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RAMSEY LEWIS

Biography

Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality whose blend of gospel, classical technique, and modern jazz made him one of the most widely recognized pianists of his generation.[1][3][4] Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he grew up in the Cabrini-Green housing projects, where his father, a church choir director, encouraged him to study music.[1][6][7] Lewis began piano lessons at age four with church pianist and organist Ernestine Bruce, and at age eleven he continued formal training with Dorothy Mendelssohn at the Chicago Musical College, gaining a strong classical foundation that he later fused with the church music and jazz he heard around him.[1][3] As a teenager he played with local ensembles, including a group called the Clefs, and after graduating from Wells High School he briefly attended Chicago Musical College before devoting himself fully to performing.[2][4]

In 1956 Lewis formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio with bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac “Red” Holt, quickly becoming a fixture on the Chicago jazz scene and releasing their debut album Ramsey Lewis and His Gentlemen of Jazz (also known as Ramsey Lewis and His Gentlemen of Swing) on Chess Records the following year.[1][2][4][5] Drawing on swing, gospel, blues, and pop, the trio built a reputation for accessible, groove-oriented arrangements, and Lewis broke through to mainstream audiences in 1965 with a live, soul-jazz version of Dobie Gray’s “The ‘In’ Crowd,” which earned him his first Grammy Award and a gold record.[1][3][5] He followed this success with hit versions of “Hang On Sloopy” and “Wade in the Water,” and by the mid‑1960s he was one of the most commercially successful jazz pianists in the United States, attracting a large non‑jazz audience while still being embraced by jazz listeners.[1][2][3][4] Through the 1970s he explored electric keyboards and jazz‑funk, later returning primarily to acoustic piano, and over a career spanning more than six decades he recorded over 80 albums, received at least five gold records and three Grammy Awards, and worked with symphony orchestras, vocalists, and small groups alike.[1][2][4][5]

Lewis’s musical style was rooted in church and gospel harmony, filtered through classical training and a deep love of jazz swing and blues, which he channeled into soulful melodies and accessible grooves that bridged jazz, R&B, and pop.[1][3][6] Beyond performance, he became an important ambassador for jazz: he hosted the syndicated radio program Legends of Jazz, led The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on Chicago’s WNUA‑FM, and in the 1990s hosted BET’s Jazz Central, introducing broader audiences to the music.[2][3][4] He served as artistic director of the Jazz at Ravinia series at the Ravinia Festival, helped create educational programs such as Ravinia’s Jazz Mentor Program, served on boards of Chicago music institutions, and established the Ramsey Lewis Foundation to connect at‑risk youth with music education.[2][3] A National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and recipient of multiple honorary doctorates, Lewis remained closely associated with Chicago throughout his life and died at his home there in 2022, leaving a legacy as both a chart‑topping jazz artist and a dedicated educator and media figure who helped keep jazz in the public ear.[1][2][3][4]

Fun Facts

  • Lewis grew up in Chicago’s Cabrini‑Green housing projects and credited both the church and that neighborhood environment with shaping his musical sensibility, even as he developed strong classical technique.[6][7]
  • His breakthrough hit “The ‘In’ Crowd” was recorded live at the Bohemian Caverns club in Washington, D.C., and the track’s audible audience reactions became part of its infectious appeal, helping it win the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance and a gold record.[1][3][5]
  • Beyond performing, Lewis became a prominent media personality: he hosted BET’s Jazz Central, the syndicated radio show Legends of Jazz, and The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on Chicago’s WNUA‑FM, for which he twice won R&R’s Personality of the Year Award.[2][3][4]
  • As artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia and founder of the Ramsey Lewis Foundation, he was deeply involved in jazz education and mentorship in Chicago, creating programs such as Ravinia’s Jazz Mentor Program to support young and at‑risk musicians.[2][3]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

  • Ernestine Bruce - First piano teacher, church pianist and organist at his family’s church; introduced him to structured lessons and early gospel and church repertoire starting at age four. (Foundation for his later church‑inflected jazz style heard on early Ramsey Lewis Trio recordings such as Ramsey Lewis and His Gentlemen of Jazz and live renditions like “The ‘In’ Crowd.”) [circa 1939–mid‑1940s[1][2][8]]
  • Dorothy Mendelssohn (Mendelsohn/Mendelsohn) at Chicago Musical College - Formal classical piano teacher who emphasized technique and expressive playing, encouraging him to ‘listen with your inner ear’ and ‘make the piano sing,’ which shaped his touch and lyricism. (Classical technique and expressive approach that underpinned his mature style across albums such as The In Crowd, Wade in the Water, and later symphonic collaborations like A Classic Encounter.) [Beginning around age 11, mid‑1940s into his teens[1][3]]

Key Collaborators

  • Eldee Young - Original bassist of the Ramsey Lewis Trio; key partner in developing the trio’s early Chicago sound and crossover successes before leaving to form Young‑Holt Unlimited. (Debut album Ramsey Lewis and His Gentlemen of Jazz (1956) and numerous Chess releases leading up to the hit album The In Crowd (1965).) [Mid‑1950s–1966[1][2][4][5]]
  • Isaac “Red” Holt - Original drummer of the Ramsey Lewis Trio; contributed the driving rhythmic feel that helped Lewis’s trio connect with both jazz and pop audiences. (Ramsey Lewis and His Gentlemen of Jazz, live recordings leading to singles such as “The ‘In’ Crowd,” “Hang On Sloopy,” and “Wade in the Water.”) [Mid‑1950s–1966[1][2][4][5]]
  • Cleveland Eaton - Bassist who replaced Eldee Young in the trio and played on later 1960s and 1970s sessions, helping sustain Lewis’s commercial and artistic momentum. (Late‑1960s and early‑1970s albums following the original trio’s breakup, including concert and studio projects during Lewis’s continued chart presence.) [From 1966 into the 1970s[1][2]]
  • Maurice White - Drummer who replaced Red Holt in the trio and later founded Earth, Wind & Fire; collaborated with Lewis during a key transitional period before pursuing his own band. (Late‑1960s trio recordings and performances, preceding White’s formation of Earth, Wind & Fire.) [Late 1960s–around 1970[1][2]]
  • Morris Jennings - Drummer who succeeded Maurice White, contributing to Lewis’s 1970s work as he explored electric keyboards and jazz‑funk influences. (1970s studio and live albums during Lewis’s electric‑piano period.) [Early–mid‑1970s[2]]
  • Nancy Wilson - Vocalist collaborator; co‑led a project that paired Lewis’s piano with Wilson’s vocals in a sophisticated pop‑jazz setting. (Album The Two of Us (1984).) [1984[5]]
  • London Philharmonic Orchestra - Orchestral collaborator, highlighting Lewis’s interest in blending jazz with symphonic forces. (Album A Classic Encounter (1988).) [1988[5]]
  • Dr. Billy Taylor - Fellow pianist and collaborator on late‑1980s projects, reflecting mutual respect between two major jazz piano figures. (Collaborative recordings around 1989, including projects noted in Lewis’s official biography.) [Late 1980s[5]]
  • Herbie Hancock and Roy Ayers - Co‑participants with Lewis on a benefit compilation blending contemporary jazz and R&B to address social issues. (Compilation Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool (1994), created to raise AIDS awareness in the African American community.) [1994[2]]

Artists Influenced

  • Maurice White / Earth, Wind & Fire - White played drums in the Ramsey Lewis Trio before founding Earth, Wind & Fire; his experience with Lewis’s blend of jazz, gospel, R&B, and pop informed the band’s sophisticated arrangements and crossover appeal. (Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1970s catalog, which echoes the jazz‑soul fusion and rhythmic sensibility that characterized Lewis’s chart‑topping period.) [White’s tenure with Lewis in the late 1960s and EWF’s subsequent rise in the 1970s[1][2]]
  • Contemporary smooth jazz and jazz‑funk pianists - Lewis’s accessible, groove‑oriented approach in the 1960s–1970s, and his later radio and TV work, helped normalize jazz‑R&B crossover and paved the way for smooth jazz and jazz‑funk artists; many later pianists cite his hit versions of “The ‘In’ Crowd” and “Wade in the Water” as templates for reaching wider audiences. (Influence most evident in later smooth jazz repertoire and radio‑friendly jazz covers, conceptually modeled on Lewis’s crossover singles and albums.) [From the 1970s onward (inferred from stylistic continuity and his status as a popular jazz ambassador)[1][3][6]]

Connection Network

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Discography

Albums

Title Release Date Type
Jazzmatazz Volume II: The New Reality 1995-07-18 Album
Mother Nature's Son 1968-12-31 Album
Wade In The Water 1966-01-01 Album
Dance Of The Soul 1998-01-01 Album
Sun Goddess 1974-10-02 Album
Ivory Pyramid 1992-01-01 Album
Goin' Latin 1967-02-01 Album
Solar Wind 1974-08-08 Album
Maiden Voyage 1968-10-26 Album
VII 2019-09-27 Album
Love Notes 1977 Album
Love Songs 1972 Album
Country Meets the Blues 2025-04-18 Album
Routes 1980-04-01 Album
The In Crowd Anthology 2006-01-01 Album

Top Tracks

  1. Wade In The Water (Wade In The Water)
  2. Love's Serenade (Dance Of The Soul)
  3. Sun Goddess (feat. Ramsey Lewis) (Sun Goddess)
  4. Cry Baby Cry (Mother Nature's Son)
  5. Do What You Wanna - Mr. Scruff's Soul Party Remix
  6. Sun Goddess
  7. Sarah Jane (Ivory Pyramid)
  8. Summer Breeze (Solar Wind)
  9. Dear Prudence (Mother Nature's Son)
  10. Fragile (Dance Of The Soul)

Heard on WWOZ

RAMSEY LEWIS has been played 8 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.

DateTimeTitleShowSpotify
Dec 29, 202521:03SNOWFALLBlues and R&Bw/ Gentilly Jr.
Dec 21, 202516:17EGG NOGfrom MORE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMASSitting Inw/ Elizabeth Meneray
Dec 15, 202519:05christmas bluesBlues and R&Bw/ Gentilly Jr.
Dec 14, 202516:13wade in the waterfrom wade in the waterSitting Inw/ Elizabeth Meneray
Dec 11, 202511:09CHRISTMAS BLUESNew Orleans Music Showw/ Michael Dominici
Sep 29, 202506:47do what you wannafrom another voyage 1969 verveThe Morning Setw/ Stuart Hall
Sep 14, 202517:56TRESfrom SWINGIN'Sitting Inw/ Elizabeth Meneray
Sep 14, 202517:51DEE'S NEW BLUESfrom SWINGIN'Sitting Inw/ Elizabeth Meneray