Local rising jazz artist debuts album

Columbia-based jazz saxophonist Dante Lewis holds an album release concert Saturday night for his third CD, “No Cover Charge.”

His single “Saving All My Love For You,” a cover of a Whitney Houston hit, has been getting air play on the Big DM, said AJ, host of the Sunday Jazz Brunch on 101.3 FM.

Lewis is breaking into the national jazz scene, having been featured in “Lux Millionaire” magazine and California’s “Urban Scene” as a hot new artist, according to a news release from OnPoint Media. In addition, he recently got his own channel, Dante Lewis Radio, on Pandora internet radio.

Lewis wrote some of the tracks on the new album, waking up in the middle of the night with a melody in his head and recording it on his cellphone using just his voice. The next day, he’d go into the studio and work out the melody on the sax.

Pianist Byron Counts, who produced the album, wrote five cuts. Jazz guitarist Nick Colionne contributes, as does vocalist Kevin Whalum, who will join Lewis at his Columbia release party.

The concert will be preceded by a meet-and-greet, 6 to 7:30 p.m., all at the Doubletree Conference Center, 2100 Bush River Road. General admission is $20. See www.dantelewis.eventbrite.com

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Local rising jazz artist debuts album."