Customer Reviews

Ramsey Lewis - Greatest Hits [MCA]

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4 star:		(1)
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Its funny, in retrospect, while Ramsey Lewis definitely as a VERY popular following, the so called Acid as well as straight Jazzers don't seem to drop his name as quickly as one might Horace Silver and Les McCann... (and Ramsey would later on to do some great Rhodes driven electric Jazz too, such as "Sun Goddess") however, back in the mid '60s, especially afte Herbie Mann's big score with Memphis Underground, and even the popularity of Ray Charles's formula Genius Plus Jazz = Soul, the soul Jazz combo with its funky yet heavy swinging gospel meets Jazz approach mnaged to find its ay to the juke boxes. Ramsey Lewis's treatment of "The In Crowd" and "Hang on Sloopy" served as the epitome of this and like most of the tunes on this album are essential "Acid"/"Soul" Jazz listenings. My personal faves on this CD incidentally are Wade In The Water and Something You Got) (get out the tamborines and head to the discotech !)- -

In retrospect, viewing this compilation as a portrait of a era, in many ways I thin Ramsey stood above many of his compatriots, mainly in his willingness to not only be a Jazz pianist, but tackle real chart busting pop tunes that weren't even R & B in his repoitoire - - and this is where his genius came in... today we have "smooth jazz", is music moreso for working in the office to and relaxing at night... Jazz to most people now-a-days is soft music. Ramsey represented a school that was quite the opposite. Instead of taking pop tunes and playing them smooth he said, "I'm going to take the Jazz and make it even funkier than it was before," - - he did and the public embraced it because then, like today, dance music sells... Now, I wonder, suppose the public today could listen and learn from Ramsey Lewis - - that Jazz and pop music are not natural enemies, and that people can dance to Jazz too... and that Jazz done right sould always have a funky toe tapping quality - - hmmmmmmmm, I wonder what would happen if people realized this.

Suggested Listening : Any Horace Silver album with Filthy McNasty, Psychadelic Sally, Cannonball Adderly and Eddie Jefferson's THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER. This *is* soul Jazz.

The greates hits of Ramsey Lewis is a swining collection of some of Ramsey Lewis' most popular hits. Ramsey Lewis is famous for remaking pop standards and giving them a swinging jazz sound. The studio tracks are good but what really makes this CD stand strong are the live cuts. It's magical to hear the the crowd sing the chorus on hang on sloopy. Standout cuts: The In crowd, My babe A hard days night, hang on sloopy, Wade in the water, high heeled sneakers

This is the best of all the old remastered music I have ever heard. I can't tell that it wasn't recorded yesterday it's impact is so pure. Even at my advanced age of 78, I want to jump up and gyrate to the music just as I did way back when. The beat is so steady and strong in the trio that even a tone deaf individual could manage to keep time to it. It changes my feelings for the day from passive to active, it renews something in me that I thought was gone, like so many things are gone now. Suddenly I'm alive, alert, active and anxious to see what other good things will happen today.

The Greatest Hits of Ramsey Lewis is far more than a compilation of a well-known pop and jazz musician's songs that made the big time. The Ramsey Lewis Trio was a breath of fresh air that brought together the very best of popular music and jazz music and stirred it up with waves of joy.

When you hear these songs, it is not a blast from the past. The experience is one of being pulled into someone's really good mood expressed in music. I challenge anyone to listen to this music and maintain a bad mood. You just can't do it. Nor should you WANT to do it.

This music has the very best of wide open jazz propelled by the driving pop beat that makes you tap your toe and just love it. A lot of people - mostly jazz purists - did their best to disparage the Ramsey Lewis sound at the time. They said it was just not serious enough, or that it did not stay focused within the traditional jazz paradigm. Of course it didn't do those things - the music was something spontaneous, something fresh and new.

Ramsey Lewis and his musical cohorts have the jazz chops and jazz pedigree. If you examine the piano, bass, and drums contributions here the music has the requisite substance to fall under the rubric of jazz. There is strong musical statement of all of the song's core substance. There is plenty plenty of improvisation that fits nicely in the song arrangements.

Perhaps the overarching impact of the music is being in the middle of a fantastic, hip, fun, and funny party. You just feel like you opened someone's front door and got ushered into the hippest, wildest, and jazziest gathering known to human beings. This music really rocks and moves and grooves in ways that few have duplicated. I salute Ramsey Lewis as a true musical original and a true visionary of a new kind of jazz. This music is both sophisticated and user friendly in ways that just make you want to dance on the table. Yeah!

Greatest Hits of Ramsey Lewis is EXCELLENT! I don't think a better jazz recording has been made before or since this one. The one I received through Amazon was AMAZON-ING! Thanks.

There is nobody who tickles the keys like Ramsey. If you don't dig him you aren't hip. As good as it gets.

Ramsey is the hippest of hip, the coolest of them all. Make sure you're in the "In" Crowd and check out this CD. Dig It!!

I continue to be amazed that among the new and re-mastered CD's of Ramsey Lewis, none contains the big hit "Down To Earth". Even the CD "Down To Earth" has excluded this great tune from the tracks. Anyone know where I can get a copy of that particular song?

Sorry, if hip is hanging out at ... After Dark by the fake fireplace snapping my fingers with Hef, Buddy Hackett and Nipsey Russell, then this album is hip. I'll keep listening (but please, not to Hang on Sloopy) and let you know if I change my mind. Right now, though, these non-descript, formulaic arrangements are indistinguishable to my little mind.