- [Narrator] It's about social justice issues.

It's about conversations.

It's about bringing the community together and bridging those conversations Highlighting local black artists.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] In segregated, 1950 Seattle, the clubs along Jackson Street were the only places one could go to consistently hear music by black artists.

Places that no longer exist like, Birdland and The Original Black and Tan Hall hosted some of the greats, some names, you know and some like Dave Lewis, you might not.

- I wanted Seattle to know, not to forget Dave Lewis because there's no Dave Lewis anything around here, you know and that just should not be.

- The Lewis family has long roots here in Seattle.

If I was going to categorize it in genre I would say it's a cross between the rock, funk and jazz mixed in.

- [Narrator] Along with exploring different genres of music.

The Dave Lewis combo was the first to break the musician's union, color barrier in Seattle, in 1956.

- Dad started playing keyboards.

He was later on electric piano he started with and graduated in 1962 to the Hammond B3 organ.

- My grandfather and Dave Senior and Bertha Ulma.

Ulma was a pianist at Seattle's first AME church on First Hill.

And my grandfather was a pretty fair guitarist.

He was a very good guitarist.

And when he came up here, he actually, he was the first one who bought Quincy Jones his first horn, how they, I think they lived in the same neighborhood, you know, Jimmy, Quincy and I know dad and Quincy went to the Garfield high school.

So they kind of hooked up and - [Interviewer] Jimmy?

- Hendrix.

- Yeah, Jimmy Hendrix.

A lot of people don't know that but my grandfather taught Jimmy a lot.

And so he's got these three kids down in his basement, teaching them music - But music was always around in the family, especially you know, in my grandmother's house, a friend of mine he was getting rid of his drum set.

So I got on the phone, I called my grandmother, - Grandma Bev.

- Yeah, grandma Beverly.

And she said, yep, here she wrote the cheque, no questions asked, you know, like when I go to gigs now, you know, they talk about my grandfather.

So I want to just continue on playing and leave something for my son, Donovan, just kind of spread it, you know, spread the musicality and show him, you know, to be versatile.

Work with lots of different musicians.

Don't box yourself in, it's humbling.

and also like, I'm proud to be, you know, a part of the Louis tradition family, you know and we entertain.

- [Narrator] While the Lewis family's musical legacy lives on in Devon and Donovan, another family band has been making an impact on the Seattle music scene.

The Black Tones, a local brother, sister duo whose blend of rock and roll, punk rock and Northwest secret sauce is a potent mix.

(upbeat music) - Some of our favorite shows have been in people's basements.

- There was one right in Bellingham where it's like, or no, where was the U district?

We did this show at the Show Box or no, it was New Most.

- Yeah.

- The Lucid Lounge, house party, sweaty walls.

This was the one in Bellingham.

- Anytime we get to play in Seattle, It's amazing.

Because we love our city.

(guitar playing) * Don't you worry baby, don't you worry * - Quite naturally, our family kind of has like just an ear for music.

I learned from her.

I knew she had the talent.

And so when I heard her sing, that's when I was like, oh I need to figure out how I can back Eva.

Like how can I lift her up as high as I can.

- Awe.

The secret to our success here locally is the support of our family.

People, what's your secret?

- I mean, - My mom cares about us.

That's the secret.

- I'll take that a step further like after our grandfather had passed like my grandma basically let me clean out the entire basement, turn it into a music studio.

Sometimes families are like, oh you should be doing something with your life and this, that and the other.

Instead our grandma was telling us like, you know your grandpa would've liked that too.

(guitar solo) - We walked into a legacy of like, oh we're black.

We have a guitar.

We have to play like Jimmy Hendrix which is just an unfair standard.

Or we're like, we're trying to be Hendrix.

Like that's our, and I love Jimmy Hendrix.

Like he's the, yeah, he's the reason I wanted to pick up electric guitar and do it.

But to always kind of be like, oh you're just trying to be Hendrix.

So which dismisses everything else you're trying to like do or the individuality you're trying to have for yourself.

I just hope that any and every kid of whatever color they are can like pursue something and not feel discouraged because they haven't seen themselves do it as in someone that looks like them do it.

That's all, I want the kids to be like, yeah I'm a black girl with puff balls that plays guitar.

And it not be a weird thing.

(laughing) - Yeah.

- During the sets, Eva would say, hey, you know like, who knows about like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin and like kind of names off all these, you know, really, really popular, famous musicians.

And then she'll take it a step further and talk about the people they were inspired by who typically are people of color and telling that story at that moment shows people like, this is some of the black (beep) I've ever, like they're doing what they're supposed to be doing.

(upbeat music)