more from
ATA Records
We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Lewis Express

by The Lewis Express

/
  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD version of the album.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Lewis Express via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      £10 GBP or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £7 GBP  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 3 The Lewis Express releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Clap Your Hands, Clap Your Hands / Stomp Your Feet, and The Lewis Express. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      £9.43 GBP or more (35% OFF)

     

  • Lewis Express Full Vinyl Bundle
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Special full Lewis Express vinyl Package of "Lewis Express", 'Clap Your Hands' And 'Clap Your Hands/Stomp Your Feet 45' at a special discounted price

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Lewis Express via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • Vinyl LP bundle of "Clap your Hands" and "The Lewis Express"
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Special winter sale vinyl bundle offer of "Lewis Express" and "Clap Your Hands"

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Lewis Express via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • Limited Edition 12" Vinyl
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Limited 12" press of the debut LP.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Lewis Express via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

about

Primarily based in Leeds, The Lewis Express is comprised of many of the musicians that have graced previous ATA releases: George Cooper, Piano (Abstract Orchestra) Neil Innes, Bass (The Sorcerers, The Magnificent Tape Band, Tony Burkill), Sam Hobbs, Drums (Dread Supreme, Tony Burkill, Matthew Bourne) and Pete Williams, Percussion (The Sorcerers, The Magnificent Tape Band, Tony Burkill). Recorded over an intense two-day session by the band of the same name, “The Lewis Express” is a nod to the classic soul jazz recordings of The Young Holt Trio / Young Holt Unlimited and Ramsey Lewis, from who this group take their name. But, delivered with a distinctly European feel. As with many of the classic Ramsey Lewis cuts this album was recorded live, capturing the rich inter-relationship between the players and leaving in some of that chunky room noise, lending the album a sound that’s as thick as a steak and raw as a carrot.

Kicking off the album is Love Can Turn A Man, a slow burner introducing you to the piano of George Cooper as he works over a rock solid backbeat from drummer Sam Hobbs. The addition of a rising brass line conjures up memories of love lost, or indeed love never found.
If Love Can’t Turn A Man shows the band in their most introspective of moods then Cancao De Momento sees them at the other end of the spectrum, the swinging end. This is a latin-tinged stormer with a driving piano line and one of the toughest rhythm section workouts on the whole album. Add to this Pete Williams’ punctuating percussion and you are looking at a track squarely aimed at the dancefloor. Brother Move On is probably the most recognizable as being in the soul jazz vein, with nods to such classics as Ramsey Lewis’ The ‘In’ Crowd and Soulful Strut by Young Holt Unlimited, particularly the latter. Moving into Hawkshaw Philly (their nod to session music legend and leader of The Mohawks, Alan Hawkshaw) the band create what sounds like a rare library cut and something diggers would give their back teeth for. Pinned to the floor by Neil Innes’ heavy work on the double bass and Chris Dawkins’ guitar there is some fantastic slow stabbing piano. The overall feel is something funky but slightly sinister. ATA Records has a solid history of putting out releases with a cinematic feel and Theme From The Watcher is a nod to this, conjuring up the sort of imagery that coincides with the black and white spy thrillers of the 1960s. Last Man In The Chain Gang has a very strong Ramsey Lewis feel and offers some of the most powerful piano playing of the whole album. The final track, Straight Seven Strut, is the only vocal track of the album. The staccato swing and French words lend it some of the qualities of 60s yé-yé music but with a far jazzier backbone, spiced with percussive handclaps.

credits

released August 31, 2018

George Cooper, Piano
Neil Innes, Bass
Sam Hobbs, Drums
Pete Williams, Percussion & Tenor Sax on "Brother Move On"
Jack Davis, Trumpet on "Brother Move On" & "Love Can Turn A Man"
Rob Mitchell, Baritone Sax on "Brother Move On"
Patrick Martin, Trombone on "Love Can Turn A Man"
Richard Ormrod, Flute on "Love Can Turn A Man"
Fiona McMillan, Vocals on "Straight Seven Strut"

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

The Lewis Express Leeds, UK

contact / help

Contact The Lewis Express

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like The Lewis Express, you may also like: