Willie Lewis led impressive bands in Europe during the 1930s which frequently featured trumpeter Bill Coleman and, on some occasions, altoist Benny Carter. His last and least-known recordings are issued in full on this 1996 Classics CD. Recorded in Switzerland in 1941, the 24 selections feature what was certainly the last American-dominated orchestra to record in Europe before Pearl Harbor. The two extensive big-band sessions, which resulted in 16 performances, feature an excellent swing orchestra boasting fine solos from trumpeter Louis Bacon, trombonist Billy Burns and Johnny Russell on tenor and clarinet; Jelly Roll Morton's 1920s drummer, Tommy Benford, also plays well. The swing charts on such numbers as "Happy Feet," "Ti-Pi-Tin," "Roses of Picardy" and "Christopher Columbus" are surprisingly up to date. In addition, there are eight numbers featuring a combo from the orchestra, most notably Alfred Siegrist on piano and effective accordion, Johnny Russell's tenor on a few tracks, and vocals from June Cole and the talented Florence Mason. This is the type of CD reissue that waters the mouths of veteran collectors, for little if any of this music has been available since the 1940s. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– What Will I Do? 2:38
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Berlin
2 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Happy Feet 3:01
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Yellen, Ager
3 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Baby Ain't You Satisfied 3:02
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Louis Bacon
Trumpet, Written-By – Henry Mason
4 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Ti-Pi-Tin 3:07
Alto Saxophone, Vocals, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Grever, Leveen
5 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Les Bateliers De La Volga 2:42
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Traditional
6 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Bacon's Blues 3:08
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason
Trumpet, Written-By – Louis Bacon
7 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Lover, Come Back To Me 2:59
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Romberg
8 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Roses Of Picardy 2:03
Alto Saxophone, Vocals, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Haydn-Wood
9 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– I Ain't Got Nobody 2:53
Alto Saxophone, Vocals, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Graham, Williams
10 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Swingin' At The Chez Florence 3:06
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written By – Hellmann
11 Willie Lewis Presents– Lady Be Good 2:32
Double Bass [String Bass], Vocals – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Heyo Scholl
Piano Accordion – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Written-By – Gershwin-Gershwin
12 Willie Lewis Presents– Chinatown 2:10
Double Bass [String Bass], Vocals – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Heyo Scholl
Piano Accordion – Alfred Siegrist
Written-By – Schwartz
13 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Christmas Night In Harlem 2:15
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Scott
14 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Ol' Man River 2:16
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Kern
15 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Christopher Columbus 2:26
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Razaf, Berry
16 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– I've Found A New Baby 2:57
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Williams
17 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– After You've Gone 3:09
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass], Vocals – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Creamer, Layton
18 Willie Lewis And His Negro Band– Body And Soul 3:08
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Willie Lewis
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Ernst Höllerhagen
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Denis Chappelet
Trombone – Billy Burns
Trumpet – Henry Mason, Louis Bacon
Written-By – Heyman, Eyton, Green, Sour
19 Willie Lewis Presents– Margie (as Maggie) 2:06
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Russell
Written-By – Davis, Conrad, Robinson
20 Willie Lewis Presents– Some Of These Days 2:36
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Vocals – Florence Mason
Written-By – Brooks
21 Willie Lewis Presents– Blue Skies (as Blue Skyes) 2:34
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Trumpet – Henry Mason
Written-By – Berlin
22 Willie Lewis Presents– My Blue Heaven (as Blue Heaven) 2:23
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Vocals – Florence Mason
Written-By – Whiting, Donaldson
23 Willie Lewis Presents– Avalon 2:33
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Written-By – Johnson, Rose
24 Willie Lewis Presents– You Can't Stop Me 2:20
Double Bass [String Bass] – June Cole
Drums – Tommy Benford
Guitar – Peter Angst
Piano – Alfred Siegrist
Written-By – Unknown Artist 
