R.I.P. Ramsey Lewis (27 May 1935 - 12 Sep 2022)

The great jazz musician and pianist Ramsey Lewis died peacefully at home in Chicago yesterday morning aged 87. It was announced on his facebook page last night where there is a tribute by his wife Jan Lewis

He formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio with drummer Isaac 'Red' Holt and bassist Eldee Young and signed to Argo Records a jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. They released their first album in 1956 "Ramsey Lewis And His Gentlemen Of Swing" and Lewis went on to record over 80 albums right up until his last in 2021 "Manha de Carnaval" and has a new album due for release on 11 Nov "The Beatles Songbook: The Saturday Salon Series, Volume One".

He broke through in 1965 with the Grammy nominated single "The In Crowd" (#2 R&B / #5 Hot 100) an instrumental of a song written by Billy Page (brother of Gene who's birthday is coincidentally today, he would have been 83) and recorded by Dobie Gray on Charger in 1964. The follow up single was "Hang On Sloopy" (#6 R&B) and he charted next with a cover of The Beatles "Hard Days Night" (#27 R&B and Hot 100) in 1966 followed by his only other top 10 hit "Wade In The Water" (#3 R&B / #19 hot 100).

Young and Holt left in 1966 to form Young-Holt Unlimited and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton (bass) and Maurice White (EWF) (drums).

Lewis won three Grammy awards for "Best Jazz Performance for "The In Crowd" (1965),  Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance for "Hold It Right There" (1966) and Best Rhythm & Blues Instrumental Performance for "Hang On Sloopy" (1973), and recorded five Gold certified albums "The In Crowd" (1965), "Hang On Ramsey!" (1966), "Wade in the Water" (1966), "Sound of Christmas" (1968) and "Sun Goddess" (1976).

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