Throughout his career, clarinetist George Lewis was a bit of a chameleon. His sound and New Orleans jazz style were virtually unchanged from the time of his recording debut in 1942 with Bunk Johnson up until his final recordings in 1967. However the quality of his playing often correlated with how well his trumpeter performed.
When Lewis was teamed with a great brassman such as Henry “Red” Allen (with whom he made a few titles in 1951), he was heard at his best and most exuberant. But when his trumpeter was erratic (such as Kid Howard or Percy Humphrey on their off days), Lewis could be out of tune and far off his game.
The two-CD set George Lewis & Alton Purnell, which includes three full albums, finds Lewis in excellent form, due in no small part to him being teamed with trumpeter Thomas Jefferson on one album (The Perennial George Lewis) and Alvin Alcorn on another (Oh Didn’t He Ramble!). Both sets are from 1958 and also include the reliable Jim Robinson on trombone, pianist Joe Robichaux, bassist Alcide Pavageau, and drummer Joe Watkins.
Jefferson was a technically skilled yet subtle trumpeter who always had a smile in his music whether leading ensembles or taking a Louis Armstrong-inspired vocal (as he does on “Ace In The Hole,” “It’s A Long Long Way To Tipperary,” and “Mack The Knife”). Jefferson even fares okay on “West End Blues” (which relativel
