiau-Shu Yu on cello. Leena Conquest guests on vocals on "Natasha's Theme" and "Natasha's Theme 2". Or, if you want, a male quartet and a female quartet.

William Parker - The Inside Songs Of Curtis Mayfield. Live In Rome (2007) {Rai Trade}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 519 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 177 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb
© 2010 Rai Trade | RTPJ 0011
Jazz / Soul / Funk / Avant-Garde Jazz

A powerful live set including timeless classics such as People Get Ready and We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue. A celebration of Mayfield's genius through Amiri Baraka's intense voice and the deep singing of Leena Conquest. A very cool project from bassist William Parker – a set that's unlike anything else we've ever heard from him before, and a loving tribute to the music of Curtis Mayfield! Instrumentation is mostly jazz-based, but there's also some vocals on the record too – sung by Leena Conquest, and spoken by Amiri Baraka – both of whom really help add some depth to the record.

With the popularity of jazz slipping and sliding in its native America, many players have over the years chosen to relocate in Europe. Those who do are following in the footsteps of Willie Lewis. Born William T. Lewis, this historic jazz clarinetist and bandleader grew up in Dallas where he began his music career on the variety theater circuit. While some of his peers opted for on the job training on tour, Lewis chose the academic route and headed east to study at the New England Conservatory of Music. He had success in this period trying out for an open spot in the Will Marion Cook Orchestra and, as is sometimes the case with joining bands, there were unpredictable long-range consequences…