Ramsey Lewis is without doubt a very talented pianist and arranger as his later 60s output demonstrates fully and he continues to record regularly still. This club recording recorded in 1964 before he moved from Verve to Chess Records is fine in showing the type of groove club jazz at that time aspired to but rarely hit. Ramsey's trio with Eldee Young and Red Holt hits the button many times but what dates the whole shebang is the material with a medley of West Side Story and other show songs dominating. All done very well and with the audience clearly enjoying themselves but for me it is when he gets the group playing "Something you got" and "My babe" that the signposts of what was to come over the rest of the decade start being signposted by Ramsey Lewis. Not surprisingly the rest of the trio were not able to make that journey with him, lasting just one more LP "Hang on Ramsey" being interestingly another live club recording.
Tracklist:
01 West Side Story Medley: Somewhere/Maria/Jet Song/Somewhere – 11:38
02 People – 5:36
03 Something You Got – 3:38
04 Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) – 6:33
05 My Babe – 4:01
06 The Caves – 3:20
07 The Shelter of Your Arms – 3:57
02 People – 5:36
03 Something You Got – 3:38
04 Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) – 6:33
05 My Babe – 4:01
06 The Caves – 3:20
07 The Shelter of Your Arms – 3:57
Personnel:Ramsey Lewis – piano
Eldee Young – bass, cello
Redd Holt – drums
Eldee Young – bass, cello
Redd Holt – drums
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Fileserve @ 320K