| By 1965, he was one of the nation's most successful popular jazz pianists, topping charts with The In Crowd, Hang On Sloopy, and Wade In The Water.What keeps me enthusiastic and energizes me, is the realization I still have far to go.""Living life," Ramsey Lewis says, inspires him to create."Ramsey Lewis began at the age of 4 with piano lessons, studying the basics and the fundamentals.But, "It wasn't until I started studying with Dorothy Mendelsohn that I responded to some of the startling things she was teaching me, such as 'listen with your inner ear' and 'make the piano sing'.These concepts were revelations!"Except for records his father played around the house (Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Mead Lux Lewis, and others) Ramsey Lewis had no special exposure to jazz.He was 15 when a fellow church musician Wallace Burton asked him to join his jazz band, and it was a brand new experience.It wasn't until Dizzy Gillespie and Maurice White said that, to their ears, my music is made up of classical, gospel, and jazz influences that a light came on in my head!Certainly in my case it is true that one's style reflects one's strongest influences."Lewis beautifully expressed these common musical denominators on his 1999 Narada Jazz debut Appassionata.Lewis has received two ACE award nominations as host of Black Entertainment Television's (BET) weekly jazz program, Jazz Central.Recently appointed Art Tatum Professor in jazz studies by Chicago's Roosevelt University, Ramsey Lewis was also bestowed with the school's 1996 Lifetime Achievement Award.Her touch is unmistakable.By the time I was 22, my voice was still the same!"Now, with over 60 albums, a Grammy, and an Emmy, Wilson is among contemporary music's premier vocalists.Ted Kurland Associates Inc.Pianist Ramsey Lewis and singer Nancy Wilson got together to record MEANT TO BE, one of the pleasant surprises of the 2002 jazz scene, and the title may have been more prophetic than expected.That album, and subsequent live shows, were so warmly received, and the pair felt such a natural musical bond, they've moved onto the next logical chapter.SIMPLE PLEASURES is more than an encore performance of the earlier project, though.B, while always keeping integrity, soulfulness, and swing intact.In planning SIMPLE PLEASURES, as with any project, Lewis asserts that "it starts with choice of songs, and that dictates where you want to go.Nancy looked at 30 or 40 songs and it got down to the five that she did.We didn't go in there with a theme in mind.It ended up being the choices, and the varied styles of music that it is.It said 'here's what the album should be.It's a nice balance, I think."Lew Matthews, Wilson's longtime pianist and music director.The horn parts weave deftly around Wilson's clear, soulful renderings of songs such as "In The Name Of Love," "Give Me Something Real," and Kenny Rankin's "Lost Up In Loving You."Whether you have three horns or thirty horns, it's all in the way you use them.Llew is a talented pianist and musician and arranger."This poignant performance pays tribute to Billie Holiday's celebrated version, but ends up being pure Lewis and Wilson.THE IN CROWD, HANG ON SLOOPY, and WADE IN THE WATER.Lewis and his trio give fresh instrumental readings of such classics as the Beatles' "In My Life" and a new take on the old War song "Slippin' into Darkness," which Lewis recorded years ago.Lewis and Wilson's latest round of interactions was sparked by a meeting at the 2001 Ravinia Festival in Chicago, for which Lewis serves as Artistic Director of Jazz.But the initial meeting goes back to the early '60s, when both were managed by John Levy."We've stayed in touch for all of these years," Lewis says.Two professionals, when they meet onstage or in a studio, they're going to make it work, anyway.But when you're professionals and also very good friends, it's just so easy."I'd already started studying classical music, so there are two exposures to vastly different kinds of music.And they did, in 1965, to the tune of a million albums.It's not that either one of us could not carry a whole album, but in this case, I think two and two adds up to five or six.""It kept their ear perked.We hope that's what happens with this album.It surely happened on the first one, because the acceptance of that was so great.We went out and played some concerts last year and they were widely accepted, so we said 'why don't we do one more?As Lewis comments, the pairing has proven to be mutually, artistically satisfying.Ramsey Lewis says, inspires him to create.Duke Ellington, Art Tatum,
Mead Lux Lewis, and others) Ramsey Lewis had no special exposure to jazz.The Cleffs provided Lewis first real involvement with the great
music of jazz.During the course of my career, people often ask me what makes
up my style.Ravinia Jazz Mentor program, and also serves
as Artistic Director of Jazz at the Ravinia Festival.NPR program Jazz Profiles, to her work as spokesperson for
several humanitarian efforts.Lewis, performances with her church choir proved to be invaluable and
influential experiences.Eckstein, Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, LaVern Baker, Dinah Washington, and
Jimmy Scott really nurtured my desire.Pursuing a career as a singer, however, provided many obstacles,
especially as a woman.Grammy, and an Emmy, Wilson is among contemporary
music's premier vocalists.Lewis, the Artistic Director of Jazz, was chatting backstage with his
longtime friend.Even during their 1984 collaboration THE TWO OF US (produced by Stanley
Clarke), each recorded their tracks separately.Llew is a talented pianist and musician and arranger.Darkness, which Lewis recorded years ago.Artistic Director of Jazz.And they did, in 1965, to the tune of a million albums.As told in the CD booklet, while serving as the artistic director of jazz at Chicago's Ravinia Festival in 2001, Ramsey Lewis was chatting backstage with longtime friend Nancy Wilson, who was performing at the festival.Meant to Be is the result."The title track is a gorgeous instrumental, reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi.Lewis and Wilson's love of the music is evident throughout, especially in their rendition of Patti Austin's "First Time Love."Simple Pleasures has two Lewis originals paired with eight covers, including a really great version of War's "Slipping into Darkness.""All This Love" cooks on all burners with more Chicago horns.John Lennon's "In My Life" gets the Ramsey Lewis Trio treatment, and Lewis also takes off on a jazzy piano solo, returning just in time for the finish of the song.Her take on "God Bless the Child," however, is a bit improvisational for my taste; she dances all around the melody without ever doing any of it straight.If you only get one of these discs, start with Simple Pleasures due to its greater emphasis on the more familiar material; however, if you really enjoy this music, you can't go wrong picking up both of these fine CDs.Windows Media player is required.Ravinia Festival (Lewis serves as Artistic Director).Simple Pleasures features both vocals and instrumentals with a wide range of dynamics, from his romantic but too subtle piano melody on "In My Life," to Wilson's fiery belting over a sea of snazzy horns on "Give Me Something Real."It's great to hear her let loose, but the slower, sensual side of her vocal prowess (on tunes like "Lost Up in Loving You") is even more inviting.They choose their material wisely, from the hip classic pop of Debarge's "All This Love" to "God Bless The Child," which they do in a late night, torchy style.The best of the five, Lewis' only performance is the swinging trio rendition of the RB classic "Ooh Child," which takes the original melody in fast and furious directions.Let's hope the conversation between them continues indefinitely.Send this product information as a text message to a mobile phone.Note: Wireless carriers may charge fees for receiving and using the mobile web to view this Yahoo!Build your own online store or Advertise with us.Current Advertisers Sign InHelp improve Yahoo!View RSS FeedMake money with Yahoo!Shopping APIs, now powering Yahoo!Learn more about our paid syndication program.Information about prices, products, services and merchants is provided by third parties and is for informational purposes only.Query(form) else if( form.Ratings("rating" + i, 0, yg_Ratings.Windows Media player is required.From AMG ReviewsLongtime fans of these two jazz legends may know that they met originally in the early '60s as clients of the same manager; and recorded their first duet album in 1984, Two of Us, which was produced by Stanley Clarke.Simple Pleasures features both vocals and instrumentals with a wide range of dynamics, from his romantic but too subtle piano melody on "In My Life," to Wilson's fiery belting over a sea of snazzy horns on "Give Me Something Real."It's great to hear her let loose, but the slower, sensual side of her vocal prowess (on tunes like "Lost Up in Loving You") is even more inviting.They choose their material wisely, from the hip classic pop of Debarge's "All This Love" to "God Bless The Child," which they do in a late night, torchy style.The best of the five, Lewis' only performance is the swinging trio rendition of the RB classic "Ooh Child," which takes the original melody in fast and furious directions.Let's hope the conversation between them continues indefinitely.Send this product information as a text message to a mobile phone.Shopping product information ' +
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