Backgrounder: Vic Lewis - Plays Bossa Nova

Vic Lewis was a British jazz guitarist and bandleader with enormous taste and ease. In 1963, he recorded a superb album entitled Vic Lewis Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away (CSD). The first side was recorded in London in February and the second side was recorded in Hollywood in January. What's remarkable about this album are the musicians brought in for the dates. In both the London and Hollywood sessions, we're talking about the very upper tier of studio players who could nail master takes in one or two tries.

The London musicians: Jimmy Deuchar (tp,mel), Shake Keane (tp,flhrn), Tubby Hayes (ts,fl), Ronnie Scott (ts), Terry Shannon (p), Ray Dempsey (g), Freddie Logan (b), Kenny Clare and Vic Lewis (dir).

Here are the London tracks and arrangers:

• Vic's Tune (arranged by Johnny Keating)
• Ricardo (arr. by Tubby Hayes)
• Danielle (arr. by Jimmy Deuchar)
• Last Minute Bossa (arr. by Ronnie Scott)

The Hollywood musicians: Shorty Rogers (flhrn,arr), Jack Sheldon (tp), Bud Shank (ts,fl), Bob Cooper (ts), Victor Feldman (p,vib), Al Hendrickson (g), Laurindo Almeida (g, added only on Bossa Nova Blues), Don Bagley (b), Shelly Manne (d) and Vic Lewis (dir).

Here are the Hollywood tracks and arrangers:

• Bossa Nova Scotia (arranged by Howard Lucraft)
• Rio (arr. by Lucraft)
• Two Note Samba (arr. by Shorty Rogers)
• Bossa Nova Blues (arr. by Leonard Feather)

JazzWax notes: If I'm being objective, I'd have to give the edge to the London session. The songs and arrangements are more crafty and brighter.

As for the cover, Lewis's waving arrival via Pan Am came a year before the Beatles. In a twist of irony, Lewis would sell his management company to Beatles manager Brian Epstein in 1964, and then worked with him to arrange the Fab Four's global tours. Vic Lewis died in 2009.

Here's Side A of Vic Lewis Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away without commercial interruption...



And here's Side B...