Ramsey Lewis
Encyclopedia
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. (born May 27, 1935) is an American
jazz
composer
, pianist
and radio personality
. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records
and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.
.
The trio started as primarily a jazz unit and released their first album, Ramsey Lewis And The Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. Following their 1965 hit "The In Crowd" (the single reached #5 on the pop charts, and the album #2) they concentrated more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form Young-Holt Unlimited
and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton
and Maurice White
. White left to form Earth, Wind & Fire
was replaced by Maurice Jennings in 1970. Later, Frankie Donaldson and Bill Dickens
replaced Jennings and Eaton; Felton Crews also appeared on many 1980's releases.
By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd
", "Hang On Sloopy
", and "Wade in the Water
". All three singles each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs
. Many of his recordings attracted a large non-jazz audience. In the 1970s, Lewis often played electric piano, although by later in the decade he was sticking to acoustic and using an additional keyboardist in his groups.
In 1994, Lewis appeared on the Red Hot Organization
's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, alongside other prominent jazz artists, Herbie Hancock
and Roy Ayers
. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine.
In addition to recording and performing, Lewis hosts the weekly syndicated radio program Legends of Jazz, created in 1990. He also hosted the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on Chicago "smooth jazz" radio station WNUA
(95.5 FM). In December 2006, this morning show became part of Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, simulcasting on other smooth jazz stations across the country until its cancellation in May 2009, when WNUA switched over to a Spanish format.
In 2006, a well-received 13-episode Legends of Jazz television series hosted by Lewis was broadcast on public TV nationwide and featured live performances by a variety of jazz artists including Larry Gray
, Lonnie Smith
, Joey Defrancesco
, Dave Brubeck
, Chick Corea
, Kurt Elling
, Benny Golson
, Pat Metheny
and Tony Bennett
.
Lewis is artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia (an annual feature at the Ravinia Festival
in Highland Park, Illinois
) and helped organize Ravinia's Jazz Mentor Program. Ramsey also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Merit School of Music, a Chicago inner-city music program and The Chicago High School for the Arts
, the new public arts high school in Chicago. Early in 2005, the Ramsey Lewis Foundation was created to help connect at-risk children to the world of music. As an offshoot of that foundation, Lewis plans to form a Youth Choir and Youth Orchestra. In January 2007, the Dave Brubeck
Institute invited Lewis to join its Honorary Board of Friends at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Lewis is an Honorary Board member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Lewis is a member of Phi Beta Sigma
fraternity. In May 2008, Lewis received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Chicago upon delivering the keynote address at the undergraduate commencement ceremony.
Lewis still lives in Chicago
, Illinois
, the city of his musical roots. He has seven children, fourteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.
Biography
Ramsey Lewis was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ramsey Lewis, Sr. and Pauline Lewis. Lewis began taking piano lessons at the age of four. At 15 he joined his first jazz band, The Cleffs. The seven-piece group provided Lewis his first involvement with jazz; he would later join Cleffs drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young to form the Ramsey Lewis Trio. Lewis is a graduate of DePaul UniversityDePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
.
The trio started as primarily a jazz unit and released their first album, Ramsey Lewis And The Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. Following their 1965 hit "The In Crowd" (the single reached #5 on the pop charts, and the album #2) they concentrated more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form Young-Holt Unlimited
Young-Holt Unlimited
Young-Holt Unlimited were an American soul and jazz instrumental musical ensemble from Chicago, Illinois.Drummer Isaac "Red" Holt and bassist Eldee Young, formerly members of Ramsey Lewis' jazz trio, formed a new outfit called the Young-Holt Trio with pianist Don Walker in 1966...
and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton
Cleveland Eaton
Cleveland "Cleve" Eaton is an American jazz double bassist from Fairfield, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. His most famous accomplishments are substantial playing stints with the Ramsey Lewis Trio and later with the Count Basie Orchestra...
and Maurice White
Maurice White
Maurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
. White left to form Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
was replaced by Maurice Jennings in 1970. Later, Frankie Donaldson and Bill Dickens
Bill Dickens
Bill "The Buddha" Dickens is an American electric bass guitar player.Dickens has played with a huge range of artists, including Pat Metheny, George Michael, Joe Zawinul, Janet Jackson, Grover Washington, Jr., Chaka Khan, Mary J...
replaced Jennings and Eaton; Felton Crews also appeared on many 1980's releases.
By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd
The 'In' Crowd (song)
"The ‘In’ Crowd" is a 1965 song, written by Billy Page, arranged by his brother Gene. It was originally performed by Dobie Gray on his album Dobie Gray Sings for 'In' Crowders That 'Go Go. His Motown-like version reached #13 in the US Billboard charts...
", "Hang On Sloopy
Hang on Sloopy
"Hang on Sloopy" is a song by the pop group The McCoys which was #1 in America in October 1965 and is the official rock song of the state of Ohio and The Ohio State University...
", and "Wade in the Water
Wade in the water
"Wade in the Water" is the name of an African-American spiritual first published in New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers by John Wesley Work II and his brother, Frederick J...
". All three singles each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. Many of his recordings attracted a large non-jazz audience. In the 1970s, Lewis often played electric piano, although by later in the decade he was sticking to acoustic and using an additional keyboardist in his groups.
In 1994, Lewis appeared on the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, alongside other prominent jazz artists, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
and Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine.
In addition to recording and performing, Lewis hosts the weekly syndicated radio program Legends of Jazz, created in 1990. He also hosted the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on Chicago "smooth jazz" radio station WNUA
WNUA
WNUA is a Spanish Pop radio station located in Chicago, Illinois, owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications and branded as Mega 95.5.-History:...
(95.5 FM). In December 2006, this morning show became part of Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, simulcasting on other smooth jazz stations across the country until its cancellation in May 2009, when WNUA switched over to a Spanish format.
In 2006, a well-received 13-episode Legends of Jazz television series hosted by Lewis was broadcast on public TV nationwide and featured live performances by a variety of jazz artists including Larry Gray
Larry Gray
Larry Gray is a Chicago musician known for his compositions and skill on the Double Bass and Cello. His primary teachers were Joseph Guastafeste, longtime principal bassist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and cellist Karl Fruh, a highly regarded soloist and teacher.- Family :Gray has been...
, Lonnie Smith
Lonnie Smith
Lonnie Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies on September 2, 1978 and later played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles...
, Joey Defrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco is an American jazz organist, trumpeter, and vocalist. Down Beat's Critics and Readers Poll selected him as the top jazz organist every year since 2003.DeFrancesco was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania...
, Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
, Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling is an American jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and vocalese performer. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling first became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church...
, Benny Golson
Benny Golson
Benny Golson is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger.-Biography:While in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Golson played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, and...
, Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
and Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
.
Lewis is artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia (an annual feature at the Ravinia Festival
Ravinia Park
Ravinia Festival is the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States, with a series of outdoor concerts and performances held every summer from June to September. It has been the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936...
in Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
) and helped organize Ravinia's Jazz Mentor Program. Ramsey also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Merit School of Music, a Chicago inner-city music program and The Chicago High School for the Arts
Chicago High School for the Arts
The Chicago High School for the Arts offers a four-year college preparatory curriculum combined with intensive training in the performing and visual arts...
, the new public arts high school in Chicago. Early in 2005, the Ramsey Lewis Foundation was created to help connect at-risk children to the world of music. As an offshoot of that foundation, Lewis plans to form a Youth Choir and Youth Orchestra. In January 2007, the Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
Institute invited Lewis to join its Honorary Board of Friends at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Lewis is an Honorary Board member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Lewis is a member of Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
fraternity. In May 2008, Lewis received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Chicago upon delivering the keynote address at the undergraduate commencement ceremony.
Lewis still lives in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, the city of his musical roots. He has seven children, fourteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Discography
| Album | Date |
|---|---|
| Gentlemen of Swing | 1956 |
| Gentlemen of Jazz | 1958 |
| Lem Winchester with the Ramsey Lewis Trio | 1958 |
| Down to Earth (Music from the Soil) | 1959 |
| An Hour with the Ramsey Lewis Trio | 1959 |
| Stretching Out | 1960 |
| Ramsey Lewis Trio in Chicago | 1960 |
| More From Soil | 1961 |
| Never on Sunday | 1961 |
| Sounds of Christmas | 1961 |
| Bossa Nova | 1962 |
| The Sound of Spring | 1962 |
| The In Crowd Live at the Bohemian Cavern | 1962 |
| Pot Luck | 1963 |
| Barefoot Sunday Blues | 1963 |
| Bach to the Blues | 1964 |
| More Sounds of Christmas | 1964 |
| At the Bohemian Caverns | 1964 |
| Country Meets the Blues | 1964 |
| The In Crowd | 1965 |
| Choice! The Best of the Ramsey Lewis Trio | 1962-64 |
| Hang on Ramsey (Live) | 1965 |
| Wade in the Water Wade in the Water (album) Wade in the Water is a 1966 album by Ramsey Lewis. The album has been certified gold in the US. The track Hold It Right There won a Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance - Vocal or Instrumental.-Side 1:... |
1966 |
| The Movie Album | 1966 |
| The Groover (Live) | 1966 |
| Hang on Sloopy | 1966 |
| Goin' Latin Goin' Latin Goin' Latin is a studio jazz album with Latin percussion and style by Ramsey Lewis which was released on Cadet Records in 1967. The album reached number 2 and number 16 on the Billboard Black and Jazz Albums Charts.-Side 1:#"Hey, Mrs... |
1967 |
| Dancing in the Street Dancing in the Street (album) Dancing in the Street is a live jazz album by the Ramsey Lewis Trio which was released on Cadet Records in 1967. The album reached number 3 and number 16 on the Billboard Black and Jazz Albums Charts.- Side 1 :... |
1967 |
| Up Pops Ramsey | 1967 |
| Greatest Sides, Vol. 1 | 1964-67 |
| Maiden Voyage | 1968 |
| Mother Nature's Son Mother Nature's Son (album) Mother Nature’s Son is a studio album recorded by Ramsey Lewis which was released on Cadet Records. The album was produced by Charles Stepney and consisted of ten instrumental songs which were originally recorded on the album The Beatles, also known as The White Album.-Cover Art:The album cover was... |
1968 |
| Live in Tokyo | 1968 |
| Solid Ivory (His Greatest Hits) | 1963-68 |
| Another Voyage | 1969 |
| The Piano Player The Piano Player (Ramsey Lewis album) The Piano Player is a jazz album by Ramsey Lewis, released on Cadet Records in 1970. The songs were arranged by Charles Stepney and Richard Evans. It was recorded at Ter Mar Studios, Chicago, in November, 1969... |
1969 |
| The Best of Ramsey Lewis | 1970 |
| Them Changes | 1970 |
| Back to the Roots | 1971 |
| Upendo Ni Pamoja | 1972 |
| Funky Serenity | 1973 |
| Newly Recorded . . . Golden Hits | 1973 |
| Solar Wind | 1974 |
| Sun Goddess Sun Goddess (album) Sun Goddess is a 1974 jazz album by Ramsey Lewis.-About the album:After his classic acoustic albums in the 1960s, Ramsey Lewis wanted to head into a new musical direction in the then-new decade of the 1970s... |
1974 |
| Don't It Feel Good Don't It Feel Good Don't It Feel Good is a 1975 jazz album by Ramsey Lewis released on Columbia Records.The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Jazz Albums and #5 on the R&B Albums chart. The single Spiderman made its way to number 6 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart... |
1975 |
| Salongo Salongo Salongo is a 1976 Jazz album by Ramsey Lewis released on Columbia Records.-Reception:The album peaked at #7 on the Billboard Jazz Albums and #17 on the Black Albums chart... |
1976 |
| Love Notes Love Notes (album) Love Notes is a 1977 Jazz album by Ramsey Lewis released on Columbia Records. This album features Lewis collaborating with Motown artist Stevie Wonder on the songs "Spring High" and the title track, which Wonder wrote and arranged.-Track listing:... |
1977 |
| Tequila Mockingbird | 1977 |
| Legacy | 1978 |
| Ramsey | 1979 |
| Routes | 1980 |
| Best of Ramsey Lewis | 1981 |
| Blues for the Night Owl | 1981 |
| Three Piece Suite | 1981 |
| Live at the Savoy | 1982 |
| Chance Encounter | 1982 |
| Les Fleurs | 1983 |
| Reunion | 1983 |
| The Two of Us (with Nancy Wilson) | 1984 |
| Fantasy | 1985 |
| Keys To The City | 1987 |
| A Classic Encounter | 1988 |
| We Meet Again (with Billy Taylor) | 1989 |
| Urban Renewal | 1989 |
| Electric Collection | 1991 |
| This is Jazz #27 | 1991 |
| Ivory Pyramid | 1992 |
| Sky Islands Sky Islands Sky Islands is a 1993 Jazz album by Ramsey Lewis released on GRP Records.The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.-Track listing:-Personnel: *Tony Carpenter - Percussion, Background Vocals... |
1993 |
| Urban Knights I Urban Knights I Urban Knights I is a jazz album by Urban Knights which was released on GRP records in 1995. The album reached number 3 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart.-Track listing :#On the Radio 4:40... |
1995 |
| Between the Keys | 1996 |
| Urban Knights II Urban Knights II Urban Knights II is a jazz album by Urban Knights which was released on GRP records in 1997. The album reached number 5 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart.-Track listing :#Scirroco 4:03... |
1997 |
| Dance of the Soul | 1998 |
| Appassionata | 1999 |
| Urban Knights III | 2000 |
| Ramsey Lewis's Finest Hour | 2000 |
| Urban Knights IV | 2001 |
| Meant to Be (with Nancy Wilson) | 2002 |
| 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Ramsey Lewis |
2002 |
| Urban Knights V | 2003 |
| Simple Pleasures (with Nancy Wilson) | 2003 |
| Time Flies | 2004 |
| Urban Knights VI | 2005 |
| With One Voice | 2005 |
| The Best of Urban Knights | 2005 |
| The Very Best of Ramsey Lewis | 2006 |
| Mother Nature's Son | 2007 |
| Songs from the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey | 2009 |
| Ramsey, Taking Another Look | 2011 |
Awards and recognitions
Grammy history
- Career Wins: 3
- Career nominations:
| Ramsey Lewis Grammy Awards History | |||||
| Year | Category | Title | Genre | Label | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Best Jazz Performance - Small Group or Soloist with Small Group |
"The In Crowd" | Jazz | Argo/Chess | Winner |
| 1966 | Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance - Vocal or Instrumental |
"Hold It Right There" | R&B | Chess | Winner |
| 1973 | Best Rhythm & Blues Instrumental Performance | "Hang on Sloopy" | R&B | MCA | Winner |
Gold records
Currently, the normal RIAA certifications for a gold album is 500,000 units.| Gold Records | ||||
| Year | Title | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The In Crowd | Chess | ||
| 1966 | Hang on Sloopy | Rhapsody | ||
| 1966 | Wade in the Water Wade in the Water (album) Wade in the Water is a 1966 album by Ramsey Lewis. The album has been certified gold in the US. The track Hold It Right There won a Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance - Vocal or Instrumental.-Side 1:... |
Chess | ||
| 1968 | The Sound of Christmas | Chess | ||
| 1976 | Sun Goddess | Columbia | ||
Recognitions
- 2002: Ramsey Lewis, carried the Winter 2002 Olympic Torch, Ramsey lights the cauldron for its brief stop in Chicago.
- 2003: NAACP Image Award, Best Jazz Artist, for his album Simple Pleasures (2003)
- 2006: 22nd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Best Gospel Instrumental Album, With One Voice (2005)
- 2007: National Endowment for the Arts, Jazz Masters Award
- 2007: Landmarks Illinois, Legendary Landmark Award, as one of living treasures of Illinois. "Just like our landmarked buildings, our three Legendary Landmarks have been critical to the civic well-being of Chicago and stand as a testimony to the greatness of our cultural integrity." said David Bahlman, president of Landmarks Illinois.
External links
- Ramsey Lewis official site
- [ Billboard Chart History for Ramsey Lewis]
- PBS - Legends of Jazz
- Ramsey Lewis interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' March 2010
- Interview, About.com
- Ramsey's Rhythms
- Jazz Monthly Feature Interview: Ramsey Lewis
- Legends of Jazz podcasts