Ramsey Lewis Trio - Hang On Ramsey! (1966) [vinyl>flac]

Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. (born May 27, 1935) began taking piano lessons at the age of four. At 15 he joined his first jazz band, The Cleffs. The seven-piece group provided Lewis his first involvement with jazz; he would later join Cleffs drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young to form the Ramsey Lewis Trio. The trio started as primarily a jazz unit and released their first album, Ramsey Lewis And The Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with The In Crowd, Hang On Sloopy, and Wade in the Water. Many of his recordings attracted a large non-jazz audience.

Considering that this album was an obvious follow-up to "The In Crowd," it is surprising that the music is not more commercial; that would happen in the near future. As it was, pianist Ramsey Lewis (assisted as usual by bassist Eldee Young and drummer Red Holt) had another big hit in "Hang on Sloopy," and the set (as with the previous one) was recorded at a club before an enthusiastic crowd. The enjoyable LP also includes a couple of Beatles tunes (their version of "A Hard Day's Night" caught on), "He's a Real Gone Guy," "Billy Boy," and "Hi-Heel Sneakers" among the highlights. This was the final full-length recording by the group before Young and Holt left to form their own band. ~ by Scott Yanow, Allmusic.com.

"Hang On Ramsey" is a live jazz club recording and the intimacy of this venue and the live audience add another dimension to the atmosphere of this LP. The music is funky and swingin' and is typical of the exciting sounds emanating from the era of Rock and Soul!

Cadet Records, LPS 761, 1966

Recorded 14th-17th October, 1965 Live In Concert at “The Lighthouse”, Hermosa Beach, California

Track Listing:

A1. A Hard Day's Night {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (5:00)

A2. All My Love Belong To You {Sol Winkler, Teddy Powell} (4:20)

A3. He's A Real Gone Guy {Nellie Lutcher} (2:29)

A4. And I Love Her {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (5:46)

A5. Movin' Easy {Ramsey Lewis} (3:00)

B1. Billy Boy / Hi-Heel Sneakers {Arr. Ramsey Lewis, Robert Higgenbotham} (9:11)

B2. The More I See You {Harry Warren, Mack Gordon} (5:17)

B3. Satin Doll {Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn} (6:12)

B4. Hang On Sloopy {Bert Russell, Wes Farrell} (2:58)

Personnel:

Ramsey Lewis - Piano

Eldee Young - Bass

Red Holt - Drums