Meet Leslie Lewis: Vocalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leslie Lewis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leslie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks is everything. If you don’t go out on a limb then you will never grow as an artist and you will never know what you could have accomplished or what opportunities could have been there for you. The biggest risk for me was our move to another country at our age and at this stage in our our careers. We totally gave up everything that was comfortable and we traded it for the experience we are now living here in France. It was the best thing we ever did. I have become a completely different artist in that I became freer in an environment where artists are revered and people want to see what you have to bring creatively without the focus being on one’s looks, age or ethnicity. Europe has a special appreciation for what artists have to say about their music and their art regardless of the extraneous qualities that only detract from the performance. Had we not moved here, we would have continued to do what we had always done and I know I would not have experimented with other ways to express myself as a singer which has opened up more doors to us and I discovered new aspects of what I can do vocally. It has truly been a life changing experience.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
These days I am very excited about our new band called Funky Ella. There are six of us in the band and the music is blues, soul and jazz oriented. The thing that sets us apart from other bands is the variety of styles that we play and each band member has his own special gift that they bring to the music. Making music is never easy in terms of getting the right gigs, but the actual making of the music is a joy and it’s something I’ve been doing most of my life. The most important lesson I’ve learned over the years is to keep going with what you believe in no matter what road blocks are in the way, because if you are committed to something you love, you will always find satisfaction and the rest is just part of the journey.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first thing I would do is take my friend for a walk around our neighborhood which is filled with cafes, shops, parks and great restaurants. It has a village atmosphere and it’s very charming. There’s even a jazz club nearby. Then I would take her to Le Jardin du Luxembourg to see the gardens and to have a drink by the fountain and watch the people go by. We would probably have dinner at my favorite neighborhood restaurant which is called Cèpe et Figue. It’s located in an ancient alleyway with cobblestone pavement, tiny boutiques and cozy little restaurants lining the passageway. After dinner, I would take her to our favorite jazz club Chez Papa and enjoy the great atmosphere and music. On one of the days, we would take a two and a half hour ride to visit London for the day on the fast train. On the other days, there are many museums to discover, boat rides on the Seine and possibly another trip by train to a lake or to the beach depending on the weather. If she was with me during the holiday season, I would definitely take her to have a hot chocolate at the Shakespeare bookstore cafe near Note Dame.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate this to my husband who never stops believing in me.

Website: surfcovejazz.com