Sunday, November 8, 2009

Ramsey Lewis - Songs From The Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey


Some artists never recover from success. Ever hear of the Swingin’ Medallions and their flash-in-the-pan 1966 Top 20 Hit, “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love”?* I didn’t think so—unless you’ve heard Bruce Springsteen surprise the crowd with it as a nostalgia piece at one of his live shows over the past couple of years. Another cut on the Double Shot album is “Hang On Sloopy” which just so happens to be the title track of a Gold Record recording of that same year (on Rhapsody) by the Ramsey Lewis Trio. Six degrees of separation not withstanding, we all know that Ramsey Lewis continued, and continues still at age 74, to explore, discover, and excel as an artist. Mr. Lewis’ longevity (80+ albums) is in part due to his awareness and avoidance of the pitfalls inherent in the extraordinary success early in his career. He is once again back in a trio setting on his new release, Songs From The Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey...MORE

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