Ramsey Lewis - And His Gentle-Men of Swing (1956) [vinyl>flac]

This was pianist Ramsey Lewis' first album; a trio set with bassist Eldee Young and drummer Redd Holt. From their first appearance in the Chicago SRO club in the spring of 1957, the Ramsey Lewis Trio was considered, by the public and critics, one of the brightest jazz groups to appear in the jazz scene. Great jazzmen such as Dizzy Gillespie called them “A gust of fresh air on the musical scene,” and Duke Ellington said they were “A bouquet of tonal delight.” A trio with a rare combination of stimulating music and personal magnetism, the group was in the mold of the Modern Jazz Quartet - thoughtful, studious, exploratory, but possessing a quietly throbbing, thoroughly captivating beat. Lewis sounds like a cross between John Lewis and Oscar Peterson, playing melodic and lightly boppish versions of such pieces as "Carmen," Russ Freeman's "The Wind," "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön," Gerry Mulligan's "Limelight" and a few originals.

Argo Records, LP-611, 1956

Recorded 12th December, 1956

Track Listing:

A1. Carmen {Georges Bizet} (4:21)

A2. I'll Remember April {Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye} (4:03)

A3. The Wind {Russ Freeman} (3:49) 

A4. Bei Mir Bist du Schön {Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin, Jacob Jacobs, Sholem Secunda} (3:08)

A5. My Funny Valentine {Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers} (3:21)

B1. Fantasia For Drums {Ramsey Lewis} (5:35)

B2. Dee's New Blues {El Dee Young} (2:52)

B3. Tres {Ramsey Lewis} (4:32)  

B4. Limelight {Gerry Mulligan} (2:18)

Personnel:

Ramsey Lewis - Piano, Keyboards

Eldee Young - Bass

Redd Holt - Drums

Note:
Ripped from 56 year old well-loved vinyl, some sound artifacts.