John Lewis Vinyl Records

John Lewis (1920-2001) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He was best known as the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) from 1952 to 1993. Lewis was a major figure in the development of cool jazz, modal jazz, and third stream.

Lewis's most notable albums as a leader include Grand Encounter (1956), The John Lewis Piano (1957), Jazz Abstractions (1960), and Evolution II (1962). As a member of the MJQ, he released such albums as Pyramid (1959), European Concert (1963), Under the Jasmin Tree (1968), and Space (1975).

Lewis's most popular compositions include "Django", "Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West", "Afternoon in Paris", and "Skating in Central Park". His signature song is "The Golden Striker".

An interesting fact about John Lewis is that he served in the US Army during World War II, where he was a member of the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He is also the namesake of the John Lewis Education Foundation, which provides scholarships for students studying music.