James Brandon Lewis (born August 13, 1983, Buffalo, New York) is a powerful and imaginative tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader whose work sits at the crossroads of jazz, gospel, free improvisation, and storytelling.

Early Life and Musical Roots
Growing up in Buffalo, Lewis was immersed in both church music and a supportive arts education environment. He began on clarinet at age nine before moving to saxophone, and his early exposure to gospel and spiritual traditions would remain a defining part of his sound. His mother’s love of science also shaped his later interest in blending musical creativity with scientific and structural concepts.

Education and Transition
Lewis studied at Howard University, graduating in 2006, where he learned from jazz greats through classes, ensembles, and master workshops. After a period in Colorado performing in gospel settings, he went on to earn his MFA at CalArts in 2010, studying with influential mentors like Wadada Leo Smith, Vinny Golia, and Charlie Haden. These experiences encouraged him to pursue a wide-ranging, exploratory approach to improvisation and composition.

Artistic Trajectory and Sound
Relocating to New York City in 2012, Lewis began establishing himself as a distinctive new voice in jazz. His early recordings already hinted at a bold yet lyrical style, and over time he developed a signature concept he calls “Molecular Systematic Music” — an approach that uses ideas from biology and science to inspire new relationships between harmony, melody, and rhythm.

Lewis’s music balances deep spiritual expression with intellectual curiosity. His tenor sound is commanding and passionate, yet always anchored in clarity and narrative flow.

Key Projects & Milestones
Jesup Wagon (2021) — a critically acclaimed album inspired by George Washington Carver’s legacy.
Eye of I (2023) — an introspective trio recording exploring space, spirit, and sound.
For Mahalia, With Love (2023) — a tribute to gospel legend Mahalia Jackson.
Transfiguration (2024) — a quartet album pushing boundaries of form and tonality.
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis (2024) — a collaboration with the post-punk-jazz trio The Messthetics.
Apple Cores (2025) — his latest trio outing, expanding his ongoing sound explorations.

Recognition & Contributions
James Brandon Lewis has earned major accolades in the jazz world, including multiple honors in the DownBeat Critics Poll, features in major outlets like The New York Times and NPR, and support from institutions such as the ASCAP Foundation and the Rauschenberg Foundation. He is also a co-founder of the poetry-and-jazz ensemble Heroes Are Gang Leaders, which received an American Book Award.

Artistic Vision & Legacy
Lewis approaches performance as storytelling — every piece unfolding with a beginning, middle, and end. He is deeply committed to vulnerability and clarity in his improvisations, striving to connect emotionally with listeners while pushing the tradition forward. His voice stands firmly in the lineage of Coltrane, Rollins, and David S. Ware, yet remains unmistakably his own: modern, daring, and deeply human.