The Ramsey Lewis Trio

[Jazz Kat]

I've been listening to the classic Ramsey Lewsi Trio lately. I guess it happend, because I was looking through some Christmas Cd's at a record store, and I saw the reissue of 'The Sound of Christmas,' made by the trio in 1962. I loved it, so I pulled out all my RLT albums from 1956-1965. The trio with Ramsey, Eldee Young, and Red Holt. What a great group! I think his career went downhill after that trio disbanded. Anyway, I been doing some searches on the classic trio. Can't find nothing. Anybody, like them enough to find some info on them? Also, when are they gonna release some of their stuff on cd! My records are getting all scratchy.

[GA Russell]

That trio was my gateway to jazz. My first jazz album was their Hang On Ramsey! with the hits Hang On Sloopy and A Hard Day's Night.

I believe that the Ramsey Lewis CD Finest Hour will satisfy your immediate wants.

[Teasing the Korean]

You mean that trio stuff from Cadet hasn't made it to CD? Along with Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey sparked an entire sub-sub-genre of jazz. Every label had its own equivalent of Ramsey (or Ahmad).

Edited November 21, 2006 by Teasing the Korean

[Jazz Kat]

I have an hour with Ramsey Lewis. Plus, most of the other albums. To be exact, I have

The In Crowd

Hang On Ramsey

Pot Lock

Sound of Christmas

Swingin'

In Chicago

Down to Earth

Choice

Reunion

[Jazz Kat]

You mean that trio stuff from Cadet hasn't made it to CD? Along with Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey sparked an entire sub-sub-genre of jazz. Every label had its own equivalent of Ramsey (or Ahmad).

Just The In Crowd, Down to Earth, and Sound of Christmas have made it on to cd. Plus a whole lot of compilations that I can't stand.

[Teasing the Korean]

Can anyone confirm my delusion that Ramsey did a bossa album for Cadet or Argo? I could have sworn I saw this at some point, but recently looking at an inner sleeve of Cadet albums (with one side devoted to Ramsey) I didn't see it. Did I dream this up?

[Jazz Kat]

No, it exists.

[Jazz Kat]

[Jazz Kat]

I would really love to hear this album!

[jlhoots]

I like the album with Lem Winchester.

[GA Russell]

Just The In Crowd, Down to Earth, and Sound of Christmas have made it on to cd. Plus a whole lot of compilations that I can't stand.

Hang On Ramsey! was also on CD, but with a different title. I think the title was just The Ramsey Lewis Trio. As I recall it was not on the Chess label but rather a Universal discount label such as Rewind. I remember seeing it at Borders about 2000.

[Randy Twizzle]

Can anyone confirm my delusion that Ramsey did a bossa album for Cadet or Argo? I could have sworn I saw this at some point, but recently looking at an inner sleeve of Cadet albums (with one side devoted to Ramsey) I didn't see it. Did I dream this up?

Bossa Nova:

Ramsey Lewis (p) Jose Paulo (g,pandeiro) Eldee Young (b) Issac "Redd" Holt (d) Carmen Costa (cabaca,vcl)

Chicago, September 22 & 25, 1962

11903 O pato Argo LP705

11904 Manha de carnaval - , 5431

11905 As criancinhas -

11906 A noite de meu bem -

11907 Roda moinho -

11908 Canacao para Geralda -

11909 Samba de Orfeu -

11910 A felicidade -

11911 Care de Palhaco -

Generique -

[DMP]

"Hang On Ramsey" has been out, as has some of the "leftover" material from the same Lighthouse gig (originally on a couple LP's, including "the Groover"). And some of the trio material (including part of the original Cafe Bohemia Lp - pre-"In Crowd") was on one of those double CD's that Universal put out a few years ago (there were also sets by Ahmad Jamal and Sonny Stitt in that series). I guess it would be too much to expect that there would be a "Mosaic Select" style reissue of the Lighthouse stuff, but there's a lot of wonderful music in there that has held up well and might be a revelation to those who only associate Lewis with pop jazz.

By the way... I caught the trio on a bill with Roland Kirk (Horace Parlan was on piano - Kirk was plugging his upcoming "flute album" on Mercury) at Leo's Casino on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland back just before the "In Crowd." The emcee was Flip Wilson, and Leroy Kelly was hanging around at the bar. Those were the days.

Edited November 23, 2006 by DMP

[Harold_Z]

I bet that Red Holt album swings !