Photos of Leon Lewis-Nicol, as well as a section of his arrangement created a one of his project’s activities.
By Leon Lewis-Nicol
Invited annually, graduate schools of music present the Presser Graduate Music Award to an outstanding graduate music student whom they select. The program is designed to encourage and support in a special way the advanced education and career of truly exceptional graduate music students who have the potential to make a distinguished contribution to the field of music. The Award is a cash stipend of up to $10,000, which is made available to a graduate student designated by the institution.
Leon Lewis-Nicol, a jazz composer and performer, received the Award in 2023-24 from the University of Illinois. His project focused on reimagining fellow jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk’s music through the lenses of Sierra Leonean music & culture.
Background
Throughout my jazz music research and studies in the United States, it has become apparent to me that the relationship between jazz and Africa have become fractured even though the latter is the roots of jazz.
To help cross that fractured bridge, I sought to blend Thelonious Monk’s compositions with Sierra Leonean music. Monk was a renowned jazz pianist/composer that contributed greatly to jazz with his unique writing/playing and realization of harmony that pioneered the development of modern jazz. The rhythmic nature and obscure harmonic approach used by Monk leaves room for various interpretations. Being Sierra Leonean, I have a wealth of experience, connections, and knowledge of our traditional music; however, I have been humbled by Monk’s musical genius/creation of language and sought to learn directly from scholars of his work.
My project included immersing myself in the New York jazz scene by attending performances/jam sessions, performing, studying, interviewing musicians, and exploring arrangements with local musicians. I then reimagined and rearranged Monk tunes for a jazz quartet, with the final arrangements publicly performed.
Project Activities
Throughout my New York City stay, I attended performances by leading jazz figures such as Wynton Marsalis, Chief Adjua Scott, Geoffrey Keezer, Derrick Gardner, and Emmet Cohen. These events, coupled with backstage conversations, deepened my appreciation for high-level jazz artistry. I went to jam sessions where I was struck by the camaraderie and the strong presence of young musicians while connecting with seasoned artists and young talents. I was also able to perform thrice – twice with the Ruben Fox Quintet at Lucille’s and once at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz, which offered me a rare opportunity to play on a prestigious stage.
In addition to attending performances and performing myself, I had deep and meaningful conversations with a number of jazz greats, including Marsalis, Benny Green, and Reed. I discovered other Monk scholars like Rodney Kendricks and plan on meeting with them in the future in order to continue my learning. I interviewed a Sierra Leonean musician named Solo Beats, who is dedicated to preserving traditional music of Sierra Leone and beyond. He expanded my understanding of Sierra Leonean traditional genres, folklore and even produced sample tracks to guide my drummer in adapting traditional rhythms to a jazz context.
With these experiences I wrote several arrangements centered around some of the major tribes in Sierra Leone such as the Mende, Temne, Krio and Fula tribe. I used my discovery of each tribes’ unique rhythmic pattern, instrumentation, and accompaniment propensity. For example, knowing that various clapping patterns are a major component to Sierra Leonean traditional music, I wrote an arrangement on Monk’s ‘Epistrophy’ using the clapping pattern that emphasizes beats 3 and 4 in a 4/4 time signature. I also experimented with using a traditional rhythmic pattern as the melodic rhythmic lens through which a Monk Tune can be played.
For my performances, I utilized local spaces in Champaign-Urbana like Jazz Upfront, Seven Saints Restaurant, The Rose Bowl Tavern, and The Venue as developmental platforms. The project was also presented at Millikin University (my alma mater), Merriman’s Playhouse, Spurlock Museum (view that performance), and Krannert Center. Reception has exceeded expectations, with notable outcomes including a radio interview following the Merriman’s performance.
Next Steps
Future steps include pursuing additional lessons and interviews with Eric Reed and connecting with Jason Maron and Danilo Pérez – both of whom offer distinct approaches to Monk’s music. I also aim to reinitiate contact with Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, and Gary Bartz for potential interviews and instruction. Given the project’s historical and cultural dimensions, I plan to present it other institutions/performance centers in the proposal such as Illinois Wesleyan, Illinois State University, and Northern Illinois University, DePaul University, Andy’s Jazz Club, and Winter’s Jazz Club. Furthermore, I intend to professionally record the project, as its distinctive sound has garnered significant interest and positive feedback.
Impact
The Presser Award has been life changing to me. It’s helped me experience a music scene that’s very tough to navigate without sufficient funds. Through this experience I have become acquainted with many great musicians, including some legends whom I would have struggled to connect with if I was not in New York City. That experience taught me a lot about the importance of immersion, humility, and hunger to thrive in such a highly competitive scene. Being able to converse and take lessons with some of the best musicians in the world is what I needed to prepare me for the next level of my career; their anecdotes carry a wealth of information for a young musician like me.
I have also been able to develop my presentation and music arranging skills as I prepared and presented this project to various audience. This project has not only financed my research into Thelonious Monk but has also deepened my knowledge of Sierra Leonean music and most importantly, my artistic voice. I envision taking this project to the highest level possible and continue using it as a healing and community building tool for the African diaspora’s musical culture and beyond.
Biography
A native of Sierra Leone, Leon Lewis-Nicol is a jazz pianist whose musical inspiration, compositions and improvisational voice are deeply rooted in his West African Heritage and Christian beliefs.
He studied classical piano with Dr. Silvan Negrutiu at Millikin University, where he pursued a commercial music degree and debuted with the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra (MDSO) as a soloist (2019). Prior to enrolling at Millikin in August 2017, he attended Parkland College for one year following his pre-college education in Sierra Leone and Ghana as a self-taught musician. He also studied jazz piano with Prof. John Stephens at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he obtained his Doctorate in Jazz Piano Performance and served as a teaching assistant for four years.
Leon is an active performing/touring artist who leads his own group and has made numerous appearances with other groups, including the New York-based band ‘Michael Mwenso and the Shakes’ whom he made his debut performance with at The Lincoln Center in New York City. In addition to his performance career, Leon received numerous honors at Millikin University – the Young Artist Award, the Alice Herren Ayars Award, the Pi Kappa Lambda Outstanding Senior Award, the Wilna Moffett Award, and the Dr. Jere C. Mickel Human Relations Award. In 2024, while studying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he was awarded the prestigious Presser Graduate Music Award.
Beyond music, he enjoys working out, drawing, watching and playing soccer, and outdoor activities.