#brazilica

[projazznet]

Ramsey Lewis – Salongo

Salongo is an album by the jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, released in 1976 by Columbia. The album rose to No. 7 on the Billboard magazine Top Jazz Albums chart and No. 17 on the Top Soul Albums chart.

Ramsey Lewis – piano Derf Reklaw Raheem – flute, percussion, vocals Jimmy Bryant – clavinet Byron Gregory – guitar Ron Harris – bass guitar Steve Cobb – drums, vocals Tang – vocals Ndugu Leon Chancler – drums (on “Slick” only) Ernie Watts – saxophone (on “Brazilica” only)

[justforbooks]

The American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, who has died aged 87, enjoyed considerable crossover success. For almost 60 years Lewis was one of the world’s most popular jazz musicians: a knack for interpreting pop songs as jazz instrumentals won him youthful audiences and helped make Lewis’s records part of the soundtrack to British club culture. His ability to adapt and develop his sound as modern music changed ensured he retained his appeal to different generations of jazz and funk fans.

By the time Lewis experienced his breakthrough US hit with The In Crowd in 1965 he already had a decade’s experience as a bandleader alongside working with the celebrated musicians Max Roach, Sonny Stitt and Clark Terry. Whereas they pursued a modern jazz aesthetic that emphasised rigorous experimentation, Lewis chose to make less confrontational music and, in doing so, won a large international audience.

Lewis’s mid-1960s US breakthrough was not replicated in the UK. There he would only enter the Top 40 once, in 1972, with Wade in the Water, an instrumental retooling of a gospel standard, reaching No 31 in September 1972 (some six years after it was a No 19 US Pop charts hit).

Yet his popularity in Britain went far beyond the charts: from The In Crowd onwards Lewis’s music found an appreciative audience – initially, the 60s found mods dancing to him as they embraced US jazz/R&B instrumentals, while the rhythm and blues star Graham Bond would perform Lewis numbers with his jazz-rock band. By the late 70s, Britfunk groups such as Light of the World were adding elements of Lewis’s more contemporary jazz-funk into their sound.

In the 80s, a new generation of British club DJs began picking apart Lewis’s 70s recordings, and album tracks such as Slick and Brazilica – both from the album Salongo (1976) – became mainstays in what would end up labelled “acid jazz”.

Jazz FM took on Lewis’s weekly syndicated Legends of Jazz With Ramsey Lewis show, broadcasting it for several years in the 90s – the London-based station was once pleasantly surprised to find a vacationing Lewis dropping by to say “hello”. By then, rap and dance producers were regularly sampling Lewis’s recordings, so bringing his music to a new generation of listeners.

Lewis released more than 80 albums, received five US gold records and won three Grammy awards. In 2007 the National Endowment for the Arts named him a Jazz Master, the highest US honour for a jazz musician. He continued to perform until 2019 when he announced his retirement – even then he kept on recording, leaving albums to be released and a memoir – co-written with the Chicago journalist Aaron Cohen – due to be published next year.

Lewis was born in Chicago, one of three children of Pauline and Ramsey Lewis. His father worked as a maintenance man and the family lived in the Cabrini-Green Homes, a new public housing complex.

His mother encouraged him to learn the piano from the age of four and, with his family, he attended Zion Hill baptist church – the gospel music he experienced there would, Lewis later noted, never leave him. His father was the choir director and encouraged his son to accompany the singers.

Lewis graduated from Edward Jenner elementary school in 1948 and enrolled at Chicago music college with the idea of becoming a concert pianist, soon leaving to marry Geraldine Taylor, taking a job in a record shop and joining the Clefs, a seven-piece dance band. In 1956 he formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio with the Clefs’ rhythm section bassist Eldee Young and the drummer Isaac “Redd” Holt.

The trio signed to Argo – a subsidiary of Chess Records, Chicago’s foremost independent label. That year saw the release of their debut album, Ramsey Lewis and His Gentle-men of Swing. In it, Lewis largely interpreted standards with a jazz flavour. He continued this formula – at least one album a year (including live, bossa nova and Christman albums) – into the 60s, attracting solid sales if little recognition.

The In Crowd album was the trio’s 17th LP and third live album. Its title track, when issued as a single, was picked up by US radio, soaring to No 1 in the R&B charts and No 5 in Pop while the album reached No 2 in the US charts. The band’s dynamic performance, recreating effectively the excitement and joy Lewis recalled from church, connected with listeners and Lewis found himself famous. Later that same year they released another live album, Hang on Ramsey!, providing another hit single with their interpretation of the 60s pop hit Hang on Sloopy.

Tensions between Lewis and his rhythm section saw Young and Holt leaving to form Redd Holt Unlimited. The 1966 album Wade in the Water gave Lewis his third US hit single and was his first recording to feature the Memphis native Maurice White on drums. White left Lewis in 1969 to lead the hugely popular Earth, Wind & Fire.

In 1974, White produced his former employer’s Sun Goddess, giving Lewis his most successful album and ensuring his sound was suitably keyed into a contemporary jazz-funk aesthetic.

Lewis continued to tour and to record regularly – including sessions with Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder and Nancy Wilson – alongside appearing on the rapper Guru’s Jazzmatazz Vol 2 album.

Everyone from Mariah Carey to the Geto Boys would sample Lewis’s recordings. He reunited his original trio for one album in 1983, joined the all-star jazz fusion group Urban Knights for eight albums between 1995 and 2019, hosted the Legends of Jazz TV series and, during the Covid-19 pandemic, produced a monthly Saturday Salon livestream series.

“Ramsey radiated class, character, and substance,” wrote Maurice White in his autobiography.

He is survived by his second wife, Janet (nee Tamillow), two daughters and three sons. Two sons and his first wife predeceased him.

🔔 Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, musician, born 27 May 1935; died 12 September 2022

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[graemepark]

LONG LIVE HOUSE EXTRA RETURNS!

My regular Long Live House Extra DJ Mix returns after a festive break. The mix is an extended and uninterrupted mix of the first hour of the latest Long Live House Radio Show with extra tracks not included in the show and it’s exclusively available every Monday to Mixcloud Select subscribers (see below).

This week's mix features Gabriels, Funkadelic & Soul Clap feat. Sly Stone, Rose Royce, That Kid Chris, Hercules & Love Affair & Anohni, Honey Dijon feat. Latashá, S'Express x Daddy Squad, Ashley Beedle, Louie Vega & Jay 'Sinister' Sealee starring Julie McKnight, Kenny “Dope” and more.

LONG LIVE HOUSE EXTRA 09JAN23

Title (Mix), Artist

A Message Of Love, Beatconductor

Turnaround, Lovetempo

Love & Hate In A Different Time (Greg Wilson & Che Wilson Remix), Gabriels

Let's Do It, Tuccillo

In Da Kar (XL Middleton Remix), Funkadelic & Soul Clap feat. Sly Stone

I Am One, I Am Many (T.U.R.F. Rejack), James Curd

Sweat, Majestic & Karen Harding

Car Wash (Broken Blues PDM Mix), Rose Royce

Let's Hold Our Hands Together If We Wanna Get There (Lipelis Disco Mix), Kito Jempere, Adam Evald & Antoha MC

The Beef, That Kid Chris

Jesus Is (AJ Mora Vocal Remix), Zona feat. Chellena Black

Mistral (Charlie Soul Clap Remix), John Camp feat. Greg Paulus

One (Seth Troxler Remix), Hercules & Love Affair & Anohni

Don't Be Afraid, Honey Dijon feat. Latashá

Music4TheMind, S'Express x Daddy Squad

Way Up To The Sky (Groove Mans Hypotherapy Mix), George Acosta presents Windbreaker

War On The Bullshit Revive, Ashley Beedle

Let Them Dance (Idjut Boys Remix), D.C. LaRue

Diamond Life (Deep Dish Numb Life Remix), Louie Vega & Jay 'Sinister' Sealee starring Julie McKnight

Brazilica, Kenny "Dope"

MIXCLOUD SELECT

As well as Long Live House Extra, Mixcloud Select subscribers get access to my recent club sets, classic sets, exclusive mixes and more all for the price of a hot drink every month. By subscribing, all of the artists, writers, producers and creators featured in my mixes get paid royalties.

As a new year treat I'm giving all of my Mixcloud Select subscribers an exclusive discount code to use on my official GP Smiley website store. If you want to treat yourself or someone else to an official GP Smiley t-shirt, sweatshirt, hoodie, beanie, bobble hat, cap, badge or more, then sign up to Mixcloud Select to access a discount code which is valid until the end of January.

Once you’ve subscribed, head to my Mixcloud Posts where you’ll find the discount code which is available to new and existing subscribers.

[mrbopst]

Today in Bopst Booking & Design: 2012

[msamba]

Brazilica Festival 2017 by Ollie Smith Via Flickr: Liverpool

To book us contact agogo2@sambaman.org.uk

[teltone1]

Brazilica 2017 by Terry Hindle

[bluesman56]

Liverpool Brazilica parade by Tony Via Flickr: Colourful children

[airmanisr]

Water Street Samba Carnival by Keith Jones Via Flickr: Just coming out of work tonight, a mini carnival was starting at the Town Hall, in preparation for the Brazilica festival over the weekend.

[tfc2211]

RIP: Ramsey Lewis

Play ▶ Ramsey Lewis  

Function At The Junction Do Whatever Sets You Free Jungle Strut Wearin' It Out Them Changes Jamaican Marketplace Brazilica Do Whatever Sets You Free Come Back Jack Spring High Fish Bite Sun Goddess Summer Breeze Serene Funk Sassy Stew

[adeptphotography]

Copyright © Adept Photography Brazilica 2015 #festival #Brazilica #Liverpool #AdeptPhotography (at Adept Wedding & Event Photography)

[mrbopst]

Today in Bopst Booking & Design: 2012

[parkermooreian]

Street Photography - 1 year on

Ive now been practising Street Photography for nearly a year, I ve travelled around the North West and in several places in Europe to practise my Art. I ve learnt a lot but still learning, I ve had to get over my shyness of photographing strangers on the street and ive opened my eyes to what is to be photographed - the colours, shapes, lines and scenes that are around every corner. I ve been to Manchester dozens of time and see something different every time I go. Ive bought a ‘Street Camera’ Fuji Film XT20 - light to carry and easy to use, I have just one lens which decreases the choices I have to make. I ve photographed many events including Manchester Pride, Liverpool Brazilica and Bristols Balloon Festival and enjoyed every moment and I plan to do the same again this year. Ive completed 2 photobooks on Street Life and 1 on Street Portraits and looking forward to my next one. 

So I hope everyone has a good 2018 - I plan to.

[littlepinkmakerdk]

Another maker friday! 15 days to go! all stations glitter,crystal and sew!!! wooo #cphcarnival #carnival #brazilica #fit #outfits #dance #sambacostumes #fablab #fabricacademy #materials #makermovement #makersgonnamake #fabulous! (at Kultur Valby)

[msamba]

It's sunny, it's Wednesday, let's samba with MSS! www.sambaman.org.uk #samba #drum #fun #Manchester #manchesterday #costume #Brazilica #Parr Fold Park (at Sacred Trinity Church)

[kenyatta]

In the 19 years leading up their 2009 year hiatus, Stereolab released a string of beguilingly extraterrestrial-sounding albums, bridging the gap between pop and experimental music. The London-based outfit could sound entirely different from one record to the next—and sometimes even from one song to the next. Hailed as “the ultimate record collection rockers” by music critic Simon Reynolds, Stereolab used their eclectic taste to build a hybrid music, one that dabbled, variously, in avant-garde, noise, bossa nova, lounge and jazz, to obscure cinematic scores, musique concrète, 1960s pop, Brazilica, and Krautrock.

Formed in 1990 by analog gear and record enthusiast Tim Gane and his then partner, French singer Lætitia Sadier, the band took its name from Vanguard Stereolab, a subsidiary of Vanguard Records that specialized in hi-fi effects. Their music was highly cerebral and studious, with lyrics that referenced surreal imagery, Situationist philosophy, and leftist politics, sung in both English and French. As an expression of his love for record collecting, Gane also co-founded a boutique label, Duophonic, with the band’s manager, Martin Pike, which has released limited edition singles and EPs by Stereolab and like-minded peers.

[...]

After calling a hiatus in 2009, Stereolab have returned to finally reissue their studio albums, beginning with 1993’s Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements, and in May will embark on a tour in the Summer and Fall. For anyone that wasn’t around for the band’s original run, here is a primer on where to start with Stereolab’s innovative and unparalleled discography.

[bluesman56]

Liverpool Brazilica parade by Tony Via Flickr: Those drums