The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis

North Texas Lives of Musicians Series

by Chris Smith

Mel Lewis (1929–1990) was born Melvin Sokoloff to Jewish Russian immigrants in Buffalo, New York. He first picked up his father’s drumsticks at the age of two and at seventeen he was a full-time professional musician. The View from the Back of the Band is the first biography of this legendary jazz drummer. For over fifty years, Lewis provided the blueprint for how a drummer could subtly support any musical situation. While he made his name with Stan Kenton and Thad Jones, and with his band at the Village Vanguard, it was the hundreds of recordings that he made as a sideman and his ability to mentor young musicians that truly defined his career.

Away from the drums, Lewis's passionate and outspoken personality made him one of jazz music's greatest characters. It is often through Lewis's own anecdotes, as well as many from the musicians who knew him best, that this book traces the career of one of the world’s greatest drummers. Previously unpublished interviews, personal memoirs, photos, musical transcriptions, and a selected discography add to this comprehensive biography.

Genres: Music, Jazz, Biography

416 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Chris Smith was raised in Iowa and began playing the drums at age eight. He holds degrees from Northern Illinois University and Manhattan School of Music, and a doctorate from University of Northern Colorado. He is currently a professional drummer and educator in New York, frequently giving master classes throughout the U.S.

Reviews

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definite five stars for a well researched and well written book. This one is strictly for musicians, it delves into discussions of techniques and written transcriptions of some Mel's work, while at the same time presenting a great history of Mel's career. There were quite a few interviews with Mel and he spoke frankly and informatively on not only drum techniques, but his take on music and jazz in general and the state of the music business. (It was bad in Mel's lifetime and has only gotten worse since!)
Highly recommended to musicians of any instrument and genre. I'm a died in the wool jazzer, but maybe people who are not died in the wool jazzers would get even more from a book like this in terms of widening and expanding knowledge and a musical philosophy that can work in any genre.

[Christopher Heaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be generous & give one three stars. Thoroughly researched & I learned quite a bit about Lewis that I didn't know, but the writer is clearly a fan & admirer of the Mel Lewis, so not a lot of critical insights. Too much of this book was here is this year's tour, these are the cities visited & these are the musicians in the band or this is the new record, these are the musicians on the recording, these are the songs. Reads a bit like a laundry list at times.

[Eric Ganci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer research in an organized, powerful story

Dr. Smith knocked this out of the park. It’s increíble how he tracked and organized so much information to tell in such a readable, powerful story. Cheers!

[Randall Coyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent detailed look at the life and stellar career of an underrated drummer.

[Sean-david · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great history on a very important musician.