John Lewis
John Lewis ca. 1946-48
Background information
Birth name	John Aaron Lewis
Born	(1920-05-03)May 3, 1920
Origin	LaGrange, Illinois, USA
Died	March 29, 2001(2001-03-29) (aged 80)
Genres	Jazz
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1940s–1990s

John Aaron Lewis (LaGrange, Illinois, May 3, 1920 – New York City, March 29, 2001) was an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger best known as the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Early Life[link]

John Lewis was born in La Grange, Illinois^[1] and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico and began learning classical music and piano starting at the age of seven.^[2] His family was musical and had a family band that allowed him to play frequently and he also played in a Boy Scout music group.^[3] Even though he learned piano by playing the classics, he was exposed to jazz from an early age because his aunt loved to dance and he would listen to the music she played.^[4] He attended the University of New Mexico,^[5] where he led a small dance band that he formed^[6] and double majored in Anthropology and Music.^[7] Eventually, he decided not to pursue Anthropology because he was advised that careers from degrees in Anthropology did not pay well.^[8] In 1942, Lewis entered the army and played piano alongside Kenny Clarke, who influenced him to move to New York once their service was over.^[9] Lewis moved to New York in 1945^[10] to pursue his musical studies at the Manhattan School of Music and eventually graduated with a master's degree in music in 1953.^[11] Although his move to New York turned his musical attention more towards jazz, he still frequently played and listened to classical works and composers such as Chopin, Bach and Beethoven.^[12]

Jazz Career[link]

Once Lewis moved to New York in 1945, Clarke and Lewis tried out for Dizzy Gillespie's bop-style big band by playing a song called "Bright Lights" that Lewis had written for the band they played for in the army. ^[13] They both were asked to join Gillespie's band, ^[14] and the tune they originally played for Gillespie, renamed "Two Bass Hit," became an instant success ^[15]. Lewis composed, arranged and played piano for the band from 1945 until 1948 after the band made a concert tour of Europe. ^[16] When Lewis returned from the tour with Gillespie's band, he left the band to work individually. Lewis was an accompanist for Charlie Parker and played on some of Parker's famous recordings, such as "Parker's Mood" (1948) and "Blues for Alice" (1951), but also collaborated with other prominent jazz artists such as Lester Young, Ella Fitzgerald and Illinois Jacquet.^[17]

Lewis also was part of Miles Davis's "Birth of the Cool" sessions. While in Europe, Lewis received letters from Davis urging Lewis to come back to the United States and collaborate with himself, Gil Evans, Gerry Mulligan and others on the second session of "Birth of the Cool". ^[18] From when he returned to the U.S. in 1948 through 1949, Lewis joined the Davis's nonet ^[19] and is considered "one of the more prolific arrangers with the 1949 Miles Davis Nonet". ^[20] Lewis arranged the following on the Birth of the Cool sessions: "S'il Vous Plait," "Rouge," "Move" and "Budo".^[21]

Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, drummer Kenny Clarke and bassist Ray Brown had been the small group within the Gillespie big band, ^[22] and they frequently played their own short sets when the brass and reeds needed a break or even when Gillespie's band wasn't playing.^[23] The small band received a lot of positive recognition and it led to the foursome forming a full-time working group, which they initially called the Milt Jackson Quartet in 1951 but in 1952 renamed the Modern Jazz Quartet. ^[24]

The Modern Jazz Quartet[link]

The Modern Jazz Quartet formed out of the foursome's need for more freedom and complexity that Gillespie's big band, dance-intended sound did not allow for.^[25] While Lewis wanted MJQ to have more improvisational freedom, he also wanted to incorporate some classical elements and arrangement to his compositions.^[26] Lewis noticed that the style of bebop had turned all focus towards the soloist, and Lewis, in his compositions for MJQ, attempted to even out the times of improvisation with times that were distinctly arranged.^[27] Lewis assumed the role of musical director from the start,^[28] even though the group claimed to not have a "leader".^[29] It is commonly thought that "John Lewis, for reasons of his contributions to the band, was apparently the first among the equals".^[30]. Miles Davis even once said that "John taught all of them, Milt couldn’t read at all, and bassist Percy Heath hardly".^[31]. It was Lewis who elevated the group's collective talent because of his individual musical abilities.^[32].

Lewis gradually transformed the group away from strictly 1940's bebop style, which served as a vehicle for an individual artist's improvisations, and instead oriented it toward a more refined, polished, chamber style of music.^[33] Lewis's compositions for The Modern Jazz Quartet developed a "neoclassical style"^[34] of jazz that combined the bebop style with "dynamic shading and dramatic pause more characteristic of jazz of the '20s and '30s".^[35]Francis Davis, in his book In the Moment: Jazz in the 1980's, wrote that by "fashioning a group music in which the improvised chorus and all that surrounded it were of equal importance, Lewis performed a feat of magic only a handful of jazz writers, including Duke Ellington and Jelly Roll Morton, had ever pulled off—he reconciled the composer's belief in predetermination with the improviser's yen for free will".^[36]

Lewis also made sure that the band was always dressed impeccably well.^[37] Lewis believed that it was important to dress the way that they came across in their music: polished, elegant and unique.^[38] Lewis once said in an interview with Down Beat Magazine: "My model for that was Duke Ellington. [His band] was the most elegant band I ever saw".^[39]

From 1952 through 1974, he wrote and performed with and for the quartet.^[40] Lewis's compositions were paramount in earning MJQ a worldwide reputation for managing to make jazz mannered without cutting the swing out of the music.^[41] Gunther Schuller for High Fidelity Magazine wrote:

It will not come as a surprise that the Quartet's growth has followed a line parallel to Lewis' own development as a composer. A study of his compositions from the early "Afternoon in Paris" to such recent pieces as "La Cantatrice" and "Piazza Navona" shows an increasing technical mastery and stylistic broadening. The wonder of his music is that the various influences upon his work—whether they be the fugal masterpieces of Bach, the folk-tinged music of Bartók, the clearly defined textures of Stravinsky's "Argon", or the deeply felt blues atmosphere that permeates all his music—these have all become synthesized into a thoroughly homogeneous personal idiom. That is why Lewis' music, though not radical in any sense, always sounds fresh and individual.^[42]

During the same time period, he held various other positions as well, including head of faculty for the summer sessions held at the Lenox School of Jazz in Lenox, Massachusetts from 1957 to 1960,^[43] director of the annual Monterey Jazz Festival in California from 1958 to 1983,^[44] and its musical consultant,^[45] and "he formed the cooperative big band Orchestra U.S.A., which performed and recorded Third Stream compositions (1962–65)".^[46] Orchestra U.S.A., along with all of Lewis's compositions in general, were very influential in developing "Third Stream" music which was largely defined by the interweave between classical and jazz traditions.^[47] He also formed the Jazz and Classical Music Society in 1955, which hosted concerts in Town Hall in New York City that assisted in this new genre of classically influenced jazz to increase in popularity.^[48] Furthermore, Lewis was also commissioned to compose the score to the film Sait-On Jamais.^[49]

MJQ disbanded in 1974 because Jackson felt that the band was not getting enough money for the level of prestige the quartet had in the music scene.^[50] During this break, Lewis taught at the City College of New York and at Harvard University.^[51] Lewis was also able to travel to Japan, where CBS commissioned his first solo piano album.^[52] While in Japan, Lewis also collaborated with Hank Jones and Marian McPartland,^[53] with whom he performed piano recitals on various occasions.^[54]

In 1981, the Modern Jazz Quartet re-formed for a tour of Japan and the United States, although the group did not plan on performing regularly together again.^[55] Since MJQ wasn't his primary career anymore, Lewis had time to form and play in a sextet called the John Lewis Group.^[56] A few years later, in 1985, Lewis collaborated with Gary Giddins and Roberta Swann to form the American Jazz Orchestra.^[57] Additionally, he continued to teach jazz piano to aspiring jazz students, which he had done throughout his career.^[58] His teaching style involved making sure the student was fluent in "three basic forms: the blues, a ballad, and a piece that moves".^[59] He continued teaching late into his life.

In the 1990s, Lewis partook of various musical ventures including participating in the Re-birth of the Cool sessions with Gerry Mulligan in 1992,^[60] and "The Birth of the Third Stream" with Gunther Schuller, Charles Mingus and George Russell,^[61] and recorded his final albums with Atlantic Records, Evolution and Evolution II in 1999 and 2000 respectively.^[62] He also continued playing sporadically with MJQ until 1999 when Jackson died.^[63]

Lewis played a final concert at Lincoln Center in New York and played repertoire that represented his full musical ability—from playing solo piano to big-band and everything in between.^[64] John Lewis died in New York City on March 31st, 2001, at the age of 80 after a long battle with prostate cancer.^[65]

Music[link]

Style and Influence[link]

Leonard Feather's opinion of John Lewis' work is representative of many other knowledgable jazz listeners and critics^[66]: "Completely self-sufficient and self-confident, he knows exactly what he wants from his musicians, his writing and his career and he achieves it with an unusual quiet firmness of manner, coupled with modesty and a complete indifference to critical reaction."^[67] Lewis was not only this way with his music, but his personality exemplified these same qualities.^[68]

Lewis, who was significantly influenced by the arranging style and carriage of Count Basie,^[69] played with a tone quality that made listeners and critics feel as though every note was deliberate. Gunther Schuller remembered of Lewis at his memorial service that "he had a deep concern for every detail, every nuance in the essentials of music".^[70] Lewis became associated with representing a modernized Basie style, exceptionally skilled at creating music that was spacious, powerful and yet, refined.^[71] In an interview with Metronome Magazine, Lewis himself told them:

My ideals stem from what led to and became Count Basie's band of the '30s and '40s. This group produced an integration of ensemble playing which projected—and sounded like—the spontaneous playing of ideas which were the personal expression of each member of the band rather than the arrangers or composers. This band had some of the greatest jazz soloists exchanging and improvising ideas with and counter to the ensemble and the rhythm section, the whole permeated with the fold-blues element developed to a most exciting degree. I don't think it is possible to plan or make that kind of thing happen. It is a natural product and all we can do is reach and strive for it.^[72]

It is considered, however, that Lewis was successful in exemplifying, in his arrangements and compositions, this skill that he admired.^[73] Because of his classical training, in addition to his exposure to bebop, Lewis was able to combine the two disparate musical styles and refine jazz so that there was a "sheathing of bop's pointed anger in exchange for concert hall respectability".^[74].

Lewis was also influenced by the improvisations of Lester Young on the saxophone.^[75] Lewis had not been the first to be influenced by a horn player. Earl Hines in his early years looked to Louis Armstrong's improvisations for inspiration and Bud Powell looked to Charlie Parker.^[76] Lewis also claims to have been influenced by Hines himself.^[77]

Lewis was also heavily influenced by European classical music. Many of his compositions for the MJQ and his own personal compositions incorporated various classically European techniques such as fugue and counterpoint^[78], and the instrumentation he chose for his pieces, sometimes including a string orchestra.^[79]

In the early 1980's, Lewis' influence came from the pianists he enjoyed listening to: Art Tatum, Hank Jones and Oscar Peterson.^[80]

Piano Style[link]

Len Lyons depicts Lewis's piano, composition and personal style when he introduces Lewis in Lyons' book The Great Jazz Pianists: "Sitting straight-backed, jaw rigid, presiding over the glistening white keyboard of the grand piano, John Lewis clearly brooks no nonsense in his playing, indulges in no improvisational frvolity, and exhibits no breach of discipline nor any phrase that could be construed as formally incorrect. Lewis, of course, can swing, play soulful blues and emote through his instrument, but it is the swing and sweat of the concert hall, not of smoke-filled, noisy nightclubs." Although Lewis is considered to be a bebop pianist^[81] he is also considered to be one of the more conservative players.^[82] Instead of emphasizing the intense, fast tempoed bebop style, his piano style was geared towards emphasizing jazz as an "expression of quiet conflict".^[83] His piano style, bridging the gap between classical, bop, stride and blues, made him so "it was not unusual to hear him mentioned in the same breath with Morton, Ellington, and Monk".^[84] On the piano, his improvisational style was primarily quiet and gentle and understated.^[85] Lewis once advised three saxophonists who were improvising on one of his original compositions: "You have to put yourself at the service of the melody...Your solos should expand the melody or contract it".^[86] This was how he approached his solos as well. He proved in his solos that taking a "simple and straightforward...approach to a melody could...put [musicians] in touch with such complexities of feeling",^[87] which the audience appreciated just as much as the musicians themselves.^[88]

His accompaniment for other musicians' solos was just as delicate.^[89] Thomas Owens describes his accompaniment style by noting that "rather than comping—punctuating the melody with irregularly placed chords—he often played simple counter-melodies in octaves which combined with the solo and bass parts to form a polyphonic texture.^[90]

Compositions and Arrangements[link]

Similarly to his personal piano playing style, Lewis was drawn in his compositions to minimalism and simplicity.^[91] Many of his compositions were based on motifs and relied on few chord progressions.^[92] Francis Davis, in his book In the Moment: Jazz in the 1980's comments: "I think too, that the same conservative lust for simplicity of forms that draws Lewis to the Renaissance and the Baroque draws him inevitably to the blues, another form of music permitting endless variation only within the logic of rigid boundaries".^[93]

His compositions were influenced by 18th-century melodies and harmonies^[94] but also showed an advanced understanding of the "secrets of tension and release, the tenets of dynamic shading and dramatic pause^[95]" that was reminiscent of classic arrangements by Basie and Ellington in the early swing era. This combining of techniques led to Lewis becoming a pioneer in Third Stream Jazz, which was combined classical, European practices with jazz's improvisational and big-band characteristics.^[96]

Lewis, in his compositions, experimented with writing fugues^[97] and incorporating classical instrumentation.^[98] An article in the New York Times wrote that "His new pieces and reworkings of older pieces are designed to interweave string orchestra and jazz quartet as equals".^[99] High Fidelity Magazine wrote that his "works not only show a firm control of the compositional medium, but tackle in a fresh way the complex problem of inprovisation with composed frameworks.^[100]

Thomas Owen believes that "[Lewis'] best pieces for the MJQ are Django, the ballet suite The Comedy (1962, Atl.), and especially the four pieces Versailles, Three Windows, Vendome and Concorde...combine fugal imitation and non-imitative polyphonic jazz in highly effective ways.^[101]

Discography[link]

As leader

• Improvised Meditations and Excursions (1959, Atlantic 1313)
• Odds Against Tomorrow (1959, UA 5061)
• The Golden Striker (1960, Atlantic 1334)
• Original Sin (Atlantic, 1961)
• P.O.V. (1975, Columbia PC33534), including "Mirjana of my Heart and Soul"
• Kansas City Breaks (1982, Finesse)
• Preludes and Fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier Book 1 (1984, Philips)
• The Bridge Game (1984, Philips)
• Evolution (Atlantic, 1999)
• Evolution II (Atlantic, 2000)

As sideman with Charlie Parker

• The Genius of Charlie Parker (1945–8, Savoy 12009)
• "Parker’s Mood" (1948)
• Charlie Parker (1951–3, Clef 287)
• "Blues for Alice" (1951)

As leader of Orchestra U.S.A. (with Gunther Schuller and Harold Farberman)

• Orchestra U.S.A. (1963, Colpix 448), including "Three Little Feelings"

Recordings with the Modern Jazz Quartet

• Vendome (1952, Prestige 851)
• Modern Jazz Quartet, ii (1954–5, Prestige 170) incl. "Django" (1954)
• Concorde (1955, Prestige 7005)
• Fontessa (1956, Atlantic 1231) included "Versailles"
• The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays No Sun in Venice (Atlantic, 1957)
• The Modern Jazz Quartet (Atlantic, 1957)
• Third Stream Music (1957, 1959–60, Atlantic. 1345) including "Sketch for Double String Quartet" (1959)
• The Modern Jazz Quartet and the Oscar Peterson Trio at the Opera House (Verve, 1957)
• The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn Volume 2 (Atlantic, 1958)
• Music from Odds Against Tomorrow (United Artists, 1959)
• Pyramid (Atlantic, 1960)
• European Concert (Atlantic, 1960)
• The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra (Atlantic, 1960)
• The Comedy (1962, Atlantic 1390)
• Lonely Woman (Atlantic, 1962)
• A Quartet is a Quartet is a Quartet (1963, Atlantic 1420)
• Collaboration (Atlantic, 1964) - with Laurindo Almeida
• The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Atlantic, 1964-65)
• Jazz Dialogue (Atlantic, 1965) with the All-Star Jazz Band
• Concert in Japan '66 (Atlantic [Japan], 1966)
• Blues at Carnegie Hall (Atlantic, 1966)
• Place Vendôme (Philips, 1966) - with The Swingle Singers
• Under the Jasmin Tree (Apple, 1968)
• Space (Apple, 1969)
• Plastic Dreams (Atlantic, 1971)
• The Legendary Profile (Atlantic, 1974)
• In Memoriam (Little David, 1973)
• Blues on Bach (Atlantic, 1973)
• The Last Concert (Atlantic, 1974)
• Reunion at Budokan 1981 (Pablo, 1981)
• Together Again: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival '82 (Pablo, 1982)
• Echoes (Pablo, 1984)
• Topsy: This One's for Basie (Pablo, 1985)
• Three Windows (Atlantic, 1987)
• For Ellington (East West, 1988)

With Clifford Brown

• Memorial Album (Blue Note, 1953)

With Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Stitt

• The Bop Session (Sonet, 1975) with Percy Heath and Max Roach

With Milt Jackson

• Ballads & Blues (Atlantic, 1956)

Contributions

• Bill Evans: A Tribute (Palo Alto, 1982) - performs "I'll Remember April"

Notes[link]

References[link]

• John Lewis." All About Jazz. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. [1].
• Andrews, John. "American Jazz Great John Lewis Dead at 80." American Jazz Great John Lewis Dead at 80. World Socialist Web Site, 2 Apr. 2001. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. [2].
• Davis, Francis. In The Moment: Jazz in the 1980's. New York: Oxford UP, 1986. Print.
• Idonije, Benson. "Lewis and The Modern Jazz Quartet." Web log post. The Guardian Life Magazine. The Guardian, 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. [3].
• Giddins, Gary. Visions of Jazz: The First Century. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.
• Lyons, Len. The Great Jazz Pianists. Da Capo Press, 1983.
• Owens, Thomas. "John Lewis." New Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, 31 Oct. 2001. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. [4].
• Pareles, Jon. "The Modern Jazz Quartet." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 June 1987. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. [5].
• Ramsey, Doug. "Jazz Reviews: The Birth of the Third StreamGunther Schuller/John Lewis/Jimmy Giuffre/J.J. Johnson/George Russell/Charles Mingus - By Doug Ramsey - Jazz Articles." JazzTimes. JazzTimes, Inc., Jan. 1997. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. [6].
• Ratliff, Ben. "Recalling the Gentle Elegance of John Lewis, Jazzman." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Apr. 2001. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. [7].
• Silver, Horace, Philip Pastras, and Joe Zawinul. Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty: The Autobiography of Horace Silver. Berkeley, Calif. [u.a.: Univ. of California, 2006. Print.
• Stewart, Zan. "Mulligan Presides Over Rebirth of Cool : 'This Is the Sound We Were Striving For,' Says Veteran Saxophonist, Who Plays in Newport on Friday." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 18 June 1992. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. [8].
• Sultanof, Jeff. "The Dozens: The Birth of the Cool." Jazz.com. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. [9].
• Williams, Richard. "The Blue Moment." W.W. Norton & Company, 2009.

External links[link]

• JAZCLASS - John Lewis and the MJQ

This disambiguation page is currently linked from a large number of articles. Please help direct these ambiguous links to articles dealing with the specific meaning intended. (March 2012)

John Lewis may refer to:

• John Lewis Partnership, a United Kingdom worker co-operative retailer
  • John Lewis (department store), a department store chain in the United Kingdom

Politics[link]

• John Lewis (U.S. politician) (born 1940), American civil rights activist and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia
• John Lewis (California politician) (born 1954), California State Senator
• John Bower Lewis (1817–1874), Canadian politician
• John F. Lewis (1818–1895), United States Senator from Virginia
• John H. Lewis (1830–1929), U.S. Representative from Illinois
• John L. Lewis (1880–1969), American labor leader
• John L. Lewis (New Orleans) (1800–1886), mayor of New Orleans, 1854–1856
• John Lewis (Canadian politician) (1804–?), New Brunswick judge and politician
• John Lewis (Canadian senator) (1858–1935), Toronto newspaper editor and Canadian Senator
• John Lewis (Newfoundland politician) (1867–1922), politician in Newfoundland
• John Lewis (of Abernant) (1580–1643 or c. 1656), Welsh MP
• John Lewis (UK politician) (1912–1969), British Labour Party Member of Parliament, 1945–1951
• John P. Lewis (1921–2010), American presidential advisor
• John W. Lewis (1841–1913), U.S. Representative from Kentucky
• John Wood Lewis, Sr. (1801–1865), Confederate States of America Senator, antebellum South Carolina politician
• John Delaware Lewis (1828–1884), English Liberal Party politician
• John Harvey Lewis (1814–1888), Irish-born lawyer and Liberal politician

Sports[link]

• John E. Lewis (born 1949), Australian rules footballer
• John Goulstone Lewis (1859–1935), Welsh international rugby union player
• John Henry Lewis (1914–1974), boxer and former world Light Heavyweight champion
• Buddy Lewis (John Kelly Lewis, 1916–2011), baseball player
• John Lewis (footballer born 1881) (1881–1954), Southampton F.C. and Portsmouth F.C. footballer
• John Lewis (footballer born 1955), Welsh footballer and football manager
• John Lewis (fighter) (born 1968), mixed martial arts fighter
• John Lewis (referee) (1855–1926), English football player, administrator and referee

Other[link]

• John Lewis (antiquarian) (1675–1747), English clergyman
• John Lewis (Archbishop of Ontario) (1825–1901), Anglican bishop, archbishop and author in Canada
• John Lewis (Bishop of North Queensland) (born 1926), Australian Anglican bishop
• John Lewis (Dean of Llandaff) (born 1947), Dean of Llandaff since 2000
• John Lewis (department store founder) (1836–1928), draper and founder of the John Lewis department store
• John Lewis (educator), computer science education and author
• Spanish Louie (John Lewis, died 1910), gangster from New York City
• John Lewis (headmaster) (born 1942), former headmaster of Eton College
• John T. Lewis (mathematical physicist, telecommunications pioneer) (1932-2004) School Director in The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
• John Lewis (pianist) (1920–2001), American jazz pianist and composer
• John Lewis (philosopher) (1889–1976), British Unitarian minister and Marxist philosopher
• John Lewis (Shawnee leader), Native American leader of the Shawnee, see Lewistown, Ohio
• John Frederick Lewis (1805–1876), Orientalist English painter
• John S. Lewis, professor of planetary science at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
• John Spedan Lewis (1885–1963), son of John Lewis (department store founder), pioneer of industrial democracy and founder of the John Lewis Partnership
• John Taylor Lewis (1894–1983), United States Army officer
• John David Lewis (1955–2012), political scientist, historian and Objectivist scholar
• Jona Lewie (born 1947 as John Lewis), British singer and multi-instrumentalist

People with similar names[link]

• Johnny Lewis (disambiguation)
• Jack Lewis (disambiguation)
• Jonathan Lewis (disambiguation)
• John Louis (disambiguation)
• Jon Peter Lewis (born 1979), American singer and songwriter

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Coordinates: 58°13′13″N 6°22′59″W / 58.220163°N 6.38301°W / 58.220163; -6.38301

Lewis
Scottish Gaelic:  Leòdhas (help·info)
Lewis shown within the Outer Hebrides
Area	683 sq mi (1,770 km2)
Population	18,500
- Density	27 /sq mi (10 /km2)
Language	Scottish Gaelic
	English
OS grid reference	NB426340
Council area	Na h-Eileanan Siar
Lieutenancy area	Western Isles
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STORNOWAY ISLE OF LEWIS
Postcode district	HS1, HS2
Dialling code	01851
Police	Northern
Fire	Highlands and Islands
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Scottish Parliament	Western Isles
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas, pronounced [ʎɔː.əs̪], also Isle of Lewis) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides (an archipelago) of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is 683 square miles (1,770 km²).^[1]

Lewis is, in general, the lower lying part of Lewis and Harris, with the other part, Harris, being more mountainous. The flatter, more fertile land means Lewis contains the largest settlement, Stornoway, and three-quarters of the population of the Western Isles. Beyond human habitation, the island's diverse habitats are home to an assortment of flora and fauna, such as the golden eagle, red deer and seals and are recognised in a number of conservation areas.

Lewis is of Presbyterian tradition with a rich history, having once been part of the Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. Today, life is very different from elsewhere in Scotland with Sabbath observance, the Gaelic language and peat cutting retaining more importance than elsewhere. Lewis has a rich cultural heritage as can be seen from its myths and legends as well as the local literary and musical traditions.

Name[link]

Pronunciation
Scots Gaelic:	Eilean Leòdhais
Pronunciation:	[elan ˈʎɔːəʃ] ( listen)
Scots Gaelic:	Eilean an Fhraoich
Pronunciation:	[ˈelan ən̪ˠ rˠɯːç] ( listen)

The Gaelic name Leòdhas may be derived from Norse Ljoðahús ("song house"),^[2] although other origins have been suggested—most notably the Gaelic leogach ("marshy").^[3] It is probably the place referred to as Limnu by Ptolemy, which also means "marshy".^[4] It is also known as the "Isle of Lewis" (Gaelic: Eilean Leòdhais). Another name usually used in a cultural or poetic context is Eilean an Fhraoich, ("The Heather Isle").^[2] This name however refers to the whole of the island of Lewis and Harris.

History[link]

The first evidence of human habitation on Lewis is found in peat samples which indicate that about 8,000 years ago, much of the native woodland was torched to make way for grassland to allow deer to graze. The earliest archaeological remains date from about 5,000 years ago. At that time, people began to settle in permanent farms rather than following their herds. The small houses of these people have been found throughout the Western Isles, in particular, at Dail Mhor, Carloway.

Callanish Stones

The more striking great monuments of this period are the temples and communal burial cairns at places like Calanais.

About 500 BC, island society moved into the Iron Age. The buildings became larger and more prominent, culminating in the brochs – circular, dry-stone towers belonging to the local chieftains – testifying to the uncertain nature of life then. The best remaining example of a broch in Lewis is at Dun Charlabhaigh. The Scots are recorded as arriving from around 1AD, bringing the Gaelic language with them.^[5] As Christianity began to spread through the islands in the sixth and later centuries, following Columban missionaries, Lewis was inhabited by the Picts.^[5]

Two kings and two queens from the Lewis chessmen at the British Museum

In the 9th century AD, the Vikings began to settle on Lewis, after years of raiding from the sea. The Norse invaders intermarried with local families and abandoned their pagan beliefs. At this time, most buildings changed their forms from being round to rectangular, following the Scandinavian style. At this time, Lewis was part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles and officially part of Norway. The Lewis chessmen, which were found on the island in 1831, date from the time of Viking rule. The people were called the Gall-Ghaidheil, the ‘Foreigner Gaels', reflecting their mixed Scandinavian/Gaelic background, and probably their bilingual speech.^[6] The Norse language persists in many island placenames and some personal names to this day, although the latter are fairly evenly spread across Scottish Gaeldom.

Lewis (and the rest of the Western Isles) became part of Scotland once more in 1266 following the Treaty of Perth when it was ceded by the Kingdom of Norway. Under Scottish rule, the Lordship of the Isles emerged as the most important power in north-western Scotland by the 14th century. The Lords of the Isles were based on Islay, but controlled all of the Hebrides. They were descended from Somerled (Somhairle) Mac Gillibride, a Gall-Gaidheil lord who had held the Hebrides and West Coast two hundred years earlier. Control of Lewis itself was initially exercised by the Macleod clan but after years of feuding and open warfare between and even within local clans, the lands of Clan MacLeod were forfeited to the crown in 1597 and were awarded by King James VI to a group of Lowland colonists known as the Fife adventurers in an attempt to anglicise the islands. However the adventurers were unsuccessful and possession eventually passed to the Mackenzies of Kintail in 1609 when Coinneach, Lord MacKenzie, bought out the lowlanders.^[5]

Admiralty yacht HMS Iolaire (named as Amalthaea in 1908 photo).

Following the 1745 rebellion, and Prince Charles Edward Stewart's flight to France, the use of Gaelic was discouraged, rents were demanded in cash rather than kind, and the wearing of folk dress was made illegal. Emigration to the New World increasingly became an escape for those who could afford it during the latter half of the century. In 1844 Lewis was bought by Sir James Matheson, co-founder of Jardine Matheson, but subsequent famine and changing land use forced vast numbers off their lands, and increased again the flood of emigrants. Paradoxically, those who remained became ever more congested and impoverished, as large tracts of arable land were set aside for sheep, deer-stalking or grouse shooting. Agitation for land re-settlement became acute on Lewis during the economic slump of the 1880s, with several land raids (in common with Skye, Uist and Tiree); this quietened down as the island economy recovered.

During the First World War, thousands of islanders served in the forces, many losing their lives, including 208 naval reservists from the island who were returning home after the war when the Admiralty yacht HMY Iolaire, sank within sight of Stornoway harbour. Many servicemen from Lewis served in the Royal and Merchant Navy during the Second World War and again, many lives were lost. Following the war, many more inhabitants emigrated to the Americas and mainland Scotland.

In 1917 the Isle of Lewis was bought by the soap magnate Lord Leverhulme who intended to make Stornoway an industrial town and build a fish cannery. His plans were initially popular, but his opposition to land re-settlement led to further land raids especially around the farms of Coll, Gress and Tong. These raids, commemorated in monuments in several villages,^[5] were ultimately successful, as the government was prepared to take legal action in support of land re-settlement. Faced with this, Leverhulme gave up on his plans for Lewis and concentrated his efforts on Harris, where the town of Leverburgh takes his name.

Historical sites[link]

The Isle of Lewis has a variety of locations of historical and archaeological interest including:

• Callanish Stones;
• Dun Carloway Broch;
• Iron Age houses near Bostadh (Great Bernera);
• The Garenin Blackhouse Village in Carloway and the Black House at Arnol;
• Bragar whale bone arch;
• St. Columba's church in Aignish;
• Teampull Mholuaidh in Ness;
• Clach an Truiseil monolith;
• Clach Na Thursa, Carloway
• Bonnie Prince Charlie's Monument, Arnish;
• Lews Castle;
• Butt of Lewis cliffs and lighthouse;
• Dùn Èistean, a small island which is the ancestral home of the Lewis Morrisons.

There are also numerous 'lesser' stone circles and the remains of five further brochs.

Geography and geology[link]

Satellite photograph of Lewis and Harris

A cross-section of Lewis would see mostly sandy beaches backed by dunes and machair on the east coast, giving way to an expansive peat covered plateau in the centre of the island. The Atlantic coastline is markedly more rugged and is mostly rocky cliffs broken by small coves and beaches. The more fertile nature of the eastern side led to the majority of the population settling there, including the largest (and only) town, Stornoway. Aside from the village of Achmore in the centre of the island, all settlements are on the coast.^[7]

Looking towards the uplands in the centre of the Island of Lewis

Compared with Harris, Lewis is relatively flat, except in the south-west, where Mealisval, 574m (1,883 ft), is the highest point, and in the south-east, where Beinn Mhor reaches 572m (1,877 ft); but there are 16 high points exceeding 300 m (1000 ft) in height.^[8] Southern Lewis also has a large number of freshwater lochs compared to the north of the island.

South Lewis, Harris and North Uist collectively is a National Scenic Area, and there are 4 geographical Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on Lewis - Glen Valtos, Cnoc a' Chapuill, Port of Ness and Tolsta Head.^[9][10]

The coastline is severely indented into a number of large sea lochs, such as Lochs Resort and Seaforth which form part of the border with Harris, Loch Roag surrounding the island of Great Bernera and Loch Erisort. The principal capes are the Butt of Lewis, in the extreme north, with hundred foot (30 m) cliffs (the high point is 142 ft (43 m) high)^[11] and crowned with a lighthouse, the light of which is visible for 19 miles; Tolsta Head, Tiumpan Head and Cabag Head, on the east; Renish Point, in the extreme south; and, on the west, Toe Head and Gallon Head.^[12] The largest island associated with Lewis is Bernera or Great Bernera in the district of Uig and is linked to the mainland of Lewis by a bridge opened in 1953.

Geology[link]

Lewis is composed of gneiss rocks, excepting a patch of granite near Carloway, small bands of intrusive basalt at Gress and in Eye Peninsula and some sandstone at Stornoway, Tong, Vatisker and Carloway, originally thought to be Torridonian,^[12] now considered to probably be Permo-Triassic in age.^[13] Sedimentary rocks cover some low-lying areas around the Broad Bay area as well.^[7]

Climate[link]

Exposure to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream lead to a cool, moist climate on Lewis. There is little temperature difference between summer and winter, both of which are very cloudy, along with significant rainfall and frequent high winds, particularly during the autumn equinox. These winds have led to Lewis being designated a potential site for a significant wind-farm which has caused much controversy amongst the population.

Nature[link]

There are 15 Sites of Special Scientific Interest on Lewis in the biology category, spread across the island. Additionally, the Lewis Peatlands are recognised by Scottish Natural Heritage as a Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation and a Ramsar site, showing their importance as a wetland habitat for migratory and resident bird life.^[10]

Birds[link]

Many species of seabirds inhabit the coastal areas of Lewis, such as shag, gannets, fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots, red grouse, woodcock and the ubiquitous gulls.

In the Uig hills, it is possible to spot golden eagles; it has also been claimed that white-tailed eagles have been seen in the area.^[14] In the Pairc area, it is possible to see feeding oyster catchers and curlews. A few pairs of peregrine falcons survive on coastal cliffs and merlin and buzzard are not uncommon anywhere on hill and moor. An important feature of the winter bird life is the great diversity of wildfowl. A variety of duck, such as eider and long-tailed are found in the shallow water around Lewis.^[15]

Marine life[link]

Atlantic salmon

Salmon frequent several Lewis rivers after crossing the Atlantic. Many of the fresh-water lochs are home to fish such as trout. Other freshwater fish present include arctic char, European eel, 3 and 9 spined sticklebacks, thick-lipped mullet and flounder.

Offshore, it is common to see seals, particularly in Stornoway harbour, and with luck, dolphins, porpoises, sharks and even the occasional whale can be encountered.

Land mammals[link]

There are only two native land mammals in the Western Isles, red deer and otter. The rabbit, blue hare, hedgehog, brown and black rat, feral cat, mink and polecat were introduced. The origin of mice and voles is uncertain.^[15]

American mink are another introduced species (escapees from fur farms) and cause problems for native ground-nesting birds, the local fishing industry and poultry farmers.^[16] Due to this impact and following a successful eradication^[17] of the species from the Uists and Barra, the second and ongoing phase of the Hebridean Mink Project aims to rid mink from Lewis and Harris in similar fashion.^[18]

There are claims that the Stornoway castle grounds are home to bats.^[19] In addition, there are farmed animals such as Hebridean sheep, Highland cattle or kyloe and a few pigs.

Reptiles and amphibians[link]

Damselfly near Valtos, Uig

In common with Ireland, no snakes inhabit Lewis,^[20] only the slow-worm which is merely mistaken for a snake. Actually a legless lizard, it is the sole member of its order present. The common frog may be found in the centre of the island^[20] though it, along with any newts or toads present are introduced species.^[15]

Insects[link]

The island's most famous insect resident is the Scottish midge which is ever-present near water at certain times of the year.

During the summer months, several species of butterflies and dragon flies can be found, especially outwith Stornoway.

The richness of insect life in Lewis is evident from the abundance of carnivorous plants that thrive in parts of the island.

Plant life[link]

Sundew near Valtos

The machair is noted for different species of orchid and associated vegetation such as various grasses. Three heathers; ling, bell heather and cross-leaved heather are predominant in the large areas of moorland vegetation which also holds large numbers of insectivorous plants such as sundews. The expanse of heather-covered moorland explains the name Eilean an Fhraoich, Gaelic for "The Heather Isle".^[21]

Lewis was once covered by woodland, but the only natural woods remaining are in small pockets on inland cliffs and on islands within lochs, away from fire and sheep. In recent years, Forestry Commission plantations of spruce and pine were planted, although most of the pines were destroyed by moth infestation. The most important mixed woods are those planted around Lews Castle in Stornoway, dating from the mid 19th century.^[22]

Politics and government[link]

Flag of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the only official flag for any part the Outer Hebrides.^[23]

Historically, while Harris was part of Inverness-shire, Lewis was part of Ross-shire or Ross and Cromarty. The Western Isles Islands Council was established in 1975. Now called Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, its remit covers the whole of the Outer Hebrides and its headquarters are in Stornoway.

Lewis is home to the majority of the Western Isles' electorate and six of the nine multi-member council wards are within Lewis and one is shared with Harris. 22 councillors are effectively elected by Lewis residents using the Single Transferable Vote system, and following the 2007 elections 19 are independents, one has Labour and two SNP party affiliation.^[24]

The Isle of Lewis is in the Highlands electoral region and is part of the identical Western Isles Scottish Parliamentiary and Na h-Eileanan an Iar Westminster constituencies, both currently represented by members of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and previously held by members of the Labour Party before the respective elections.

Current representatives[link]

• Scottish Parliament: Alasdair Allan MSP (SNP)
• British Parliament: Angus MacNeil MP (SNP)

Demographics[link]

Lewis' main settlement, the only burgh on the Outer Hebrides, is Stornoway (Steòrnabhagh), from which ferries sail to Ullapool on the Scottish mainland. In the 2001 census Lewis had a usually resident population of 18,489.

The island's settlements are on or near the coasts or sea lochs, being particularly concentrated on the north east coast. The interior of the island is a large area of moorland from which peat was traditionally cut as fuel, although this practice has become less common. The southern part of the island, adjoining Harris, is more mountainous with inland lochs.

Parishes and districts of Lewis[link]

• There are four parishes: Barvas (Barabhas), Lochs (Na Lochan), Stornoway (Steòrnabhagh), and Uig on which the original civil registration districts were based. The district of Carloway (after the village of that name) which hitherto had fallen partly within the parishes of Lochs and Uig, became a separate civil registration district in 1859 .
• The districts of Lewis are Ness (Nis), Carloway (Càrlabhagh), Back, Lochs (Na Lochan), Park (A' Phàirc), Point (An Rubha), Stornoway, and Uig. These designations are traditional and in use by the entire population.
• For civil registration purposes Lochs (Na Lochan) is nowadays split into North Lochs (Na Lochan a Tuath) and South Lochs (Na Lochan a Deas).
• The West Side is a generic designation for the area covering the villages from Borve to Shawbost (Siabost).

It is claimed that the site of the Stornoway War Memorial was chosen as it would be visible from at least one location in each of the four parishes; therefore, it may be possible to see all four parishes of Lewis from the top of the monument.^[25]

Settlements[link]

While Lewis has only one town, Stornoway, with a population of approx 8,000, there are also several large villages and groupings of villages on Lewis, such as North Tolsta, Carloway and Leurbost with significant populations. Near Stornoway, Laxdale, Sandwick and Holm, although still de-facto villages, have now become quasi-suburbs of Stornoway. The population of the greater-Stornoway area including these (and other) villages would be nearer 12,000. The island of Great Bernera contains the first planned crofting township created in the Outer Hebrides, Kirkibost created in 1805. This village was subsequently 'cleared' in 1823 and re-settled in 1878 using the exact land lotting divisions from 1805.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of villages in Lewis according to their location:

Economy[link]

Industry[link]

Arnish Industrial Estate

Traditional industries on Lewis are crofting, fishing and weaving. Though historically important, they are currently in decline and crofting in particular is little more than a subsistence venture today. Over 40% of the working population is employed by the public sector (chiefly Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the local authority; or NHS Western Isles). Tourism is the only growing commercial industry, bringing in over £45 million a year in revenue to the islands.

Despite the name the Harris tweed industry is today focused in Lewis with the major finishing mills in Shawbost and Stornoway. Every length of cloth produced is stamped with the official Orb symbol, trademarked by the Harris Tweed Association in 1909, when Harris Tweed was defined as "hand-spun, hand-woven and dyed by the crofters and cottars in the Outer Hebrides"; Machine-spinning and vat dyeing have since replaced hand methods, and only weaving is now conducted in the home, under the governance of the Harris Tweed Authority, established by an Act of Parliament in 1993. Harris Tweed is now defined as "hand woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra and their several purtenances (The Outer Hebrides) and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides."^[26]

Aside from the concentration of industry and services in the Stornoway area many of the historical sites have associated visitor centres, shops or cafes.^[27] There is a pharmaceutical plant near Breasclete which specialises in fatty acid research.^[28]

The main fishing fleet (and associated shoreside services) in Stornoway is somewhat reduced from its heyday, but many smaller boats perform inshore creel fishing and operate from smaller, local harbours right around Lewis. Fish farms are present in many of the sea lochs and along with the onshore processing and transportation required the industry as a whole is a major employer.

Commerce[link]

Stornoway is the commercial centre of Lewis, there are several national chains with shops in the town, two national supermarket chains as well as numerous local businesses. Outwith Stornoway, many villages have an all-purpose shop (often combined with a post-office). Some villages have more than one, with these usually being specialist stores such as pharmacies or petrol stations. There are almost no rural public houses (for the sale of alcohol); instead, local hotels or inns function as meeting, eating and drinking places, often with accommodation provided. Recently, Abhainn Dearg Distillery at Carnish, UIg, on the Isle of Lewis is producing Scotch Whisky, the first legal whisky in over 200 years.

Itinerant, travelling shops also tour the island visiting some of the more remote locations. The ease of transport to Stornoway and the advent of the internet have led to many of the village shops closing in recent times. Mobile banking services are provided to remote villages by the Royal Bank of Scotland's travelling bank.

Transport[link]

Stornoway Airport, a former NATO base