egroj world: Ramsey Lewis • Stretching Out

Friday, August 16, 2024

Ramsey Lewis • Stretching Out

The Ramsey Lewis Trio, with bassist Eldee Young and drummer Red Holt joining the leader/pianist, was a hot property in 1960, although it was still five years before "The In Crowd." Their swinging string of albums for Argo (most of which unfortunately have relatively brief playing time, like this 31-minute program) are among Lewis' strongest from the jazz standpoint, balancing a commercial emphasis on melody with jazz improvising and swinging. Later on, the balance would shift toward pop, but Ramsey Lewis' late-'50s and early-'60s work resulted in sets of interest to jazz listeners, including this LP. Highlights include "Little Liza Jane," "My Ship" (which at 4:06 is easily the longest performance of the set), "Put Your Little Foot Right Out," and "A Portrait of Jennie."

Scott Yanow

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El trío de Ramsey Lewis, con la bajista Eldee Young y el baterista Red Holt uniéndose al líder/pianista, era una propiedad caliente en 1960, aunque todavía faltaban cinco años para "The In Crowd". Sus oscilantes álbumes para Argo (la mayoría de los cuales, desafortunadamente, tienen un tiempo de ejecución relativamente breve, como este programa de 31 minutos) se encuentran entre los más fuertes de Lewis desde el punto de vista del jazz, ya que equilibran el énfasis comercial en la melodía con la improvisación y el swinging jazzísticos. Más tarde, el balance cambiaría hacia el pop, pero el trabajo de Ramsey Lewis a finales de los años 50 y principios de los 60 dio como resultado conjuntos de interés para los oyentes de jazz, incluyendo este LP. Destacan "Little Liza Jane", "My Ship" (que a las 4:06 es fácilmente la actuación más larga del set), "Put Your Little Foot Right Out" y "A Portrait of Jennie".

Scott Yanow

www.ramseylewis.com ...

Tracklist:
A1 - Little Liza Jane - 3:08
A2 - This Is My Night To Dream - 2:30
A3 - Scarlet Ribbons - 3:25
A4 - Here 'Tis - 2:46
A5 - My Ship - 4:06
B1 - Put Your Little Foot Right Out - 2:53
B2 - Solo Para Ti - 2:45
B3 - These Foolish Things - 3:30
B4 - When The Spirit Moves You - 3:36
B5 - A Portrait Of Jennie - 2:25

Credits:
    Bass – Eldee Young
    Drums – Red Holt
    Engineer – Ron Malo
    Photography By [Cover] – Don Bronstein
    Piano – Ramsey Lewis
    Producer [Supervision] – Jack Tracy

Notes:
Recorded February 23 and 24, 1960 at Ter-Mar Recording Studios, Chicago.