Mingo Lewis
 | This biography needs more citations. (January 2026) |
James "Mingo" Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 8, 1953 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 27, 2026 (aged 72) |
| Genres | Jazz, rock, fusion, electronic, salsa |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Drums, congas, percussion, keyboards, synthesizer |
| Label | Columbia |
James "Mingo" Lewis (December 8, 1953 – January 27, 2026) was an American percussionist and drummer who played with Santana, Al Di Meola (he was a band member for Di Meola's first five albums), Return to Forever, and The Tubes.
Playing
[edit]Lewis played congas, bongos, timbales, vibraslap, drums, bells, güiro, gong, Syndrum, bata, tambourine, cowbell, and assorted percussion.[1]
Writing
[edit]Lewis is credited with composition of one song on four of the first five Di Meola albums: "The Wizard" on Land of the Midnight Sun, "Flight Over Rio" on Elegant Gypsy, and "Chasin' The Voodoo" on Casino (retitled from his composition Frankinsence on his 1976 album Flight Never Ending). For The Tubes album Now Lewis wrote "God-Bird-Change", which he reprised on Di Meola's Electric Rendezvous.
Death
[edit]Lewis died on January 27, 2026, at the age of 72.[2]
Selected discography
[edit]As Band Leader
[edit]- Flight Never Ending (1976)
As session player
[edit]- Santana - Caravanserai (1972)
- Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! (1972)
- Return To Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)
- Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin - Love Devotion Surrender (1973)
- Billy Joel - Turnstiles (1976)
- Todd Rundgren - Nearly Human (1989)
- XTC - Skylarking (1986)
With Al Di Meola
[edit]- Land of the Midnight Sun (1976)
- Elegant Gypsy (1977)
- Casino (1978)
- Splendido Hotel (1980)
- Electric Rendezvous (1982)
With The Tubes
[edit]- Now (1977)
- What Do You Want from Live (1978)
- Remote Control (1979)
- T.R.A.S.H. (Tubes Rarities and Smash Hits) (1981)
References
[edit]- ↑ "Mingo Lewis". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ↑ "Fallece Mingo Lewis". Alta Fidelidad. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
External links
[edit]- Mingo Lewis discography at Discogs
- Mingo Lewis at IMDb
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
- 1950 births
- 2026 deaths
- 20th-century American composers
- 20th-century American male composers
- 20th-century American drummers
- American jazz drummers
- American jazz keyboardists
- American jazz percussionists
- American male drummers
- Batá drummers
- Bongo players
- Castanets players
- Jazz musicians from New York (state)
- Maracas players
- Santana (band) members
- Timbaleros
- American male jazz musicians
- Conga players
- The Tubes members
- Drummers from New York City