JAMES BRANDON LEWIS QUARTET

• Reduced mobility

Endorsed by giants like Sonny Rollins, the charismatic saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis (Buffalo, New York, 1983) is currently one of the most recognized musicians on the international contemporary jazz scene. He now returns to Condeduque with his second album, “Code of Being,” following his acclaimed debut, “Molecular,” which was considered one of the best jazz productions of 2020 by Intakt.

James Brandon Lewis (1983) is a composer, saxophonist, and writer especially renowned among his peers in the American jazz community, specialized press, and entities like NPR, ASCAP Foundation, and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. The New York Times has described him as “a saxophonist who embodies and transcends tradition,” and one of the most exciting, imaginative, and daring recent talents.

The saxophonist has balanced deep gospel-inspired spirituality with the wildness of free jazz and a strong foundation of funk and hip-hop, making him a magnificent extension of the legacies of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. Lewis created Molecular Systematic Music (MSM) in 2011, intertwining the foundations of music theory with ideas from molecular biology in the context of DNA. While he is obviously not a molecular biologist, the ideas he expresses use the vocabulary of molecular biology as useful metaphors, while exploring new possibilities and relationships between disciplines. He has released several critically acclaimed albums, with his most recent being “Jesup Wagon,” touring internationally with various bands, and being a member and co-founder of the group Heroes Are Gang Leaders (winners of the American Book Award).

James was recently chosen as the most promising tenor saxophonist in an international critics’ poll by Downbeat magazine, and last year he was named the best saxophonist by the Jazz Journalists Association. Enrolled at Howard University and holding a master’s degree from the California Institute of the Arts, Brandon Lewis has previously honed his skills alongside masters like Geri Allen, Benny Golson, Joshua Redman, Dave Douglas, and expanded his studies with luminaries such as Charlie Haden and Wadada Leo Smith. Among his recent highlights is his collaboration with Italian pianist Giovanni Guidi, with whom he recorded one of the monumental jazz albums in history, the tribute to Gato Barbieri, “Ojos de Gato.”