Ramsey Lewis(1935-2022)

American keyboardist, a child prodigy from the age of six. Ramsay studied classical music at the Chicago College of Music and De Paul University with the intention of becoming a concert pianist. By the age of sixteen, he had abandoned those plans to join the Clefs, a seven-piece jazz band. From the nucleus of this group Ramsay formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1956, having recruited both drummer Isaac 'Redd' Holt and bassist Eldee Young. Their first hit was 'Something You Got' in 1964, but a far greater success lay ahead the following year with a Grammy Award winning instrumental release of Dobie Gray's 'The In-Crowd'. This went to Nr. 5 in the U.S. charts and 'Hang on Sloopy' in 1965 reached Nr. 11. The trio then split up, but Ramsay reorganized by signing on drummer Maurice White (later famously of Earth Wind & Fire) and bassist Cleveland Eaton. They enjoyed further popular success with the Afro-American spiritual-inspired 'Wade in the Water' and the Grammy-winning 'Hold it Right There'. White left the group in 1971 but went on to produce Lewis's classic jazz album Sun Goddess, released by Columbia Records in 1974. Although he later experimented with other rhythms and genres, Lewis was unable to recapture his earlier commercial successes. In the 80s, he accompanied vocalist Nancy Wilson, and, during the following decade, hosted jazz programs on radio. From 1995 to 1999, he was a member of the Urban Knights, a jazz collective whose alumni included Grover Washington Jr. and Omar Hakim.