Juliette Lewis’ favourite jazz album: “Everything under the sun, moon and stars”
Juliette Lewis has been a mainstay of the silver screen since her teenage years back in the 1980s. From family comedy flicks like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation to thrilling horrors in From Dusk Till Dawn and Cape Fear, Lewis’ career is as legendary as it is varied. However, perhaps a lesser-known aspect of her creative output comes with her music career. In the early 2000s, the actor formed the indie rockers Juliette and the Licks, along with Hole drummer Patty Schemel. Although the band might have had its roots in punk and indie rock, Lewis was just as inspired by the vibrant world of jazz.
Initially, the abrasive stylings of punk rock might seem at odds with the genre of jazz, but, in reality, the two genres have an irrefutably linked history. Not only do many prominent punk icons, Henry Rollins being a key example, hold a special appreciation for jazz, but both genres are built upon a defiant attitude and musical experimentation. Perhaps the greatest example of these parallels between punk and jazz comes from the legendary trumpeter Miles Davis.
Ruthlessly anti-pop in ways that many punks could only dream of, Davis completely revolutionised the world of jazz, creating some of the most iconic releases of the 20th century. From his early days playing with none other than Charlie Parker, it became clear that Davis was destined for musical greatness, and he certainly achieved such a goal. After defining the ‘cool jazz’ era during his time with Capitol Records, Davis set his sights on more experimental offerings, resulting in the groundbreaking album Bitches Brew.
Released in 1970, Bitches Brew is still hailed as one of the greatest jazz recordings of all time. Awash with psychedelia, avant-garde experimentation and complete destruction of musical boundaries, the album certainly plays into Davis’ reputation as the original punk. This lineage was certainly not lost on a young Juliette Lewis, who listed Bitches Brew as one of her favourite records of all time when speaking to Pitchfork back in 2022.
Lewis was only three years old when Davis released his magnum opus, but the record formed an important part of her teenage years. “Age 10 to 15 was quite an arc of identities,” she explained, “I was living on my own with my best friend in a Hollywood apartment. Bitches Brew was everything under the sun, moon and stars to us. We would get all stoney and listen to that entire album.”
Lewis found that Davis’ album was the perfect amalgamation of all her musical interests, which ranged from Jimi Hendrix to new wave. As has been the case for countless budding artists, Bitches Brew found her in the right place at the right time. “This was around the same time that I was watching Easy Rider every day.” she shared, “I was just branching out on my own, and the world felt wide open.”
The Academy Award-nominated actor has always stayed on top of musical trends, recently revealing herself to be a fan of noted Melbourne punks Amyl and the Sniffers. However, it seems as though she always held a candle for the unforgettable experimental tones of Miles Davies on Bitches Brew.
