Jeannie Lewis

Jeannie Lewis (born 8 January 1945) is an Australian musician and stage performer whose work covers many different styles such as folk, jazz, Latin, blues, opera, rock, fusion. Her music often includes a strong social consciousness and she is capable of making very strong political statements in her work.cite web
title=Jeannie Lewis
work=Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975
pubisher=Milesago
url=http://www.milesago.com/Artists/jeannie.htm
accessdate= 2008-03-11 ]

Early life

Lewis attended Sydney Girls High School. [ [http://www.crikey.com.au/articles/2002/04/28-alumni.html "Crikey!: Famous alumni on Latham's hit list", April 2002] Retrieved January 7, 2006.] and studied at University of Sydney She began her musical career in the 1960s in Sydney. She was a part of the York Gospel Singers [Haesler, Bill (2004). [http://www.abc.net.au/religion/stories/s1137531.htm ABC, Religion and Ethics, God, Church and All That Jazz, A brief history from an Australian perspective ] . Retrieved January 6, 2006.] and the Radiation Quartet Hennessy, Julanna (2004). [http://www4.tpgi.com.au/2juls/Jeannie.htm Jeannie Lewis on the Net] . Retrieved January 6, 2006.] and sang with The Ray Price Jazz Quintet, The Nat Oliver Jazz Band and The Alan Lee Jazz Quintet.

Lewis was a member of the Sydney University Organising Committee for Action on Aboriginal Rights to organise action around National Aborigines Day on 8 July 1964. She was arrested in a demonstration in May 1964 at Wynyard and she helped arrange the folk singers for a concert in Hyde Park to raise funds for the Freedom Ride as well as appearing in another fund raising concert at Paddington Town Hall. cite book | author=Curthoys, Ann | title=Freedom Ride | publisher=Allen and Unwin | year=2002 | id=ISBN 1-86448-922-7 ] She represented Australia at the "International Festival of Contemporary Song" in Cuba in 1967. [cite book
first=Ann
last=Atkinson
coauthors=Knight, Linsay and McPhee, Margaret
date=1996
url=http://print.google.com.au/print?id=ELACebeQEgcC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=%22jeannie+lewis%22&prev=http://books.google.com.au/books%3Fq%3D%2522jeannie%2Blewis%2522&sig=zKVc7wRMt67leiCxGgiGdhlv1sk&pli=1&auth=DQAAAGgAAAC1jxnFho9htrGHO0mgstpXsFqx4mRACG2SjlVCZKFt9KSArhRSpNMsNOUy1DFNs4PwNOxi5OHnOwOSqLEhP1Mdb8JJeLIPjkzPldxZ9KQqS5mz2vJvDNCs7jeAwWoYwtVbJ4UYqW8ArOwFcQ3Yxis4
title=Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia
pages=135-6
publisher=Allen and Unwin
isbn=1-86373-898-3 ]

1970s

In 1970 Lewis performed with Tully in an ambitious rock performance named "Love 200" which involved 2 vocalists, a rock band and an orchestra. Created by Peter Sculthorpe it was written to commemorate the Captain Cook bicentennial and explored themes of Captain Cook's journey to plot the transit of Venus in 1770, the voyage that led to his "discovery" of Australia. Also in 1970 Lewis had a band named "Gypsy Train". In March 1971 "Love 200" travelled to Adelaide and this time Lewis performed with Fraternity, fronted by Bon Scott, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. [cite book | author=Walker, Clinton | title=Highway to Hell | publisher=Picador | year=2002 | id=ISBN 0-330-36377-8] Lewis also appeared on the Ray Price Jazz Quintet album "Spectrum", and in April performed at the "Timeless Trip" at Fairlight with eight other performers. [ [http://www.milesago.com/festivals/fairlight.htm "Milesago: Fairlight - The Timeless Tripp"] Retrieved January 7, 2006. ]

In 1972 Lewis performed the songs for an Australian B-grade rock musical/science fiction/fantasy movie "Shirley Thompson versus the Aliens", [Hood, Robert (1994). [http://www.tabula-rasa.info/AusHorror/OzHorrorFilms1.html Tabula-Rasa, Killer Koalas, Australian (and New Zealand) Horror Films, a History.] . Retrieved January 6, 2006. ] noted as "loathed by underground art-house and commercial managements alike", and in an ill-fated rock opera "Terry and Frankie". [ [http://www.milesago.com/artists/bird-johna.htm "Milesago: John A. Bird"] Retrieved January 7, 2006. ]

In 1973 Lewis released her first album, "Free Fall Through Featherless Flight". The cover was designed by Martin Sharp. In 1974 it was awarded Best Female Vocal Album in the Australian Radio Record Awards. [http://www.jeannielewis.com "Jeannie Lewis" Official Website] Retrieved January 6, 2006. ] Also in 1973 Lewis joined the Music Board of the Australian Council for the Arts, [ [http://www.whitlam.org/collection/1973/19730216_Aus_Council_Arts/ "Whitlam Institute: Australian Council for the Arts, Press statement No. 54"] Retrieved January 6, 2006. ] and she, John Bell and Jon English were in a rock musical called The Bacchoi, based on the story of Euripides and written by Bryan Nason and Ralph Tyrrel. It was the first show for the Nimrod Theatre Company in their new location at Belvoir St in Surry Hills. [cite book | author=Bell, John | title=John Bell : the time of my life | publisher=Allen and Unwin | year=2002 | id=ISBN 1-74114-134-6 ]

In 1974 "Looking Backwards To Tomorrow, In and Out of Concert" was released and also performed on stage at the State Theatre in Sydney, and "Tears Of Steel & The Clowning Cavaleras" was released in 1975 to go with a multi media production featuring song, theatre, dance and visuals. In 1975 Lewis was awarded a grant from the Australia Council for the Arts to study overseas and spent 2 years in Central and South America. In 1979, with her band "Jeannie Lewis and the Company She Keeps" she created and performed a series of shows titled "From Maroubra to Mexico". Later that year she supported John McLaughlin on his Australian tour. "Krazy For You" was the cabaret Jeannie devised and performed in 1979-80.

1980s

"Till Time Brings Change" came out in 1980, and Lewis appeared in the leading role of "Piaf" at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne. 1981 saw Lewis perform in a stage production of the "Threepenny Opera" as a world weary hooker with the South Australian Theatre Company. She also created and starred in "Piaf, The Songs and the Story" which included 4 national tours, with an album of 15 songs from the show being released in 1982. Also in 1982 Lewis created and performed "For a Dancer" about her mothers life. This premiered at the Adelaide Festival.

In 1982 Lewis was supporting and performing at the Honeymoon Uranium mine rally at Broken Hill. [Ellis, John Brant, [http://www.pictureaustralia.org/apps/pictureaustralia?action=PADisplay&mode=display&rs=resultset-44923&no=2 "Jeannie Lewis at the Honeymoon uranium mine rally, May 1982"] . Retrieved from the Picture Australia Archive January 6, 2006. ] 1983 saw Lewis presenting her new show "So You Want Blood" and releasing the album of the same name in September, and in 1984 she appeared in Ta Paratragouda in Melbourne and at the Athens Festival. Also in 1984 Lewis appeared in "Carmen, Another Perspective" with the Melbourne Theatre Company. In 1984 Lewis performed Ta Paratragouda in Melbourne. This was recorded for SBS and Greek TV.

Lewis traveled overseas in 1987, representing Australia on a tour of Mexico with "The Necks" for the Cervantes International Arts Festival with later became a one hour SBS TV documentary called "Maroubra to Mexico". She also sang in the Paul Robeson stage show "Deep Bells Ring" and performed "Pilgrimages", for which she wrote the text and Jim Cotter wrote the music, dedicated to a friend with AIDS.

1990s

Lewis had a new show, "Voxy Lady" at the Adelaide Festival in 1990. This was directed by Llew Kiek and Jeannie wrote most of the show herself. One of the songs from this show, "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" later appeared on her 2003 CD "Southheart". "A female quintet which includes Margret RoadKnight and Jeannie Lewis provides an aural chorus drawing upon a history of music ranging from Hildegard Von Bingen to Cambodian folk songs". This was the description in the Green Left Weekly of part of "People Like Us" at the Seymour Centre in March 1991. Directed by Mara Kiek. (1991). [http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/1991/04/04p21.htm "Celebrating cultural diversity"] . Retrieved February 18, 2006. ]

In 1992 Lewis devised her own cabaret of contemporary love songs named "Dangerous Lovers" and in 1993 she sang "The Plains Of Emu" on the album of Australian songs and Australian artists, "Going Home". [ (1993). [http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/comp/goinghome.html Australian Rock Database, "Going Home - Australian Artists, Australian Songs"] . Retrieved February 18, 2006.] Also in 1993 she received an Australia Council for the Arts Grant for study Of Extended Voice Techniques at Roy Hart International Theatre Centre in France and the tango in its sung form in Buenos Aires.

Lewis performed in the Sydney Opera House 1994 season of "Cinderella Acappella", a collection of amusing children's songs written by John Shortis. It was recorded as a CD which was released and shortlisted for an ARIA music award in 1995. [(1994). [http://shortisandsimpson.com/shop.htm "Shortis and Simpson"] . Retrieved February 18, 2006. ] Also in 1995 Lewis performed in "Viva Diva", a series of concerts featuring original work and music from around the world (Greece, Tibet, Beijing, South Africa, Argentina, Holland, Corsica, France). Lead to the formation of Tango Australis –the group formed following the concerts and 1998 CD of the same name."

In 1997 Lewis was awarded a fellowship at the Varuna Writer's Centre, and performed with "Women in Voice 7" in Brisbane. [(1997). [http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/1997/283/283p27b.htm "Journey of emotions"] . Retrieved February 25, 2006. ] In 1998 Jeannie performed at the Homeless Women's Speakout at the YWCA, [ [http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/39933/20040202/www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/cpd.nsf/pages/VAW_0998.html "Violence Against Women Information Bulletin - September 1998"] . Retrieved from the National Library of Australia, Pandora Archive, January 6, 2006.] and in the Port Fairy Folk Festival, and in "Life, Love, Death and the Weather" – a collaboration with dancers Chrissie Koltai, Anka Frankenhauser, Patrick Harding-Irmer, musician Steve Blau, performed at the Performance Space as part of Dance Week." "Tango Australia" formed and the CD of the same name was released. "Architect's Desk" and "The Wig Of Larks - The Bag Lady Calls The Tune" were performances from 1999 and "In November 1999 Lewis collaborated with flamenco dancer Veronica Gillmer on the production "Camerino", at Sydney's Tom Mann Theatre."

"One Word We" was staged for a second time, opening on 8 January 2000, with Lewis as one of the seven singers. It was originally performed in 1995. By Maurie Mulheron, covering the songs and life of Pete Seeger. It was performed at the New Theatre at Newtown and later, in 2001 at the Woodford Folk Festival. A CD with the same name has been produced and it is said that the show was being editied for a documentary. [(2000). [http://folkstream.com/muse/onewordwe/ "New Theatre presents One Word.... We"] . Retrieved May 20, 2006. ]

"The Palais, a building sings of lives lived in music" was at the Parramatta Town Hall, 27-30 July 2000. The show involved more than fifty performers in more than 20 acts and was spread through most of the building. Urban Theatre Projects produced the show. [(2000). [http://workers.labor.net.au/61/d_review_urban.html "A Building Sings of Lives Lived in Music" by Megan Elliot] . Retrieved May 27, 2006. ] Lewis also performed in the "East Timor Year One Celebration" to mark and celebrate the first anniversary of East Timor's historic U.N. Referendum on self-determination at Leichhardt on 30th August 2000. [ [http://workers.labor.net.au/67/news95_timor.html "East Timor's Year One Celebration". "Workers Online" No. 67, 2000] Retrieved 5/1/2006]

In May 2001 she received an $80,000 Fellowship grant from the Australia Council, which she used to create Southheart. "All this SOUThHEART thing began with me wondering why the lyrics of so many tangos refer to the south. The tango which inspired it, this delving into the bottom of my heart, was Corazon al Sur - Heart to the South. --That song from the south of Argentina, that south talks to me so much of this south and the shadow of my mother in the garden in Maroubra." Lewis was a part of the East Timor Independence Day Celebrations in 2002. [ [http://workers.labor.net.au/136/news96_activist.html "Activists Notebook". "Workers Online" No. 136, 2003] Retrieved 5/1/2006] Performing in the Trade Union Concert in 2003. [ [http://workers.labor.net.au/features/200303/d_review_folk.html "Singing For The People" "Workers Online" March 2003] Retrieved 5/1/2006] Performing in a tribute to Timorese women concert in 2004. [(2004). [http://www.alolafoundation.org/cal2.php Alola Foundation Calendar, "The Kirsty Sword ALOLA FOUNDATION Benefit"] . Retrieved January 6, 2006.] Also in 2004 being part of the May Day music festival in South Australia. [(2004). [http://www.lhmu.org.au/sa/news/1082074560_17760.html LHMU SA, "SA members: May Day music festival"] . Retrieved January 6, 2006.]

Discography

*"Free Fall Through Featherless Flight", 1973
*"Looking Backwards To Tomorrow, In and Out of Concert", 1974
*"Tears Of Steel & The Clowning Cavaleras", 1975
*"Till Time Brings Change", 1980
*"Piaf, the Songs and the Story", 1982
*"So You Want Blood", 1983
*"Tango Australis", 1998
*"SOUThHEART", 2003

Singles

*"Celluloid Heroes / Rocelli Kaharunta", 1975

Compilations and Appearances

*"Spectrum", Ray Price Jazz Quintet, 1971
*"Three Floors Down", 1972
*"Gallery Concerts, The Alan Lee Quartet & Friends", 1973
*"Going Home : Australian artists, Australian songs", 1993
*"Cinderella Acappella", 1994
*"One Word ... WE! The Songs and Story of Pete Seeger and Friends", 2000
*"Green Songs", 2001
*"The Good Old Bad Old Days, Sydney Jazz Club Golden Jubilee 1953-2003", 2003
*"Women 'n Blues", 2003
*"Azadi : Songs of Liberation", 2005

References

External links

* [http://www.jeannielewis.com/ Official Jeannie Lewis Website]
* [http://www.milesago.com/artists/Jeannie.htm/ Milesago entry for Jeannie]
* [http://www4.tpgi.com.au/2juls/Jeannie.htm/ Jeanie Lewis on the Net]
* [http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/L/Lewis,_Jeannie/ Musicmoz entry for Jeannie]