Kudos

The following quotes are from musicians and band leaders who have either hired Eddie Lewis for gigs, used his books, studied with him as a student or commissioned him to write music for them. Most of the musicians quoted here are from Houston, but you will notice some quotes from as far away as California or Maryland. Also listed here are quotes from brides who hired Mr. Lewis for their wedding ceremonies. 

Eddie Lewis is a professional, Christian trumpet player in Houston, Texas who plays jazz, classical chamber music, and any other style of music which requires trumpet. He has given private trumpet instruction and tutoring since 1980 and does arrangements and commissions for a number of Houston area bands.

___________________________________________

Randy Snyder - San Jacinto College North
"Eddie - I wish to express admiration for and appreciation of your method and your teaching. You are a tremendous teacher and your method is exemplary! Thanks for all you have done for me my playing. Truly, truly remarkable."

Eric Jackson - Spain Colored Orange
"Mr. Lewis is hands down the best teacher I've ever had...in any subject.  In high school he prepared me for college and I received not only a scholarship but a full ride, something I could never have achieved on my own. I have used the "Physical Trumpet Pyramid" and "Daily Routines" since 1990 and swear by the results. I owe all of my success to these books. His methods have  prepared me for a career as an award winning Trumpet player here in Houston and on a national scale. I personally cannot think of a better opportunity for your sons or daughters to get the instruction they need to take their playing to the next level, whether its just for fun or more academic study Mr. Lewis helps his students develop goals and gives them the tools to get there. Quit wasting your time and sign up for lessons now!"

David Caceres - New York/Houston
"Eddie and I have been working together for the last 15 years. Whether it be the Tom Borling Bebop band, my band, TKOH, Eddie's Living Rhythms or Noe's Big Band, he has always been the consummate professional. Regardless of the style of music, he has always given 100%, being true to the music, never considering himself above it. Eddie has also written many arrangements for my band that I use all the time. If ever I feel uninspired in Houston, I look at Eddie and all of his accomplishments: originals, arrangements, books, study methods, etc..."

Kayla - El Paso, TX
"I love your Daily Routines and music. They're absolutely wonderful. They have tremendously helped me with my tone, range, and articulation. Your Celebrations duet book is also great for these things on so many levels. I hope someday I can meet you and listen to you play live."

Dick Schaffer - New York
"Just received the books. What a wonderful, cheerful, joyous book "Celebrations" is! I intend to "beat my students up" with it. It has something for everyone, from beginner to professional. It's a playing encyclopedia, pure and simple."

Russ Nester - Simi Valley, CA
"I purchased your "Daily Routines" and the companion "Trumpet Pyramid" books from you a few years ago, along with the amazing TBBB recording. As a personal testimonial, they have "changed my life", at least my trumpet-playing life. What used to be my "best" days are now my normal, and I no longer struggle for days following a tough gig or after a layoff period. Overall, I am a better and more consistent player. Thank you!!"

"I have subsequently assisted a handful of other players by introducing them to "The Eddie Lewis Method", as they all fondly call it. I am a part-time professional, and do not profess to be a teacher. With the assistance of your books, however, I have helped them on their journeys to better playing skills, endurance, and range. All were struggling with range, endurance, sound, and inconsistent abilities, some for their entire musical lives. The oldest is in his mid-70's. All have improved without additional playing or practice time beyond what they had done for many years. Some have improved dramatically well beyond what they had long considered their "level".

Mark Towns - Houston, TX and Los Angeles, CA 
"Thanks so much for the big band arrangements you did of my songs. They were expertly written and turned around very quickly on a short deadline. The charts were accurate, and your musical visions that you introduced complimented very nicely with my original ideas in each song. You are my first choice for doing more chart work for horns next time I need it, which will be soon. In fact, I've got a few new tunes here..." 

Darlene Thomas 
"Hello Eddie, I wanted to let you know that everything with the wedding was wonderful.  The ceremony and reception turned out great and I want to thank you very much for playing.  The trumpet sounds were magical and really made everything come together.  It was everything that I dreamed it would be and more.  My husband said that you really did and excellent job and I am still hearing compliments on how your performance added so much more to the ceremony as well as the reception.  I really appreciate it."

Lonnie Lalanne - Houston Freelance Trumpeter 
(transcribed from a phone message)
"I'm on 74, 75 and 76 in your duet book. Man, I just want to thank you for this stuff. It's really perfect for a pro player to cover those styles and I'm gong to tell you the truth - you're kind of a jerk though - some of that stuff you do, man, that trickery - I really like it. Thanks Eddie."

Chris Gekker - University of Maryland
"Your duets have been a great addition to my teaching. I like to do some sight-reading at each students' lesson, and in your book there is so much variety and range of styles. Some duets are very simple, which can be deceptively challenging, and others have intervallic and rhythmic demands that are quite ambitious. I also appreciate the "swing" duets, of which there are a number: gone are the days when any trumpeter can ignore being able to play well in this manner. Congratulations on such a fine book, and I'm grateful for your contribution to our quest of becoming better musicians and trumpeters." 

Joel Fulgham - Houston - Freelance Drummer 
"Eddie Lewis will surprise you; he plays awesome jazz solos, seeming to never run out of ideas, and never repeating himself-then he'll step over and play great lead trumpet. Just when you think you know the limit of his abilities, he'll go play classical music somewhere, and if there's time, he'll top it off with a salsa gig. The cat has one of the broadest packages of skills I've ever encountered!"

Rev. Geoffrey Andress -Ingleside Middle School Band Director - Phoenix, AZ
"In 1974 I gave a very young Eddie Lewis a trumpet lesson on our Vermont home’s back porch. “Put some air through this horn and make that sound bounce back at us from the hill across the valley,” I said. With an unbelievably rich tone he did just that, and he hasn’t stopped since. As both a performing music and a public school educator I’ve been privileged to have worked with Tiger several times over the years that followed. I’m an old, well-traveled jazz pianist and singer – directed my first band in 1966. Since then I’ve directed and played in bands all over Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and now Arizona. Note this well: Eddie is one of the most versatile and talented jazz trumpeters of the hundreds that I’ve worked with. His technique is clean; his sight-reading is right on; his range is large and balanced; and his improvisational skills are incredible – ballads, latin, swing, bop – you name it. But best of all, in spite of being a trumpet player – he’s about as nice a person as you could ever hope to meet."

"I’m still teaching kids how to make music by playing band instruments. Last year Eddie was in town visiting his mom and he swung by my school to talk to one of my middle school bands and then my after-school jazz band. He talked about loving what you are doing. He talked about working at what you love. Semi-politely my always talkative kids nodded their heads as they listened. Then he took out his trumpet – and blew the horn. Their eyes grew big. Their mouths were still open but were now silent. He demonstrated some classical themes. He showed some simple warm-ups. He played a jazz standard while I accompanied on piano. And then he even played some tunes along with my jazz band. Some of the kids were there for two hours. They would have stayed and played and listened all night. So would I. It was nice to play one more time with Eddie Lewis. They still talk about his visit. It is has been my pleasure to talk about him. Contact me at geoffreyandress@yahoo.com if you want to hear more." 

Carol Morgan - Philadelphia, PA
"All that needs to be said about Eddie is that his devotion to the Creator is evident in every sound that he is a part of. I am humbled and taught by his choices and his beauty."

Eric Bolvin - San Francisco, CA
"Eddie Lewis does it all! He's a versatile, creative trumpet player, an excellent composer arranger, and a patient educator. His books are great and he's very dependable and a hard worker. His articles are always interesting and informative."

Richard Birk - President IAJE - Texas
"Eddie recorded all the trumpet parts for the Texas All-State Jazz Ensemble Drum Audition Etude compact disc (that means 12 tunes x 4 parts = 48 trumpet parts!) and did an incredible job. He nailed all the parts and recorded virtually every one in the first take. The quality of the CD is great and Eddie’s playing is huge reason for its success. Eddie is one of the best trumpet players around and always the consummate professional." 

Andrew Leinhard - Houston, TX
"Eddie Lewis, besides being a consummate professional, possesses a natural warmth in his playing which when combined with his commanding technique and deep understanding of many idioms -- latin, swing, and classical -- is a guarantee for world-class music."

Algernon J.Jones - Jazz Educator / Trombone - Houston, TX
"Eddie Lewis is one of the most exciting trumpet players and composers in the Southwestern United States. He is a very successful Jazz educator and instructor of improvisation on all instruments. Over a span of twenty years, I have known and played with him and he has always demonstrated a high degree of professionalism. He will make an excellent contribution to any jazz endeavor."

Cameron Kade Kubos
"Eddie Lewis was the first private trumpet teacher I ever had for both jazz and classical. The things I learned from him have followed me from those first days as a freshmen in high school until today. I use concepts and exercises that I got from him on a daily basis, and I totally believe in them. I attribute much of the success I have had from jazz performances to all state bands to college auditions to those first lessons I had with Eddie. On top of his phenomenal musicianship, Eddie is an amazing person. I could not have asked for a better teacher or role model than Eddie to be an influence for both my playing and me personally."

Joe LoCascio - JoeLoCascio.com - Huston, TX
"Eddie Lewis is a gifted and creative improviser possessed of formidable intellect and passion. His approach is inventive and interactive and his solos are filled with unexpected twists and turns. He has that rare ability to make the rhythm section feel as though they are playing his solo with him rather than beneath him."

Will Cruz - Universal Rhythm Productions - Houston, TX
"Eddie's nick name "Tiger" comes alive when you listen to his solos. His execution and approach to soloing are playful at times and aggressive when it counts"

Ed Gerlach - Houston, TX
“Eddie, you’re a fine musical player & it’s so good to be able to call you.”

Ricky Diaz - RickyDiazMusic.com - Houston, TX
“You’re one of my favorite jazz players. Thanks!!!”

Dick Schaffer - Houston Symphony Orchestra (retired)
"I must tell you that your Daily Studies book has been a part of my daily routine since its earliest publication. Its simplicity of construction and excellent sequential organization has been integral in helping me maintain my professional playing standards for years. I truly believe it is one of the tools which has lengthened my career. It is especially useful now, when I am recovering from a lip injury. Working in it is gradually restoring my strength and embouchure feel sooner than I would have expected, thus giving me faith that things will soon be right again. My students have also shown marked improvement while using it. Keep the great books like this one coming! Best of luck on your other projects."

Aubrey Tucker - RTCRecords.com - Houston, TX
“Eddie Lewis is one of the finest, most versatile, and always prepared professional trumpet artists I have ever heard. And I have heard and worked with many of the great ones. Eddie has an excellent sound, terrific technique, style interpretation, musicianship, accuracy, and an extraordinary trumpet range. He is a quick reader and a world class jazz soloist. In short, he is the total trumpet player. Much more than that, Eddie Lewis is the consummate musician - an excellent composer and arranger and an ardent student of music and practice in all genres. He is congenial and disciplined. Eddie Lewis is a top pro to work with.”

Charlie and Lisa Cotrone - Houston, TX
"Musicians are gifted people and if you are talking about Eddie Lewis, you are indeed speaking of one of Houston's finest, most respected trumpet players. We have had the pleasure and honor of working with Eddie in many situations, from weddings and private parties to huge festivals for quite some time now. His talent is unsurpassed and he is great fun to watch and work with as he motivates a horn section with his "moves". We have always had the highest compliments on his versatility, performances and his professionalism and have had occasion to utilize his abilities as an arranger of musical compositions as well. He is thorough and reliable and is a real "pro". He is highly schooled and a well-known, in-demand trumpeter that knows how to not only read the music and play the song, but also how to deliver it with intense emotion. He can create sounds from a trumpet that I did not know was possible. Eddie is also a great teacher of music, and I believe this to be true based on our experiences with him and his technical knowledge and his skills in our bands. I would highly recommend including Eddie Lewis in any musical venture one might need a great trumpet player for. He will make any music you play sound better and represent you well. We have always been honored to have him in our horn section and love his versatility to play any style. He has an uncanny ability to "improvise" at any given moment. Hit-n-Run and the Cugini Band always has a solid, top notch, entertaining trumpet player when Eddie Lewis is on the job and it is our great pleasure and honor to say that we have played with the best of the best and look forward to many years to come of making music together!"

Jeneane Pithan
"I was planning a Texas wedding from Virginia so it was hard for me to meet in person with vendors. I knew I wanted duel trumpet players for my ceremony and I ended up finding Eddie Lewis’ website through a search done on the Internet. I found his site to be very informative and what I liked most about it was that Eddie had uploaded recordings of himself onto the site. No other musician I searched for did that and it really set Eddie apart from the others in my mind. When decisions need to be made from afar, waiting for a CD to arrive in the mail just takes too long. When I contacted him, he was courteous and his prices were the best I had seen. The day of the ceremony arrived and as I walked down the aisle, Eddie and his partner played phenomenally – just what I wanted! Right then and there, I knew I had chosen the right musician to create the regal feel I was going for during my most special day." 

Nelson Mills (Top pro player in Houston):
“Dear Ed, Thank you for this method book. My father has retired from playing, but once I showed him the book and those limbering exercises, he had to have one. And I bought one for a friend. I really appreciate you turning me onto it. Thankx.”

Peter Toogood (Ann Arbor, MI):
“This piece (Fanfare #14) provided the perfect opening for a recent informal gathering I helped organize with some local amateur musicians. I will certainly keep your work in mind also for future occasions.”

Kenneth Baird (Tulsa OK):
“I have enjoyed becoming acquainted with your web site. I find it to be informative and very enjoyable.”

Kathryn Sherman and Yangau Kim (Yo Puedo Publishing):
“Dear Eddie, Thank you for supporting Yo Puedo Publishing with your great trumpet and flugelhorn performances! Your energy and enthusiasm were greatly appreciated and helped to make last weekend fantastic. It has been a pleasure to work with you.”

Charlie - (on the Trumpet Herald)
"I found Trane for Trumpet amazing, it showed me that what I was up to could be expanded written down and turned into a technique book.
The organization and evolution of the exersizes is very logical and helpful.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a great resource."

Pops McLaughlin - Dallas, TX
“Eddie Lewis - has written some very good music and has recorded some of it.”

Chad Daversa:
“Found your site through Google.  The suggestions for practicing have been some of the most helpful I have come across anywhere.”

Dave Woestenborghs:
“After i heard an MP3 of your piece Texas i'm very interested in it for our Quintet.”

Axel Strothmann:
“I recently purchased a copy of "Daily Routines" at CafePress.com and I want to send you a big THANK YOU for writing such a great book.”

Jay Lichtmann
“I have admired your site and downloaded some of your compositions.  I like that your site is a mix of pedagogical and compositional stuff.  You obviously are talented over a wide range and have thought hard about what we do and how we do it.  You have all the attributes of an excellent teacher.”

Tim Zachery:
“I am very impressed by the simplicity and thoroughness of the [Daily] routines, so much that I tell all of my musical buddies about your book as well as your website.”

Dan Shaw (Florida)
“Just a note to say that I have enjoyed your "Daily Routines."  It is nice to have an organized compilation of many of the classic exercises in one book for daily use. I have played and studied with some of the best over the past 40 years and your book is a refreshing tool to have on hand.”

Mike Matney:
“I really enjoyed your trumpet playing last night. Wow, when the three of you [Bob Odneal, Luis Juarez and Eddie Lewis] jammed out front it was incredible! I really like your style of jazz improvisation also. Very awesome!”

Chris Knuston:
“Eddie is a great trumpet man, a talented web designer, and a heck of a nice guy!”

Magan and John Barnhill:
“Dear Eddie, Thank you so much for helping to make our wedding so beautiful! I appreciate your playing so very much. Thanks again!”

Buck and Kelli:
“Thank you for playing at our wedding. It was really beautiful and touching to everyone. Thanks for making our day wonderful.”

Donovan Bankhead
"I have found "Daily Routines" to be one of the best guides and resources for trumpet playing. The combination of exercises show you how to correctly play the trumpet. The "method" is based on common sense. It acknowledges the fact that air is the most important fundamental, and then build on that. Excellent method, and worth every penny and then some!"