2013.05.20 JT Lewis on Don Pullen 3 of 3

We were talking about “The Total Package” as a bandleader: what does that really mean? It means choosing the right sidemen (perhaps ones whom others might not have thought of); it means choosing the right music (maybe songs you write or ones you cultivate from other composers). More than anything, it means having a distinct point of view and letting those decisions flow from that. Don Pullen demonstrated that ethos through the many bands he led over the years, none more so than his last band, The African-Brazilian Connection (I mean, the POV is there in the name!).

 

Drummer JT Lewis was in that band. Maybe that experience contributed to his decision to start the band that he still co-leads, Harriet Tubman (hmmm, there’s one of those names again).

 

Trust me: this is one from the heart.

 

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