James Brandon Lewis

• limited 2LP edition

• wide-spine sleeve

For Mahalia, With Love is the highly anticipated new album by award-winning tenor saxophonist-composer James Brandon Lewis & his Red Lily Quintet, following on their groundbreaking and poll-sweeping 'Jesup Wagon'. This powerful work reimagines songs made famous by the gospel icon who galvanized a nation with her voice.

Whereas Lewis used his transformative talents to newly illuminate renaissance man George Washington Carver on Jesup Wagon, the saxophonist does the same here for gospel-music force of nature Mahalia Jackson. And this time it’s personal, because Lewis lived her music growing up, nurtured by a grandmother who had received Mahalia’s singing like a bolt from above. Much more than a tribute, this work is “really a three-way conversation between Mahalia, my grandmother and me.

The challenge was to turn these songs into jazz, the 21st century variety. What James and the band [ William Parker-bass, Chad Taylor-drums, Kirk Knuffke-cornet, Chris Hoffman-cello ] conjure with this music is miraculous.

PERSONNEL:

• James Brandon Lewis - (tenor saxophone)
• Kirk Knuffke - (cornet)
• William Parker - (bass)
• Chad Taylor - (drums)
• Chris Hoffman - (cello)

TRACKS:

• LP ONE

• A1. Sparrow
• A2. Swing Low

• B1. Go Down Moses
• B2. Wade In The Water
• ______________________________

• LP TWO

• C1. Calvary
• C2. Deep River

• D1. Elijah Rock
• D2. Were You There
• D3. Precious Lord