Bird - Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Charles Ives, John Cage, Thelonious Monk, Milt "Judge" Hinton, Charlie Haden, Carla Bley, Frank Zappa, Anthony Braxton, Edgar Varese, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Count Basie, Dave Holland, Billy Morris, Abbie Hoffman, Eldridge Cleaver, L v Beethoven, Max Roach, Ray Brown, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Colemen, Charles Darwin, Steven Jay Gould, Ella Fitzgerald, Sippie Wallace, Pablo Picasso, Alan Ginsberg, Robert Johnson, Gregory Corso, Joe Pass, Joe Henderson, Jo Jones (and Philly Joe and Elvin too), Ron Carter, Jaco, Elliot Levin, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, R Crumb, Krsztof Penderecki, Miles, Lutoslavski, Jimi Hendrix, Sam & Dave, James Brown, Bootsy Collins, Art Blakey, Jimmy Blanton, need I go on?
Bassist/composer Alan Lewine, recently relocated to Phladelphia. He first took up the string bass in 1978. Never formally trained on the instrument, Lewine learned primarily by playing. "Most of my early lessons were from pianists or guitarists who would yell at me when I played a wrong chord or drummers who threw sticks at me if I messed up the beat." Lewine considers bass great Milt "the Judge" Hinton, whom he first met in 1982, a mentor. Leroy Vinnegar was also a great inspiration when they frequently crossed paths around Portland, OR in the early 90s. He has received "green room" lessons from Ray Brown, Harvie Swartz, Major Holley and John Clayton as well. Lewine has worked with many of the great names in jazz over the years, in all styles - from trad to big band, standards to bop, modal to free, with a little blues, bluegrass, afropop, salsa and other bass-playing experience to spice his background.
Lewine has made numerous appearances with "alto madness" saxophonist Richie Cole. He has also performed with clarinetists Eddie Daniels and Kenny Davern, sax masters Joe Henderson, Clifford Jordan to Henry Threadgill, Jim Pepper and Vinnie Golia, vocalists such as Anita O'Day and Mose Allison, pianists including Ronnie Matthews and George Cables, drummers Gus Johnson and Butch Miles, guitarists Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis, young turk Roy Hargrove, old masters including Sweets Edison and Carl Fontana, and R&B/rock instigator Bo Diddley to name just a few. His career was most active in the last century - from 1978 to 1994, mostly in the western US (especially NM, OR, WA, AZ, CO, CA).
Favorite bassists include the usual suspects - Jimmy Blanton, Ray Brown ("the killer groove"), Scott LaFaro, Charlie Haden, Milt Hinton, Jaco Pastorius, and David Holland, a list by no means exhaustive. Charles Mingus, Krsyztof Pendercki, Duke Ellington, Frank Zappa, John Cage, Thelonious Monk, and Edgar Varese have been prime influences as band leaders and composers.
His interest in all forms of musical and cultural expression has led Lewine also to study Ghanaian drumming with Obo Addy, Balinese gamelan with I Nyoman Suadin (and performed in his Gamelan Mitra Kusuma on and off from 1999 through 2007) and composition with William Wood.
Alan Lewine "retired" from full time musicianship in 1994 and now works as an attorney focusing on technology transactions, as well as eCommerce and copyright law, policy and licensing. Before recently relocating to Philly, he still composed and performed occasionally around DC, including with with the Alan Lewine Xtet, the Afro-Jazz Explosion, and as a side man. He's looking for musical compatriots in SE PA.
Hey Alan, I hope things are going well in Philly! Great to see you here too..let's try to play together soon. i'll be in NYC next month but maybe Philly soon...
