Steve J. Lewis

Steve Lewis (March 19, 1896 - c. 1941?) was a jazz pianist and composer.

Lewis was born in New Orleans. In 1910, he began his career as a member of the Silver Leaf Orchestra. He joined the Olympia Orchestra and toured with Bill and Mary Mack in 1917. When he returned to New Orleans, he spent the next ten years in bands with Armand J. Piron. During the 1920s, he taught piano to such students as Luis Russell. He worked as a bandleader and a freelance musician. His last days were spent in a mental institution in Louisiana.

Lewis was an eccentric character. He drove a Ford Model T which he had custom painted in bright multicolored polka-dots. He played the piano without using either of his middle fingers; these he kept extended straight while playing (in the manner of the rude gesture known as Shooting the Bird).

He was influenced by the piano stylings of Tony Jackson and Jelly Roll Morton, and became the premier pianist in Storyville after those two older musicians left town.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 19, 1896 (New Orleans), Died 1941

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, piano, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-29347 10-in. 2/7/1924 Purple rose of Cairo Armand J. Piron ; Piron's New Orleans Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-29386 10-in. 2/7/1924 Day by day Armand J. Piron ; Piron's New Orleans Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-29536 10-in. 2/21/1924 Kiss me sweet Armand J. Piron ; Piron's New Orleans Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-32122 10-in. 3/25/1925 Do just as I say Armand J. Piron ; Piron's New Orleans Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 81435 10-in. 12/21/1923 Sud bustin' blues Piron's New Orleans Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W142024 10-in. 4/14/1926 Bad, bad mama Willie Jackson ; Steve J. Lewis Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W142025 10-in. 4/14/1926 Willie Jackson's blues Willie Jackson ; Steve J. Lewis Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano songwriter, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W142026 10-in. 4/14/1926 She keeps it up all the time Willie Jackson ; Steve J. Lewis Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano songwriter, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W142027 10-in. 4/14/1926 Old New Orleans blues Willie Jackson ; Steve J. Lewis Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano songwriter, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W147664 10-in. 12/17/1928 Macon blues Dorothy Everetts Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W147665 10-in. 12/17/1928 Fat mouth blues Dorothy Everetts Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh 8559 10-in. Mar. 1924 Southern woman blues Lela Bolden ; Steve J. Lewis ; Armand J. Piron Female vocal solo, with violin and piano instrumentalist, piano, songwriter  
OKeh 8560 10-in. Mar. 1924 Seawall special blues Lela Bolden ; Steve J. Lewis ; Armand J. Piron Female vocal solo, with violin and piano instrumentalist, piano, songwriter  
OKeh S-72133 10-in. December 1923 Kiss me sweet Piron's New Orleans Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh S-72606 10-in. June 1924 Sud bustin' blues Clarence Williams’ Harmonizers ; Sippie Wallace Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
OKeh S-72816 10-in. 9/12/1924 Kiss me sweet Butterbeans & Susie ; Joe Oliver ; Clarence Williams Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and piano songwriter  
Brunswick 12684-12686 10-in. 3/11/1924 Sud bustin’ blues Club Alabam’ Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson Jazz/dance band songwriter  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lewis, Steve J.," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106201.

Lewis, Steve J.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106201.

"Lewis, Steve J.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106201

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