Sound of Christmas - The Ramsey Lewis Trio

Sound of Christmas
The Ramsey Lewis Trio
Cadet LP 687X
1961 

I put this one on to trim the tree this year.  It is more jazzy than Christmasy but it put me in a good mood.  The album was originally issued on Argo, Cadet reissued it in the mid 1960s.  When I was a child someone gave me a 45 of the Ramsey Lewis Trio's performance of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" backed with "Winter Wonderland."  It was the first jazz record I can remember ever hearing.  I did not particularly like it although I did keep it and I still have it.  Many years later I started to like jazz and when I came across this album I remembered that old 45 and bought this.  It does not swing as much as I would like, but it is tasteful and has a pleasant vibe to it.  I particularly like side one which features Lewis along with bassist El Dee Young and drummer Red Holt.  On side two the trio is augmented by strings which I find frequently obtrusive.  The album opens with a moody interpretation of Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas Baby" which features some very propulsive piano work from Lewis that brings out the bluesy feeling within the song.  It is my favorite track although it is pretty gloomy for the opening cut on a Christmas record.  The record perks up with a swinging take on "Winter Wonderland" that gets me bopping.  "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" starts off slow and somber, before picking up a little steam but it remains a surprisingly downbeat interpretation of the song.  Lewis' own "Christmas Blues" follows.  It is straight ahead rhythm and blues given a Christmas feeling by the incessant jingling of bells through the song.  Side one concludes with a lively version of "Here Comes Santa Claus" that is another one of my favorite tracks.  Side two begins "The Sound of Christmas" by Lewis and Riley Hampton who arranged and conducted the strings for side two.  The song alternates between some dynamic work from the Trio and silky smooth orchestral passages.  Unfortunately the orchestra wins, but the song has its moments.  It is followed by a sappy version of Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" that is largely dominated by the orchestra although Lewis does break free briefly with an engaging solo.  Mostly though it sounds like cocktail lounge jazz.  Lewis fares better with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" where his energetic playing dominates the song and is supported by an impressively dramatic arrangement.  "Sleigh Ride" features more exuberant playing from Lewis that is enhanced with support from the orchestra.  It is one of the best interpretations of the song that I've ever heard.  The album concludes with Frank Loesser's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" which Lewis attacks as if it were a bluesy torch song.  The orchestra keeps him from going too far off the rails and it gives the record a nice emotional finish.  This record has limitations as Christmas music.  Children will probably hate it and it is not festive enough to satisfy many people's notions of what Christmas music should be.  It works great for me though.  By mid-December I'm usually sick of Christmas music, Lewis' interpretative approach appeals to me more than the standard carols.  Also this is a very romantic sounding record, I recommend it for cuddling with your special someone on a cold wintry evening sipping an adult beverage and looking at the lights twinkling on the tree.

The In Crowd - The Ramsey Lewis Trio

The In Crowd
The Ramsey Lewis Trio
Argo LP-757
1965

This is a live recording from the Trio's performances at the Bohemian Caverns in Washington D.C. in May 1965.  Lewis was a very prolific artist but I only have a handful of albums by him.  This is my favorite largely because of the title song which became a big hit.  It is such a swinging tune, it is impossible for me to listen to it without snapping my fingers and bopping my head.  It is the most exciting cut on the album rivaled only by a surprisingly frenetic version of "Tennessee Waltz."  The song is carried by bassist Eldee Young who switches to cello for the song.  He opens the song with some fluid Flamenco-style runs and then he plucks out the rest of the song with considerable power and virtuosity.  I fairly certain that this is the only time I've ever heard a guy shredding on a cello.  The trio delivers a jumping version of "Felicidade" from the "Black Orpheus" soundtrack which really gets me going.  "You Been Talkin' 'Bout Me Baby" has a seductive slinky groove to it.  There's a nice version of Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday."  It doesn't swing but it holds my attention.  A few tracks don't do much for me.  "Since I Fell For You" is basically cocktail lounge jazz, tasteful but dull.  "Spartacus (Love Theme From)" starts out sounding like Ferrante and Teicher, then picks up some power in a more jazz flavored interpretation in the middle before reverting back to pompous soundtrack music.  I find it a little boring.  There are so many other jazz pianists from this era that I like better than Lewis - Monk, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock to name a few - yet I still play this record as much as theirs.  When this record works, it really grabs me and even when it doesn't work, it is at least listenable.  It has the accessibility and immediacy of pop music, but the musical sophistication of jazz which is a pretty compelling combination.   Recommended for pop music fans who find jazz boring.