LP-732

Ramsey Lewis - Back To The Blues

Released 1964

Recording and Session Information

Ramsey Lewis, piano; Eldee Young, bass, cello; Richard Evans, bass; Redd Holt, drums
Ter Mar, Chicago, January 31 1964

12971 Travel on
12972 Peace and tranquility
12973 For the love of a princess
12974 Misty days, lonely nights
12975 Why don't you do right?
12976 Sadness done come
12977 You'll love me yet
12978 All my love belongs to you
12979 Dance mystique
12980 Bach to the blues

Track Listing

For The Love Of A Princess	R. Lewis	January 31 1964
Why Don't You Do Right	L. Green	January 31 1964
Misty Days, Lonely Nights	R. Lewis	January 31 1964
Bach To The Blues	E. Edwards	January 31 1964
Travel On	E. Young	January 31 1964
Dance Mystique	R. Lewis	January 31 1964
Sadness Done Come	R. Lewis	January 31 1964
You'll Love Me Yet	R. Lewis	January 31 1964
Peace And Tranquility	E. Young	January 31 1964

Liner Notes

AFTER almost fourteen years of playing together, our trio is very close to achieving something that every group of musicians strives for. That is, to be able to think and play as one.

Fortunately Red, Eldee and myself have similar ideas concerning music and life in general. An individual's music is an extension of his life and the fact that we have similar tastes and goals makes it much easier for us to blend musically.

From the beginning we have striven for a true group sound, a true group image in which each participant's role is of equal importance instead of two of the members serving primarily as accompanists. Among the jazz groups that I feel have most nearly accomplished this sound are. The Modern Jan Quartet, The Bill Evans Trio and the original Miles Davis Quintet (with Coltrane, Garland and Philly Joe).

Where two or more people are involved in a performance, it is impossible for an individual to attain complete freedom of expression — some concessions must be made to the ideas of the other musicians. However. the joy and satisfaction of being an integral part of a well functioning whole is just as rewarding, if not more so.

During my course of study with Dorothy Mendelsohn in Chicago, I developed a great love for the classics. Not only did classical study develop my technique at the piano but it also served to broaden my tastes in music and the arts in general. I also arrived at the conclusion that although classical music is included in the list of creative arts; it offers the least amount of freedom for self expression for the performer. The composer has äll the freedom he desires to project what is in his heart but the performer only recreates what is on the paper. This in itself is no easy task. It takes hours and hours of training and practice to master the great composers and regardless of your instrument or musical goal, the best route to competence is a solid classical background.

To return to my original point though; satisfaction is gained in performing the classics more through technical accomplishment rather — the infant of the creative than creative, self-expression as in jazz arts. The jazz soloist must be an interpreter and composer.

Eldee, Red and myself have always tried to incorporate knowledge gained through our classical training into our work in jazz and on previous albums we have used melodies from the great composers as the basis for inprovisation. We believe, as does Esmond Edwards, that most music regardless of its origins, can be expressed in jazz terms. Errol Garner has recorded "I Want To Be A Rug Cutter" and the works of "serious" composers like, Delibes, Villalobos and Rodrigo have been used as the basis for jan expression, How about Curtis Fuller's exciting arrangement of "Three Blind Mice" as recorded by Art Blakley's Jazz Messengers!

Five of the tunes in this album are based on classical themes. "For The Love Of A Princess" is based on a theme of Rimsky-Korsakov, Days, Lonely Nights" is from Rachmaninoff, "Bach To The Blues" owes a debt to J. S. Bach, "Dance Mystique" is a Tchaikovsky derivative and "You'll Love Me Yet" is from Brahms. The other four tunes have their roots in the blues.

This is not an offering of third-stream, main-stream, progressive, commercial or "funky" jazz. This is music that Red, Eldee and I love to play and also make a living at. (To borrow a phrase of Chicago DJ "Daddy-O Daylie".) We sincerely hope you will enjoy a few moments of pleasurable listening to Bach...and the blues.

RAMSEY LEWIS