If a city has any type of jazz scene, chances are it has some improvisers who enjoy "local hero" status but have yet to become well known nationally. Such has been the case with
Bobby Lewis, who was highly regarded in Chicago jazz circles but had enjoyed very little exposure outside of the Windy City before Southport Records came along. Southport didn't make the trumpeter/flugelhornist a huge name in the 1990s, but the company did give him a well deserved taste of national exposure. Those who heard
Inside This Song found that while
Lewis wasn't an innovator, he was an expressive improviser with a recognizable tone and a very lyrical outlook. "Lyrical, " in fact, is the key word where this hard bop/post-bop CD is concerned -- whether
Lewis is turning his attention to "Angel Eyes," "Recado Bossa Nova," or
Neil Sedaka's "What Have They Done to the Moon," the Chicagoan never fails to be lyrical.
Lewis has no problem swinging hard, but even at this most aggressive, he's still quite melodic.
Inside This Song made it clear that
Lewis' recording career was long overdue.