Toronto-based composer and drummer Larnell Lewis is celebrating a career milestone with his second JUNO Award nomination—this time for Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) for his introspective and genre-blending album Slice of Life. With the 2025 JUNO Awards just around the corner on March 30, the nomination proudly recognizes Lewis’s artistry, storytelling, and evolution as a musician.
Released last year, Slice of Life reveals a new layer of Lewis’s creative voice—one shaped by fatherhood, heritage, and a desire to reflect his full self through music.
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“Slice of Life is a snapshot of where I was at that moment,” says Lewis. “It’s not just about the music—it’s about my life as a husband, a father, a composer. This album dives deeper into meaning and lived experience than anything I’ve done before.”
Fatherhood at the forefront
While fans know Lewis for his extraordinary drumming and work with Snarky Puppy, Slice of Life shifts the spotlight to storytelling and emotion. Jazz, Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian, and R&B influences intertwine with moments drawn from Lewis’s personal life.
One particularly moving track, “Hide and Seek,” features his daughter Kaya's voice. The album also includes contributions from his partner, celebrated steel pannist Joy Lapps, and honours their family life together with son Khari and newborn daughter Kianna, who was just born at the time of the album’s release.
“Becoming a father changed the way I make music,” Lewis shares. “On this album, drums—the thing I’m best known for—were actually one of the last things I thought about. I wanted the songs themselves to shine.”
A distinctly Canadian voice with global roots
Born in Toronto to parents from St. Kitts and Nevis, Lewis brings a globally informed yet deeply personal sound to Canadian jazz. Slice of Life fuses genres and cultures while staying rooted in his lived reality—delivering music that feels both expansive and intimate.
“We battled against all odds to bring this album to life,” he says. “So when I saw my name on the JUNO list, it felt like being a kid checking the basketball team list and seeing I made it—both hands in the air!”
On March 20, Lewis and his band brought Slice of Life to the stage at Toronto’s Lula Lounge, performing a vibrant, heartfelt show to celebrate the album and the JUNO nomination. The performance was a reflection of the record itself—soulful, joyful, and deeply human.
Beyond his solo work, Lewis is known globally as a longtime member of the Grammy-winning ensemble Snarky Puppy. His impressive roster of collaborators includes Gregory Porter, Pat Metheny, Lalah Hathaway, Jacob Collier, and many others.
As a Professor of Music at Humber College, Lewis is also a passionate educator. He mentors emerging talent while continuing to build his own legacy as one of Canada’s most dynamic musical voices.
The 2025 JUNO Awards take place this Sunday, March 30, at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia—and Larnell Lewis’s Slice of Life is a powerful contender. Whether on stage, in the studio, or at home with his family, Lewis continues to remind us that the most moving music often comes from the most personal places.
