Vel Lewis
Houston, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2004 | INDIE
Music
Press
Nice song, man. You kicked it up. Killer bass. Love it. - WINR Smooth Jazz - 10/08/16
Current playlist - Listening to Papa's Strut by Vel Lewis - DC Bebop - 10/01/16
Beautiful, Vel! Wow! This is what we need to pick ourselves UP during tough times. I want fun - I want overwhelming Old School with a New Twist FUN! The timing of Papa's Strut could NOT be better! - Hybrid Jazz With Trish Hennessey (9/27/16)
Vel: Papa's Strut is pretty doggone funky! - Don Martin via text - Style Quarterly Magazine (9/26/16)
Monday, January 18, 2016
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Recording artist, Vel Lewis and Worthing High School trombone player, J'Mon Fowler, preview a concert to raise funds for the Worthing High School senior class. The "Vel Lewis Smooth Jazz Jam" is slated for January 22 at Worthing High. - ABC13 Houston
Listening to... Vel Lewis (Jazz) (Video) - Colors Of Soul - DC Bebop (12/18/15)
For consideration:
Record of the Year:
"Song For My Love" (http://bit.ly/1Xhp4z4)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental & Vocal:
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (http://bit.ly/1PBVwdb) - 58th Annual Grammy Awards
by Monica Murphy Eaves - The Jazz In M.E.E. Magazine (Oct 2015)
Liking the music very much. Next week one of these tracks will be played on The Good Groove Guide. - Larry Vidal - 91.8 Hayes FM.org.uk (8/20/2015)
It's difficult to find quality music amongst so many offerings. But this stuff stands out as superior (along with other tracks 'All Wound Up', 'Song for My Love' and 'Maybe So'). - Larry Vidal - 91.8 Hayes FM.org.uk (8/20/2015)
Like it. Will be adding it to the Sunday Afternoon Jazz Experience Soon. Thanks, Jackie Holliday/KDAYLIVE.COM - KDAYLIVE.com (8/17/2015)
“Smooth and moving!!” - Bob Parzych, WRTC 89.3 FM (Jun 23, 2015)
"Great track and excellent production! In rotation now. It's clear that Vel understands the "Smooth Jazz" mindset. Excellent track and superb production. Vel conveys the Smooth Jazz formula precisely." - Don Martin, Style Quarterly Radio (Jun 16, 2015)
"Excellent song. Colors of Soul is food for our soul. I'll play it in my radio show. Congratulation." - Leo Ramirez, CiTR 101.9 FM (Jun 16, 2015)
"I have played this track (Colors Of Soul) on my Jazz Show on 107.8 Tone FM & intend to play it again" - The Jazz Show with Tony Soley (Tone FM) Jun 16, 2015
"Colors Of Soul" title track... "Added to our rotation 5/7/15" - Brian Vita, WMWM 91.7 FM
“I've been playing "Colors of Soul" on my radio show. It's a very good track.” - Barry Rosen, WHCJ-FM
"Colors Of Soul" title track... "Nice clean sound; good crossover between jazz and adult contemporary." - Virgil Simons, English Radio Barcelona
“I have been using "Colors of Soul" on my program for two months, love it and will keep using it , send me more tunes Vel” - Bill Sharpe - Coast 101.1fm Classic hits
"A cool retro Hammond B3 sound with a great melody and groove - familiar yet new!" - Ted Hasiuk - Jazz Lynx & Cafe Jazz Radio
"Colors Of Soul is an excellent follow up to Velbert Lewis' Song For My Love. Colors Of Soul has an appealing rhythmic feel to the melody which seems to just glide along freely over the top. I have played the song many times on my two programs and when adding it to my playlist feel it adds to listener's enjoyment of the smooth format of the program. I look forward to hearing more from Velbert Lewis and wish him well." - John Holden, presenter, Sydney, Australia. - John Holden, 2BACR FM 100.9 - Bankstown Auburn Community Radio
“Happy to add the single ("Colors Of Soul") to our network library and our Jazz stream.” - John Corcelli - Canadian Broadcasting Company
“We now play it ("Colors Of Soul") on Super Flow smooth jazz internet radio station, this track is in our music library format right now 24/7 Station.” - Melvin Foster - Online Radio Search.com
The evening of Sept. 12, during taping of The J-Spot TV Show, I met Vel Lewis as he approached me in between musical sets. His calm demeanor and professional style was so refreshing and I was blessed to have met him. God put us in the same place at the same time - That's how God rolls, don't you know.
Since then, we have kept in touch and I look forward to work with Vel Lewis on future projects, and in having him on The J-Spot in the near future. Just take a moment to read about Vel on his website to see the many notable artists he has performed with, and to just get to know him.
Vel just released a brand new tune, only 48 hours old as of this posting; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen . . . guaranteed to be a classic and something you'll want to hear each holiday season. Get your copy right here at www.cdbaby.com/cd/vellewis5
#thiscatiscoldblooded4sure
www.vellewis.com
https://soundcloud.com/vel-lewis-music - Guy Michaels - The J-Spot
“So different and funky and refreshing. I'll be sure to play this song in days to come. It's special! Not a lot of artists tackle "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." A favorite of mine - and to hear it done like this is a gift.” - Trish Hennessey, Hybrid Jazz From Trish Hennessey - Hybrid Jazz From Trish Hennessey
“LOVE IT!!!!! Thank you!!! You just made my day…” - Annie Latin Jazzy Rodriguez, “Up Close & Personal with Latin Jazzy” - Up Close & Personal with Latin Jazzy
"VEL LEWIS is not a name that many soul and jazz fans will be immediately familiar with, but my guess is that most of that crew will at some time have had some contact with the veteran Philly keyboardist's music. Vel Lewis records regularly and he's just released a new 5 track EP called 'Colors Of Soul'. The smooth jazz collection shows of his keyboard dexterity and he's aided throughout by his regular sideman – Lenny Castro (percussion) and Kevin Chokan (guitars). The music is gentle and laid back and stuffed with catchy riffs and melodic ear-worms. Vel describes his music as "Groove Jazz"... and you can decide if he's right @ www.vellewis.com." - Bill B., SoulandJazzandFunk
"The title song impresses with a captivating melody transported by vintage synth to our astounded ears. The melody is consistently in an appealing flow and the guitar delivers a rhythm in the style of Maze. On Song For My Love Vel reaches out to the Hammond B3 kicking the harmonies as the instrument requires it. Vel Lewis serves it hot with Colors of Soul. This EP awakens the appetite for more. Vel has certainly a number of other irons in the fire, we can expect in near future." - Hans-Bernd Hulsmann
"Colors of Soul is a mixture of rhythmic songs for the Groove Jazz listener. Each song on the EP captures the keyboards and organ stylings of composer Vel Lewis. “Lovin’ You So” is a tastefully classic R&B textured track. “Chuva” is a wonderful romantic, Smooth Jazz ballad. “Song For My Love” blends Swing and Hip-hop into a jazzy groove. The title track “Colors Of Soul” is an engaging Arp-styled synthesizer number that provides a melodic lead element reminiscent of the keyboard style of the late, great George Duke." - Smooth Jazz Daily
"Hammond organist Vel Lewis is yet another fine example of the synergy that sizzles between contemporary jazz and soul music from the golden age of Philadelphia. His new radio single, the ultra smooth ‘Song For My Love’, is grabbing some attention ahead of the June release of the EP ‘Colors Of Soul’ and the fact the collection was mixed by rising star Greg Manning (and features none other than Lenny Castro on percussion) will do its chances of success no harm at all. His 2012 single, ‘Vitamin D’ checked all the right soul boxes and now with ‘Colors Of Soul’ he is building a wonderful bridge from classic soul to smooth jazz." - Denis Poole, Smooth Jazz Therapy
Vel Lewis
(Jazz) (video)
- Colors of Soul - DC Bebop
Discography
- "Tell Me Why" - Life (1974)
- Shady Grady "All Wound Up" (2005)
- "Let It Ride", "Keep Comin' Back To You", "Sunshine" - "Keepin' It Mellow" compilation CD (2007)
- "Vitamin D" - single (2012)
- "Maybe So" - single (2013)
- "Somethin' Wrong" - single (2014)
- "Song For My Love" - single (2014)
- "Colors Of Soul" - EP (2014)
- "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - single (2014)
- "Colors Of Soul" - single (2015)
- "Lovin' You So" - single (2015)
- "I Wanna Be Cool" - single (2015)
- "Chuva" - single (2016)
- "Papa's Strut" - single (2016)
- "Houston Strong" - single (2018)
Photos
Bio
Vel Lewis (originally from Philadelphia, PA) is an American, and an accomplished singer, producer, arranger, who composes his own music and also plays piano and drums. Vel is a certified Hammond Organ Company artist. Vel Lewis can be found listed on many popular recordings and well-known TV shows The Sopranos, Mad About You, Friends, and Wife Swap USA, all of which feature music he composed.
His latest EP, “Colors of Soul” is a highly charged Jazz and Soul EP that is superbly produced by Vel, combined with the Midas touch of chart-topping producer Greg Manning who added his brand of magic to the mixes. Kevin Chokan on guitars, keeping it in the pocket and soulful. Master percussionist Lenny Castro brings his signature sound to the project. “Colors of Soul” is a mixture of rhythmic songs for the Groove Jazz listener.
His 2014 single, “Song For My Love” from his latest EP “Colors Of Soul”, is the follow up from his 2013 Smooth Jazz Adult Contemporary single “Maybe So”, which solidified his position as a professional jazz/soul/funk musician. “Song For My Love” ended up the year 2014 with a position on the Groove Jazz Music.com “Top 100” chart with over 1,600 spins and 375,000 streams. "Song For My Love" also landed on the 58th Annual Grammy Awards ballot for consideration.
Vel’s rendition of the familiar Christmas carol, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, released as a holiday single in 2014 and drew stellar reviews from radio show hosts around the world. This song also landed a spot on the 58th Annual Grammy awards ballot for consideration.
Also during 2014, Vel released a track entitled “Somethin’ Wrong” featuring soulful vocals against his fiery electric piano solos and riffs throughout the track.
Vel received his second ASCAP Plus Award in November 2014; the first one awarded in 2013 after the release of his singles, “Vitamin D” and “Maybe So”. His jazz/soul/funk track entitled “Vitamin D” released in 2012 continues to be streamed daily on Jango Radio and other social media sites.Vel has performed on the same stage with Funkadelic/Parliament, Al Green, The Spinners, The O'Jays, Earth, Wind, And Fire, and many other well-known stars at the Apollo Theater (NYC), Baltimore Civic Center (MD), the Hampton Coliseum (VA), and the Kennedy Center (D.C.), before capacity crowds.
In 2002, Dionne Warwick contacted Vel to perform on her World Tour, which he did for three years before the release of his solo debut CD/DVD project, “Shady Grady – All Wound Up”. During this tour, Vel performed on the stages of the Sydney Opera House (Australia), National Auditorium (Mexico), Suntec Center (Singapore), Hong Kong Convention Center and before dignitaries (the King and Queen of Norway), and notables Mr. Steve Forbes, Mr. Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Andrea Bocelli, and many other well-known celebrities.
DC Bebop Magazine published a full page feature article on Vel in their July 2018 issue.
The Houston Chronicle newspaper published a feature article in their Sunday edition over the Thanksgiving 2018 holiday weekend.
Vel continues to deliver the kind of sultry, groove-laced music that catches the ears of his audience and soothes their hearts. From the moment the first note is heard and you feel the pulse of the rhythm, the ride begins – this is the perfect combination for the true music lover. For those around the world who have been requesting more Vel Lewis Music, this is for you… “Colors Of Soul” … ear candy for the heart!
Band Members
Links
