BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date 30.03.18]

In the fourth of our series of reviews summarising the Ramsey Lewis reissues (see links below) here are four late-1970s/early 1980s Ramsey Lewis albums on two CDs. Once again reproducing the original credits and liner notes together with the usual informative extended essay from Charles Waring.

Away from his fruitful liaison with members of seventies soul big-shots Earth Wind & Fire, it seems Ramsey Lewis took a slightly different direction.

In 1978 he teamed up with the versatile composer/arranger James L. Mack and one side of Legacy consisted of a “classical” suite. This focused on Lewis’ Steinway piano figures and although there was some jazz funk backing the more familiar approach was reserved for side two.

It’s a real juxtaposition because tracks like ‘All The Way Live’ are rooted in late seventies disco-funk with a shade of Philadelphia soul made popular by artists such as Van McCoy (The Hustle). A standout is the plucky ‘Moogin’ On’ which reminds of George Duke another heavyweight of the genre during this period.

If ‘Legacy’ was a somewhat brave move for Lewis the follow-up Ramsey (1979) was more conventional. With Mack retained as main producer we have a return to the cover version with the opener ‘Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In’ given the inimitable RL treatment.

Crusader Wayne Henderson produced and arranged a couple of tracks including ‘Wearin’ It Out’ which is punctuated by the singer Angela Winbush. There is rich orchestration in the Mack composition ‘I Just Can’t Give You Up’ which reminds me of the sort of thing Claus Ogerman was doing during the same period for artists like George Benson.

Overall, though, this album – aside from the 22-minute “suite” and the attractive ‘I’ll Always Dream About You’ – is a bit dated and a bit disjointed with the parting shot another cover, ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’.

We fast forward to 1982 for the next reissue which is a live recording, Live At The Savoy. This brings back the EWF vibe with their horn section enhancing disco workouts like ‘Callin’ Fallin’ and ‘You Never Know’.

Perhaps surprisingly there isn’t much duplication in terms of the featured songs with the exception of the inevitable “hit” medley. The recording is so good that it could be mistaken for a studio outing. But perhaps strange unleashing new songs in this way.

On the excellent ‘Sassy Stew’ ace saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. leads a simple moog bass line whilst he gets into blues groove on ‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’ along with band guitarist Henry Johnson. ‘Lynn’ is a deadringer for George Benson’s ‘Breezin” whilst Washington Jr. returns for ‘It’s Just Called Love’.

1982′s Chance Encounter opens with a bass-pumped version of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ one of two covers (The other is ‘Up Where We Belong’ voiced by Morris Gray and Pat Shannon). Again the album is a contrasting mix of jazz funk and the jazzy as with the title track and a revisit of the song ‘Intimacy’. The band composition ‘I Can’t Wait’ is a real standout.

The themes and grooves of this his 15th album for Columbia would be continued in 1983 with ‘Les Fleurs’ as he made his way slowly but surely to the realms of smooth jazz. ****

Review by David Randall

Album review (Les Fleurs/Fantasy/Keys To The City, 2023)
Album review (Funky Serenity/Newly Recorded…/Solar Wind/Sun Goddess, 2018)
Album review (Hang On Ramsey/Wade In The Water/Don’t It Feel Good/Salongo/Tequila Mockingbird/Love Notes, 2018)

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024

ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
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THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)

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