Ramsey Lewis Dies

from Ramsey Lewis

by Smooth Jazz Magazine

Rebecca Jade – Interview

Remembering

1935-2022

Remembering

Although Ramsey Lewis left us on September 12th at age 87, his leg-By: Melissa Ber r y acy remains. As an American jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years, Mr. Lewis created a history that includes 80 albums, five gold records, three Grammy Awards, and his current radio show, "Legends of Jazz." "Legends of Jazz" highlights the history of the jazz artists that originated The Great American Songbook, and it will continue to broadcast on WDCB Jazz on 90.9 FM Chicago. Therefore, there is definitely no R.I.P for Ramsey Lewis's music.

Mr. Lewis united generations with his music's generous versatility. Because of the broad appeal to every demographic with musical genres covering jazz, soul, pop, classical, and his embrace of rock n' roll, this crossover allowed and maintained that generational connection through the universal language of music. Nonetheless, it seems nothing is quite so memorable as 1965's "The 'In' Crowd." Later that year, The Ramsey Lewis Trio would release two other singles, covers of the McCoys' "Hang on Sloopy" and the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night." And Lewis' career trajectory was reset.

Remembering

Every generation seems to have a special memory of their relationship with Mr. Lewis and The Ramsey Lewis Trio. But rather than the remembrances of someone who actually saw Mr. Lewis at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach in 1965 and heard "The 'In' Crowd" live, flash forward 40 years to a more contemporary view of Mr. Lewis from a Gen Y jazz enthusiast. Knowing just such a person, I asked for an early remembrance from Brian Shewfelt (Bard '11), who I'd known since he was a young teenager. His response wasn't limited to "The 'In' Crowd." It was far beyond that and a much more thoughtful and eloquent recollection: "Ramsey Lewis, one of the high priests of mid-century cool, was one of the first jazz musicians to train his ear on contemporary pop without condescension. I first became aware of him when watching Martin Scorsese's "Casino." There is a lengthy scene involving a high-stakes Japanese gambler over which Ramsey's runaway interpretation of Dobie Gray's "The in Crowd" plays. And it's perfect: the bounce, the fizz, the insouciance, the light confidence in the touch and timbre of it all.

Remembering

That opened up his whole catalog for me. But every single performance possesses such style and sophistication, and ease. His work is a monument to a vanished world of small nightclubs that used to cover large and medium-sized American cities, in which intimate encounters with world-class musicians was possible amidst a crowd of dissolute adults, all chasing some romantic and slightly dangerous dream.” At the end of this lyrical remembrance of Mr. Lewis, my young friend surprised me with his closing statement," I'd have to say the "Wade in the Water" is my favorite." Not the iconic "The 'In' Crowd, " "Hang On Sloopy," or the cover of "Hard Day's Night?" And that is the most significant tribute to Ramsey Lewis' legacy; every demographic and generation continues to be touched by Ramsey Lewis with an unexpected personal memory of their favorite. I'm still at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach with The Ramsey Lewis Trio in the summer of '65.