Dr. Reginald Lewis

Dr. Reginald Lewis

Born and raised in Camden, New Jersey, Dr. Reginald Lewis was given an alto saxophone, from his grandfather, Philadelphia Jazz Legend, Robert “Bootsie” Barnes when he was in the 10th grade at the age of sixteen.

Dr. Reginald Lewis is a Cannonball Musical Instruments Artist and Educator. Dr. Lewis is the current Director of Jazz at Illinois Wesleyan University. Dr. Lewis also teaches Jazz Improvisation at Chicago State University. Dr. Lewis graduated from Jackson State University with his Bachelor of Music Degree, Master of Music Degree from the University of Manitoba in Canada, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign. Dr. Lewis is also the current president of AAJC (African American Jazz Caucus).

Dr. Lewis was named the Jazz Director for the Senior Level Jazz band for District 5 in Illinois in November 2025. Dr. Lewis was also named the Director of the All State Jazz Band at the Illinois Music Educator Conference in Peoria in January 2026. Dr. Lewis is a co-author with research published in “Teaching Music Through Performance in Jazz, Volume 3”.

Dr. Lewis has been featured in the Universal Studios biopic of James Brown “Get on Up” as a saxophonist in Little Richard’s band. He has also performed at the TD Bank Winnipeg Jazz Festival in 2015 with Q5, led by Quincy Davis. He also performed with Super Duty Tough Work and The Thelonious Monk Tribute Band led by Jared Beckstead. Dr. Lewis also held a weekly gig at “The Yellow Scarf”, hosted by Cassandra Wilson in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Lewis can be heard on Jon Gordons’ album “Stranger Than Fiction” as well as Nasir Dickersons’ “Let It Shine” and Mir Fontanes’ debut album “Camden”.

Dr. Lewis is also a member of “Simply This”, who released an album entitled “Stepping Up” in 2021. Dr. Lewis has also given masterclasses at Ohio State University, Anderson University and Furman University with “Simply This”. Dr. Lewis recently performed at the 2024 Chicago Jazz Festival with the Clif Wallace Big Band, the 2024 Hyde Park Jazz Festival with Derrick Gardner and the Jazz Prophets, as well as the Further Jazz Festival in Normal, IL. Dr. Lewis has also guest conducted the HBCU All Star Jazz Band at the Midwest Clinic held in Chicago, IL in December of 2022.