Search - George Lewis :: Endless the Trek, Endless the Search

First choice George Lewis

Peter Gordon | Canberra, ACT Australia | 09/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This reissues the 1962 LP "Endless the trek, Endless the search" with the addition of Tiger Rag and Savoy Blues as bonuses .
The sound quality is somewhat distant and hollow but the music easily transcends this. I haven't heard any better late period Lewis, indeed it equals anything he ever recorded. Some of the credit goes to the driving, staccato trumpet of Kid Thomas and the melodically inventive guitar of George Guesnon. The other musicians are Jim Robinson, trombone; John Joeseph, bass and Josiah Frasier, drums.
They all have plenty of room to stretch and some of the final choruses build to high levels of excitment. Lewis himself is in fine form, especially on the blues, with none of the apparent tonal uncertainty which marred some of his earler work.
This is music of rugged beauty and complete sincerity, and anyone with an ear for New Orleans jazz should have it, along with the 1940's Climax sessions on the American Music label"

Satisfying Trek, Fruitful Search

David Conklin | Albuquerque, NM USA | 08/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1962 recording is considered one of clarinetist George Lewis' best later works, and is a fine example of the "authentic" New Orleans style of jazz. Lewis was a major figure in the revival of this music in the 1940s and 50s following the heyday of the swing era.



Lewis and his fellow musicians are in great form on this occasion. A highlight of this disc is certainly the raw, unvarnished sound of "Kid" Thomas Valentine's trumpet--I expect his other recordings are worth seeking out as well. Josiah Frazier's percussion seems rather unique and creative. I agree with the first reviewer that the recording sounds distant: it's kind of like you're on a street corner listening to the band about ½ block away. Only the banjo (banjoist George Guesnon was the nomimal leader of the group) sounds like it was more closely-miked, although Lewis does sound closer on his solos. Despite this slight problem, the overall sound is clear and realistic.



Lewis' JAZZ FUNERAL IN NEW ORLEANS album (1953) is a bit more acclaimed than this one (and was a better-balanced recording). However, if you prefer instrumentals, note that all tracks on FUNERAL include vocals, while only one on ENDLESS does.

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