INTRODUCTION

Vel Lewis began his music journey in 1965 as a 1st soprano vocalist with the Philadelphia All-Boys Choir, under the guidance of Dr. Carlton J. Lake. He pursued vocal and piano training at Settlement Music School and initially studied the concert flute. In 1966, he transitioned from flute to organ and soon became the 1st soprano soloist in the Philadelphia All-Boys Choir Small Ensemble. The following year, he traveled with the ensemble to Montreal, Canada, where he performed as the lead soloist at Expo ’67.

In 1968, Vel shifted his focus entirely to the Hammond organ, studying under Mr. Milton Myers, and later under Dr. E. Woodley Kalehoff, Sr., who had served as the White House pianist for U.S. President Harry Truman. From 1969 to 1972, Vel attended Overbrook High School. During this period, he appeared on a televised jazz program, performing on the organ with drummer Gerry Brown and bassist John Lee. He also recorded gospel sessions for ABC's Peacock Record label with producer Ira Tucker, Sr., contributing to albums by The Sensational Nightingales, The Gospelaires, and The Dixie Hummingbirds.

In 1972, Vel signed a recording contract with Philadelphia International Records and performed with the vocal group The Futures, known for their single "Love Is Here." The following year, he toured with The Delfonics and co-wrote and performed the opening lead vocal on "Tell Me Why," a song released in 1974 on the Warner Bros. Reprise label. This track has since been ranked among the "100 Greatest Northern Soul Classics."

In 1990, Vel co-produced songs with Tom Borton on Borton's albums "Dancing With Tigers" and "The Lost World," released on the Mesa/Bluemoon Records label. He began composing music for Los Angeles Post Music in 1995, with his tracks featured on popular TV shows like "Sex and the City," "Friends," "Mad About You," and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

Between 2003 and 2005, Vel performed on a world tour with legendary singer Dionne Warwick. In 2005, he released his debut solo album "All Wound Up" under the stage name Shady Grady, composing eight of the ten songs on the album. His track "Song For My Love" from the EP "Colors Of Soul" reached #67 on the Groove Jazz Music "Top 100" list in 2014, with over 1,600 spins and 375,000 streams.

In 2021, Vel released the single "Forever More" featuring Larry Braggs, formerly of Tower of Power and The Temptations. The song received significant airplay on Contemporary Jazz radio and remained in the “Moth FM” Smooth Top Ten for several weeks.

In 2022, Vel released two singles with guitarist/songwriter Michael Garvin on their Garvel Music record label. The official video for "PlayTyme" premiered on YouTube in May 2022. “PlayTyme” climbed into the Top 100 of Smooth Jazz charts worldwide within seven weeks, and continues to receive airplay. The second single released by Michael and Vel entitled "Bossaflowz," released in November 2022. “Bossaflowz” quickly climbed the charts as well, earning spots on Top 100, Top 25, and Top 10 charts worldwide, and it also continues to receive significant airplay.

In June 2024, Vel received the Houston Black Music Award for Best Jazz Male Performer, presented by the Black Music Association and Academy of America.

Vel is President and Founder of F2F Music Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, educational and performing arts organization, located in Fort Bend County. Visit F2FMusicFoundation.org for more information.

Award-winning Hammond ® organist/keyboardist Vel Lewis is an accomplished singer, producer, and arranger, whose music can be found on well-known TV shows The Sopranos, Mad About You, Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and many more. Vel has performed on the same concert stages with Frankie Beverly and Maze, The O'Jays, Grover Washington, The Spinners, The Whispers, The Stylistics, and The Supremes, to name a few. He also toured with Dionne Warwick on her World Tour for three years before embarking on his own solo career.

Past Performances

Vel Lewis has headlined or shared the stage with legendary artists
in festivals and music venues around the world, including:

SXSW - Austin, TX
St. James LIVE - Atlanta, GA
Catalina Jazz Club - Los Angeles, CA
The Woodlands Jazz Festival - The Woodlands, TX
House of Blues - Houston, TX
The Perfect Note - Birmingham, AL
Jazz On the Seawall - Galveston, TX
American Advertising Awards Gala - Houston, TX

“I have your new music and I have listened to it. I did not know you are a vocalist. You did a nice job with the vocals! I like the arrangement of the instruments and the vocals, as they compliment each other. I hear your signature organ playing to tell me it is you. The track is more R&B than SmoothJazz, but I can and will add it to GSRN Jazz, GSRN F&S and it can even fit in GSRN Popular. Again, I will add it and I will air it live on Nov 17th. I will begin to talk it up after I play your older music on Sunday.

Have a good eve and keep up with the fine music!”

— Dwight "DJ Allan J" Jenkins - Global Sensations Radio Network

“Hammond organist Vel Lewis is yet another fine example of the synergy that sizzles between contemporary jazz and soul music from the golden age of Philadelphia. He is building a wonderful bridge from classic soul to smooth jazz.”

— Denis Poole - Smooth Jazz Therapy