Herbie Lewis

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This article is about the jazz artist. For the ice hockey player see Herbie Lewis (ice hockey)

Herbie Lewis (February 17, 1941 – May 18, 2007) was an American hard bop double bassist. He played or recorded with many prominent jazz musicians, including Cannonball Adderley, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, Harold Land, Jackie McLean, Archie Shepp, and McCoy Tyner. Herbie recorded his latest CD Just a Lucky So and So with the Eminence Portable Upright Bass.

A good bassist and strong accompanist, Herbie Lewis has never been a star nor a bandleader, simply a reliable session contributor and occasional soloist. Lewis recorded with Lennie McBrowne, Harold Land and Les McCann in the late '50s and early '60s. He moved from California to New York in 1961, and played and recorded again with McCann. Lewis also recorded with Dave Pike, Stanley Turrentine and Jackie McLean before returning to California. He and McCann recorded together again under the leadership of Clifford Scott and Lewis did a session with Gerald Wilson in the mid-'60s. By the late '60s, Lewis had moved back to New York again, where he recorded with Sam Rivers, Bobby Hutcherson and Freddie Hubbard. He played in Cannonball Adderley's ensemble in 1966, and played and recorded with McCoy Tyner from 1967 to 1970. During the '70s and '80s Lewis recorded with Tete Montoliu, Chico Freeman, Bobby Hutcherson and Archie Shepp among others. He has no sessions available as a leader on CD other than "Just a Lucky So and So," which was his first CD as leader, and last CD of his disc legacy. He can also be heard on recent discs by Montoliu, Shepp, Freeman and others as well as reissues by Tyner, McLean and others. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

Herbie Lewis founded the Jazz Studies program at New College of California.

Lewis died of cancer on May 18, 2007.^[1]