The Greatest Hits - The Ramsey Lewis Trio (1987) (2LP Vinyl) - Near Mint (NM)

Condition: Used

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Condition Notes:

The Greatest Hits by The Ramsey Lewis Trio.

Few pianists managed to make the jazz trio swing quite as hard, or reach quite as wide an audience, as Ramsey Lewis. This 1987 MCA reissue gathers his greatest hits across four sides, a generous survey that runs from soul jazz staples to pop crossovers rendered in the trio's unmistakable groove. Compiled, annotated, and coordinated by Andy McKaie, it is a thoughtful overview of a catalog built on rhythm, taste, and irresistible melody.

At the heart of it sits "The 'In' Crowd," the song that made Lewis a household name, opening side A and setting the tone for everything that follows. It shares that first side with a run of standards and blues favorites, "My Babe," "Since I Fell For You," and "Something You Got," each shaped by Lewis's clean, gospel-tinged piano and the tight interplay of the trio.

The collection thrives on its willingness to reach beyond the songbook. Side B alone bends The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" and the garage anthem "Hang On Sloopy" toward the piano trio, tucks in the originals "The Caves" and "Blues For The Night Owl," and closes with the bright melancholy of "Felicidade (Happiness)" from the film "Black Orpheus." Elsewhere you get the enduring "Wade In The Water," the Motown grit of "Ain't That Peculiar" and "Dancing In The Street," and the hits "1-2-3" and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," a set that treats pop and blues with the same easy authority.

Two lineups of the trio anchor the music. Ramsey Lewis holds the piano chair throughout, while Eldee Young handles bass and cello and Red Holt keeps time on drums across much of the program. On a cluster of tracks, "Wade In The Water," "Ain't That Peculiar," "Function At The Junction," "1-2-3," and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," the rhythm section shifts to Cleveland Eaton on bass and a young Maurice White on drums, with Richard Evans conducting, a snapshot of a pivotal moment in Lewis's evolving sound.

Sonically, this pressing carries a digital remastering by Doug Schwartz, with mastering by Greg Fulginiti, and it bears the AAD notation reflecting its late-eighties production. Manufactured in the U.S.A. for MCA Records Inc. of California, it was issued under a 1987 copyright.

For collectors and newcomers alike, it is an ideal entry point into one of jazz's most accessible discographies, nineteen tracks that move from smoky blues to sunlit pop without ever losing the swing. Slide it onto the turntable and let "The 'In' Crowd" do what it has always done.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. The "In" Crowd
A2. My Babe
A3. Since I Fell For You
A4. Something You Got
B1. A Hard Day's Night
B2. Hang On Sloopy
B3. The Caves
B4. Dancing In The Street
B5. Felicidade (Happiness) (From The Movie "Black Orpheus")
C1. Wade In The Water
C2. Ain't That Peculiar
C3. Blues For The Night Owl
C4. Function At The Junction
D1. Lonely Avenue
D2. 1-2-3
D3. Look-A-Here
D4. High Heel Sneakers
D5. Uptight (Everything's Alright)

Credits:
Cleveland Eaton - Bass (C1, C2, C4, D2, D5)
Eldee Young - Bass, Cello
Andy McKaie - Compiled By
Richard Evans (2) - Conductor (C1, C2, C4, D2, D5)
Maurice White - Drums (C1, C2, C4, D2, D5)
Red Holt - Drums
Greg Fulginiti - Mastered By
Doug Schwartz - Mastered By [Digital Remastering]
Ramsey Lewis - Piano

Notes:
Reissue compiled, annotated and coordinated by Andy McKaie
(p) + (c) 1987
Manufactued in U.S.A. for MCA Records Inc., California
¦AAD¦

Artist: The Ramsey Lewis Trio

Format: 2LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Chess

Catalog Number: CH2-6021

Release Year: 1987

Country: United States