Wesley (Wes) Lewis

Wesley (Wes) Lewis is a saxophonist, composer, and PhD candidate in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at Yale University, based in New Haven, CT. He has studied with Grammy Award-winning musicians including Wayne Escoffery, Abraham Burton, and George Caldwell. After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester, he moved to New Haven to pursue both musical and academic opportunities.

Wes is a member of the Yale Jazz All-Stars and a principal player in the Yale Jazz Ensemble. In 2023, he performed Charles Mingus’ Epitaph with the Grammy-winning Mingus Big Band under the direction of Kuumba Frank Lacy. Other highlights include appearances at Dizzy’s Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center) alongside George Coleman and Nasheet Waits, a 2024 Jazz Homecoming Tour co-led with his brother Derek Lewis, and improvised sound baths commissioned by NXTHVN.

In 2023, Wes received the Mellon Foundation’s Artist Corps grant to create and direct the New Haven Composers Spotlight, a large-scale multidisciplinary project aimed at bridging New Haven’s segmented musical communities. The initiative culminated in performances by a large ensemble of emerging local composers across genre and discipline.

Wes has also contributed to several major experimental and interdisciplinary works. He performed the piece ZONG! alongside poet M. NourbeSe Philip to commemorate its 50th anniversary and Philip’s receipt of the 2024 Wyndham Campbell Prize in Poetry. He also appeared in a performance of American Ledger #1 as part of Raven Chacon’s residency at Yale.

Over 13 years of professional performance, Wes has appeared at renowned venues including Woolsey Hall, Scullers, Wally’s Café, The Side Door, The Bop Shop, Pausa Art House, Redscroll Records, the Yale Jazz Festival, and the Lewiston Jazz Festival. In addition to leading his own combo and performing with Yale ensembles, Wes is a member of Trance Macabre, a dance-influenced free jazz collective whose debut LP was released by Redscroll Records in 2024. The group recently opened for experimental legends Deerhoof.

Wes’s debut studio album with the Wes Lewis Quartet — featuring Derek Lewis, Ryan Sands, and Jeff Fuller — is scheduled for release in Summer 2025. Looking ahead, Wes seeks to integrate his scientific expertise into his musical work, using machine learning and algorithmic processes to drive new creative approaches to composition and improvisation.