Lem Winchester and the Ramsey Lewis Trio
Released 1958
Recording and Session Information
Lem Winchester, vibraphone; Ramsey Lewis, piano; Eldee Young, bass; Redd Holt, drumsOctober 8 1958
9082 Jordu
9083 Sandu
9084 Once in a While
9085 Joy Spring
9086 A Message from Boysie
9087 Where It Is
9088 It Could Happen To You
9089 The Girl Next Door (unissued)
9090 Easy to Love
Track Listing
| Joy Spring | Clifford Brown | October 8 1958 |
| Where It Is | Lem Winchester | October 8 1958 |
| Sandu | Clifford Brown | October 8 1958 |
| Once In A While | M. Edwards | October 8 1958 |
| Jordu | Duke Jordan | October 8 1958 |
| It Could Happen To You | J. Van Heusen | October 8 1958 |
| Easy To Love | Cole Porter | October 8 1958 |
| A Message From Boysie | Robert Lewery | October 8 1958 |
Liner Notes
Trumpeter Clifford Brown was 25 years old when he was killed in an auto crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1956.
A musically adventurous, promising muscian, his death was a loss to the world of jazz. Many fans who did not know Brown mourned his passing. And some of those who knew him well mourned, too, in a moving. personal way.
The local musicians' union in Wilmington, Delaware, Brown's home. established a fund for a Clifford Memorial scholarship. A concert, held in September, 1956, raised the initial funds.
Among those who acutely recognized the loss to jazz, caused by Brown's death, was vibist Lem Winchester. A close friend of Brown's, Winchester had known Brown since their days together at Howard high school in Wilmington, when they had performed in the school band.
"Brownie Wore knickers and long stockings," Winchester remembered recently. "And he was blowin' then, too."
Brown continued to "blow," of course, after his high school days. According to Winchester, "Whenever he was near town, he'd come in and jam and advise me."
Winchester had a comparable enthusiasm for music. His grandfather had been a vaudeville pit drummer for years. His family encouraged his interest in music, too. In high schcol in Wilmington (he was born in Philadelphia in 1928, but to Wilmington at the age of nine months). Winchester played flute, piccolo, and baritone horn. After his school years, he tried tenor saxophone, mellophone and cornet, too.
In 1947. he turned to the vibes. His uncle, a bassist, taught him basic vibes technique. "I used to play two-finger piano a la Hampton," he recalled. "Then one night decided I could play vibes."
Three years after selecting his primary instrument, Winchester made another important decision.
In 1950, he ioined the Wilmington police force.
During the nine years since, he has remained on the force, doubling as a vibist in his free time. An appearance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival brought recognition and the opportunity to pursue a career in jazz.
Married and the father of three sons, Winchester now is faced with a choice: police service or jazz.
"All the guys on the force dig my playing." he said recently. "And it's good public relations for the department."
Fully aware of the security he has established after nine years of police work (after 20 years, he'll be eligible for a pension). Winchester would prefer to move along as he's done to date — combining police work and jazz.
One excellent way to do so, he expressed, would be to represent American jazz on tours abroad - in a police uniform.
But until he can resolve the dilemma, Winchester will continue walking a Wilmington beat.
"I walk the streets swinging a stick and whistling tunes," he said. "My wife is urging me to go out and try jazz. But police work is a wonderful profession. I want to work with kids, giving them a code of decency."
The career puzzle doesn't seem to hamper Winchester's approach to jazz, however.
He's aware of current developments in jazz.
"I'm influenced by Hamp," he said, "but my three favorite vibes players are Milt, Milt Jackson and Bags; then Red Norvo."
In this album, Winchester's debut on Argo, he devotes his efforts to paying tribute to Clifford Brown. He is joined in this effort by the Ramsey Lewis trio: Lewis. piano: El Dee Young, bass; and Red Holt, drums.
The Lewis trio merits comment here, too.
Subjected to self-imposed discipline for several years, the group has matured. The three members have worked together, without replacement, since the group began in 1956. For the first few years of its existence, group served an apprenticeship in Chicago, working atg a variety of jazz clubs in the city. Early in 1959, the trio found rewards for this diligent effort in a gratifying tour of leading clubs throughout the nation.
Although the members of the trio are in their '20's, they bring to modern jazz a well-schooled background. Lewis, 24, has won a variety of awards for his pianistic skill. He attended De Paul University in Chicago and the Chicago Musical College, studying with Dorothy Mendelsohn through scholarships.
Young, 23, one of the most agile young bassists in jazz, studied bass at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. A "strong" bass man, he is firmly in the Ray Brown-Oscar Pettiford tradition.
Holt, 27, a tastefully discreet drummer, acquired formal training, too, before embarking on a career in jazz. He worked with both Lester Yrmng and Charlie Parker and often backed James Moody before joining the Lewis trio.
The music contained on this LP, as interpreted by Winchester and the Lewis trio, reflects Clifford Brown's contribution to the growth of jazz.
Two of the tunes, Joy Spring, and Sandu, were composed by Brown. The latter, according to Winchester, was composed by Brown as a youth and was originally titled Dues 'n Blues. The original manuscript, bearing that title, is owned by Robert Lowery, whose A Message From Boysie is here, too. Lowery taught Brown in Wilmington and continues to lead a local band there. He is known as "Boysie." According to Winchester, "Anyone who lives around Wilmington and wants to learn jazz goes to Boysie."
Winchester's own tension-filled Where It Is provides insight into the vibist's own compositional ability. Also present is pianist Duke Jordan's jazz standard, Jordu
Three standards: Once in Awhile, It Could Happen to You, and Easy to Love. complete the set.
The range of moods contained here extends from the medium-tempo approach on Joy Spring to the balladic A Message From Boysie to the flowing It Could Happen to You to the pulsating Jordu. Of particular interest are the moments of tensely exciting interaction between Winchester and Lewis on Where It Is. Lewis' strikingly earthy solo on Sandu, and the relaxed way It Could Happen to You moves along.
The relaxed manner, in fact, is one of the distinguishing characteristic of the album. Working together for first time here, Winchester and the Lewis trio achieved a refreshing rapport, a rapport that convinced Argo's Dave Usher of the value of matching the vibist with the trio again soon.
By the time that occurs, Winchester may have reached his decision on selecting jazz as a full-time career. If policeman-vibist Winchester decides to become simply vibist Winchesterr, the jazz world will benefit.
But if he decides to work toward that pension, jazz will have to settle for him on a part-time basis.
At any rate, it is comforting to know that the hippest policeman in the world is on duty.
DON GOLD
Playboy Magazine
