Lewis Nash

One of the world’s greatest jazz drummers, Lewis Nash has played with most of the major jazz names of the past 25 years, distinguishing him in every setting. Born in 1958 in Phoenix, he began playing drums when he was 10. As a teenager, Lewis was playing with the top local jazz groups and, when he was 21, he was usually the drummer called to play with visiting all-stars, including Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Lee Konitz and Slide Hampton whenever they played in Phoenix. In 1981 when he was 23, Nash moved to New York and for almost four years he worked regularly with Betty Carter. Other major associations included the Ron Carter Nonet, the Branford Marsalis Quartet, J.J. Johnson, the Don Pullen/George Adams Quartet, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson and (regularly from 1990-2000) the Tommy Flanagan Trio.

Things have not slowed down since. Nash worked with both the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and has thus far appeared on over 300 recordings, including sessions with Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Jackie McLean, Horace Silver, Scott Hamilton, Joe Lovano, Natalie Cole and many others. Nash, who has surprisingly only led three CDs of his own (including two for the Japanese Pony Canyon label), also gives lectures, clinics and workshops, and teaches at Julliard. Nash leads groups of his own although he is best known for the stimulating support that he gives others.