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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2 comments:
Definitely this year is special. What disappearances but there what a size!!! Ramsey's instrumentals rocked all my youth and your selection is very good. Just missing for my part 2 fabulous tracks: "Jade East" and "Hey, Mrs. Jones" but his discography is so huge that we forget for sure.
Yves
Thanks Yves .. unfortunately Jade East isn't available on Spotify but have on your recommendation added Hey Mrs Jones
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