James Brandon Lewis – tenor sax,
Luke Stewart – bass
Warren Crudup III – drums
Anthony Pirog – guitar
The James Brandon Lewis Trio, with the addition of guitarist Anthony Pirog combine elements of R&B, 90s hip hop, and experimental jazz. Expect a journey through a soundscape that can be raw, gritty, mind-bending… and not forgetting full of soulful vibes.
Saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis has received accolades from cultural tastemakers such as Ebony Magazine, who hailed him as one of the “7 Young Players to Watch” in 2013. Lewis has shared stages with icons such as Benny Golson, Geri Allen, and Dorinda Clark Cole, as well as Roulette artists Ken Filiano, Darius Jones, and Jason Hwang. Lewis attended Howard University and holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts.
Bassist Luke Stewart is a seminal figure in Washington, DC’s music community. Regular ensembles include Trio OOO with drummer Sam Lohman as well as legendary free jazz saxophonist Aaron Martin. Stewart is also a member of experimental electronic group MOM^2 (Mind Over Matter, Music Over Mind), with whom he was invited to perform and lecture at the University of South Carolina.
Warren G. Crudup III has always had a passion for the drums. Born in Alabama and raised in Maryland, Crudup developed musically in church and is well-versed in diverse styles of music including jazz, gospel, funk, and reggae. A member of the University of the District of Columbia’s prestigious Big Band, he has recorded and performed with artists such as Edward “Butch” Warren, Cheick Hamala Diabate, Tarus Mateen, and David Ornette Cherry, among others.
Anthony Pirog has made his mark on the guitar-playing universe one sonically enthralling project at a time. From his work on Janel and Anthony’s Where is Home, described in Guitar Player Magazine as “approachable experimentalism,” to to what AllMusic described as “pristinely executed rock guitar solos” with Skysaw, Pirog displays a “crystalline tone immediately recognizable as his own” in his evolving conception of how a guitar can sound.