Ed Lewis (musician)
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Ed Lewis (January 22, 1909 - September 18, 1985) was an American jazz trumpeter.
Lewis played early in his career in Kansas City with Jerry Westbrook as a baritone hornist, then switched to trumpet in 1925. He played with Paul Banks and Laura Rucker before joining the Bennie Moten Orchestra, where he played from 1926-1932 and was the primary trumpet soloist until Hot Lips Page became a member. In the 1930s he worked with Thamon Hayes (1932-34), Harlan Leonard (1934-37), and Jay McShann (1937). In 1937 he joined the Count Basie Orchestra, where he remained until 1948; he recorded frequently with Basie but almost never soloed.
In the 1950s Lewis led his own band in New York City for strictly local gigs, and worked for a period as a taxicab driver. He returned to play with The Countsmen in Europe in 1984, shortly before his death. Lewis never led his own recording session.
