Where is Lewis?
Lewis Cowdrey's mid-1990s release on Antone's, "It's Lewis" is in our opinion ONE OF THE GREATEST TEXAS BLUES CDS OF THE LAST 25 YEARS, yet no-one seems to know where Lewis Cowdrey is? This man is an awesome talent on harp, vocal and guitar and if you can find a copy of this KILLER CD (w. W.C. Clark, Eddie Stout, Freddie Pharoah, Mike Kindred, Johnny Moeller a.o.) you'll get your mind blown Big Time. |
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For almost a decade now we’ve been telling the world about Lewis Cowdrey’s incredible but unheralded Texas Blues CD “It’s Lewis” on the Antone’s label. Quite simply, “It’s Lewis” is, we feel, the best Texas Blues CD of the last 20 years. Featuring Lewis on vocals, harmonica and guitar, the supporting cast of W.C. Clark, Jon Moeller, Freddie ‘Pharoah’ Walden, Mike Kindred, Keith Ferguson and John McVey should give you an idea of the calibre of music and, every second of “It’s Lewis” is Absolutely Heaven. Pure, deep, moving Blues Truth from start to finish, “It’s Lewis” exhibits so much talent (I have listened to this CD more than ANY CD in the last 11 years and I will undoubtedly listen to it several thousand more times in the next 11 years) that one would automatically assume that Lewis Cowdrey would be a major Texas Blues star as a result. But, in the strange world of music, the CD that should’ve been a major Blues Hit in ‘94/95 and a Texas Blues Classic, never got major promotion or publicity. Lewis Cowdrey is at a loss to understand the politics of that situation or perhaps it’s too deep a ‘wound’ to delve into, for here was an artist, a well-respected one, who put his heart, sweat and soul into his life’s work, his ‘Masterpiece’, and instead of it propelling him into Blues Stardom, he was taught a lesson in “casting-pearls-before-swine.” As a fan of Lewis’s (without his knowledge, I might add) I feel the “casting pearls…” reference, though, harsh, is really the only honest and appropriate explanation for his lack of fame/fortune (shades of Ray Sharpe, King Biscuit Boy, Little Sonny and so many other ‘too-good’ Blues artists…) But in direct contrast to that unfortunate state, I’d also like to say that “It’s Lewis” is such a powerful and timeless Blues Masterpiece that there’s no reason why this CD with proper exposure, can’t be a hit in 2005 and be acknowledged from here on as a BLUES MASTERPIECE. And, Lewis Cowdrey still is a bona-fide Blues Legend and Star calibre performer who, given the chance, could capture millions of new fans. His “joyful noise,” as he puts it, is exactly the right tonic for this World of Blues we live in today. Now living in Wichita, Kansas, after a life of playing every Texas Blues club from San Antonio to Beaumont to Houston, Lewis Cowdrey is waiting for his Big Break. If there’s an artist more deserving than Lewis…we haven’t heard about them. Do yourself a favour; find yourself a copy of “It’s Lewis” on Antone’s and spend an hour in Blues Nirvana. ….
For bookings call Lewis at 316-687-6447. |
