Ramsey Lewis, Warren Scott and Me...

***An Hour With*** (stereo-1959) signed by Ramsey

Everything comes from one thing, everything comes from the Spirit. Jazz would not exist had it not been for gospel music, the blues would not exist had it not been for spiritual blues, which goes back to slave songs our fore fathers were singing while they were out in the field. So it’s all one continuous growth from one group of people. Of course jazz now is played by various cultures and colors around the world. But the stimulus is One Voice.
Ramsey Lewis

***Stretching Out*** (1960) signed by Ramsey

***Country Meets The Blues*** (1962) signed by Ramsey

***Bossa Nova*** (1963) signed by Ramsey

From the very beginning we have striven for a true group sound, a true group image in which each participant's role is of equal importance instead of two of the members serving primarily as accompanists. Among the jazz groups that I feel have most nearly accomplished this sound are, The Modern Jazz Quartet, The Bill Evans Trio, and the original Miles Davis Quintet ( with Coltrane, Garland, and Philly Joe).

Ramsey Lewis

***At The Bohemian Caverns*** (1964) signed by Ramsey

Ramsey Lewis is an acclaimed jazz pianist who has released more than eighty albums in his sixty year career. He has seven gold records, three Grammys and sold millions of records. "The In Crowd", a hit in 1965, almost didn't happen. As a follow up to The Ramsey Lewis Trio At The Bohemian Caverns which had been released the previous year with great success, the band was looking for a soul song, a groover to spice up their material. They were discussing their needs at breakfast at a diner the day of the Bohemian Caverns show, and as Ramsey recalled, “Nettie Gray, our waitress, said, ‘Well, what about “The In Crowd,” by Dobie Gray?’ (drummer) Redd (Holt) and (bassist) Eldee (Young) said: ‘Oh, yeah, that’s a good one! I know that!’ I did not. So they put it on the jukebox, and I liked it." As they were finishing their first set that night, they were about to play a blues theme when Redd Holt said, "Hey man, let's play 'The In Crowd' Jack, hook it up!" Ramsey explained, “We never actually got to the theme that night. They wouldn’t let us off the bandstand, ‘The In Crowd’ had gone over so big. They were clapping, hooting and hollering and cheering.” And you can hear the exuberance captured on the record when it was released six months later in May,1965. It became Ramsey's first million seller and catapulted the trio into the top 5 of the Billboard charts. They were not overnight sensations though, The Ramsey Lewis Trio had toiled for nearly a decade and they had already released eighteen records. The serendipitous meeting of a waitress and a jazz man.....

***The In Crowd*** (1965) signed by Ramsey
It was never a millstone. It doesn’t sound anything like the record anymore when we play it. But yes, it reminds me of the good times—when I was able to pay my bills on time.
Ramsey Lewis 2015 interview

I saw Ramsey perform a solo recital recently at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. My brother's old college friend, Warren Scott, was the promoter and I attended the show as his guest. Warren has led a colorful life as a rock and roll impresario and he earned his stripes as the chief booker at The Channel for eleven years, arguably Boston's most important rock club during that time. So many great artists played this seventeen-hundred seat club like James Brown, The B-52s, Big Audio Dynamite, The Cars, The Jam, Roy Orbison, etc. and Warren's taste and style made it all happen. And the stories, there are so many that Warren's stories have stories.

We met before the show and it was great to see an old friend. I couldn't remember the last time we saw each other, probably a Steel Pulse or Big Audio Dynamite show from the hazy Channel daze. We laughed about those times, happy that we both survived, faculties dimmed but relatively intact. Warren graciously took me back to Ramsey's dressing room for an introduction. This was the easiest transition ever, no guile or subterfuge to outwit a security guard, a simple knock on the door and direct access. Just me, Ramsey. his lovely wife Jan, Ramsey's tour manager, and a security guard. And my stack of records.

I expressed my condolences to Ramsey on the loss of his friend, producer and one time drummer, Maurice White (founder of Earth, Wind & Fire). "Thank you," he said quietly, "It is a huge loss." Later from the stage, Ramsey was more expansive as he dedicated "Sun Goddess" to his friend. "Maurice was a very talented drummer. In those days, each studio, like Capitol, Columbia or Chess, where I recorded, had a house band. If you needed a drummer or bassist or horn section, you could use them. Maurice became very in demand as a drummer and he was so versatile. He could play straight ahead jazz with Gene Ammons or Sonny Stitt, or he could play rock and roll or rhythm and blues. He was so soft spoken and so talented. After Redd (Holt) left, I needed a drummer. I asked Maurice, he said yes and we stayed together for three or four years (they recorded nine albums together including "Wade In The Water", a gospel hymn that was another million seller!). After awhile, Maurice came to me and said softly, 'I want to go to Los Angeles and start a band. This band will be like no other. We will have uniforms, a horn section and dance routines, and we will play jazz, soul, rock and roll, and pop tunes.' I looked at him and said, well Maurice I think you need to take a couple aspirin. Of course, he was right, the band - Earth, Wind & Fire - was fantastic and very successful, and he ended up producing a couple of my records."

In the dressing room before the show, I asked Ramsey about his recent European tour. "It was very successful and all the shows were sold out. I had my quartet: Henry Johnson on guitar, Joshua Ramos on bass, and Charles Heath on drums." Is Charles related to the Heath Brothers? I asked. "Yes, he's a cousin. How do you know them?" he said warily. Oh, I've seen Jimmy, Percy, and Tootie many times, I replied. It was time to play "name drop jazz artists", a skill I have mastered. I asked Ramsey about his influences, "Oscar Peterson and The Modern Jazz Quartet, came his quick retort. John Lewis (the MJQ pianist)? "Not just him" he added, "The entire band, Milt (Jackson), Percy (Heath) and Connie (Kay), all great musicians." I mentioned how much I loved Dr. Billy Taylor and how underrated I think he is as a pianist. Ramsey grew animated, "Yes he is really underrated. He is in my top five for sure." Who else is in your top 5 besides Oscar, John Lewis, and Billy Taylor? Ramsey grew reflective, "Well there are so many great pianists, Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal.... I really don't like these lists. I think each pianist should bring something new and contribute to the next one. That's how it should work and that's what interests me." Hank Jones, McCoy Tyner? I prodded. "Well, now you're talking about the heavyweights,” Ramsey affirmed. What about newer pianists? Brad Mehldau? "Yes, I listen to Brad. He is in my iPod." Me too, Ramsey, and in my never ending campaign to extoll the joy and wonder of Dwike Mitchell and Willie Ruff, I asked Ramsey about Dwike Mitchell? "Mitchell Ruff Duo? “Yes, of course I love those guys."

Pleasantries concluded, it was time to get some signatures. As Ramsey signed the albums he was blown away by the pristine condition. "It looks like you just walked into a record store yesterday and bought them" as he held a fifty year old copy of his biggest hit. The In Crowd. I'm a collector, I explained, and I have a very discerning eye. As he signed Mother Nature's Son, a collection of Beatles covers, I mentioned that it was sampled by many artists. How do you feel when A Tribe Called Quest or others sample your work? "I feel it is a huge compliment." And do you get paid? "Yes, Sound Exchange processes all that and sends me a check. It works fine, and they're some nice sized checks, too", he said with a big smile.

***Mother Nature’s Son*** (1968) signed by Ramsey

Now it was time for the show. The concert was sold out, so Warren set me up on a stool just off stage in the wings. Ramsey opened with Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" from West Side Story, then "Satin Doll." As Ramsey said, "Anyone who is serious about jazz must play or attempt 'Satin Doll', Duke Ellington's master work." He played the beautiful ballad "When I Fall In Love", and he admitted, "I am a classic romanticist at heart." "Sun Goddess" was prefaced by his warm remarks about his recently departed friend, Maurice White, then he launched into a rollicking romp of Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City." "The In Crowd" led to a medley with snippets of "Wade In The Water" and "Hang On Sloopy" thrown in. He also played "Dear Lord", a beautiful gospel hymn by John Coltrane, with exquisite touch and gentleness, unlike the "sheets of sound" and frenetic fury usually associated with Trane's experimental work. As he walked on stage for his second encore, someone from the crowd shouted "The Party's Over." He smiled wryly, then played several bars of the classic jaunty vamp, and then settled into a bluesy, soulful version of "Willow Weep For Me." It was a masterful performance by a master jazz pianist.

After the show, Warren and I walked back with Ramsey to his dressing room. I thanked him for his kindness and generosity, especially his moving performance of Coltrane's "Dear Lord." I thought it was very uncharacteristic of Coltrane's work. "Yes, it is surprising, but if you listen to his later work, he quieted down." Like Ascension? "Yes exactly, and Meditations." I told him I was looking forward to seeing him in April in Purchase, New York in the coming months. "Thank you very much. I will look for you," he said. He may come to regret those remarks. Another stack of records awaits....