Bursting Through the Mire
If the red lily signifies passion, then the melodic acuity and rhythmic dexterity displayed by the James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet seem to have been collected under the proper auspices. For Jesup Wagon, the ensemble’s first recording, Lewis aimed at detailing the nuances of American renaissance man George Washington Carver’s life. And he did. But in the process, the bandleader also revealed portions of his own inner life.
“The story of a
