A nice funky instrumental with simple blues chords. Ramsey plays electric piano, and the beat is sweet, like a lot of Cadet label stuff from the late 60s. Groovy stuff, and quite easy to come by on the reissue 2 LP - 'Inside Ramsey Lewis'.
This one really has everything, to me. I'm not a connoisseur of the Beatles's 'White album', but I'm completely crazy about Ramsey Lewis's superb LP in tribute to it. The entire album has a delicious balance of crisp beats, electric piano, strings, and subtle touches of moog, played by the album's producer, Charles Stepney. I've chosen 'Julia' to recommend because I enjoy the way it changes mood - opening mournful and slow, and then getting very funky. But the entire album is really packed with winners; other highlights are a wacky and extremely funky 'back in the USSR', a superb 'Dear Prudence', and a great 'cry baby cry'.
31 Aug 05 ·vince: Is there any way to get the whole album Mother Nature's Son on CD? 01 Sep 05 ·delicado: yes, there's a Japanese CD, which you could probably get via www.dustygroove.com. It really is a wonderful album (for those that like this kind of thing!)
The prolific and always entertaining Ramsey Lewis.This track is one of my favorite from his collaborations with the legendary fusionist,Charles Stepney.It has all the best elements from their work,lush orchestral textures,rock steady soul jazz,and the siren calls of Miss Minnie Riperton.It sounds like this recording was done during the same sessions as Minnie's incredible solo album,Come To My Garden.In fact,the record contains a version of "Les Fluer" that has the same istrumentation, except Ramsey plays the lead vocal melody in his typical style.
This piece is almost like some kind of lost soundtrack work,impressionistic in a spiritual way,like a cosmic gospel.Travelling the silver thread of consciousness back to the source...An Eternal Journey indeed,and a must for fans of spooky jazz and 60's soundtracks.
11 Feb 03 ·delicado: Nice track, and a great album, which is also available on a cheap CD, 'Maiden Voyage and more' (the 'more' consists of four tracks from his excellent 'Mother Nature's Son' LP, also produced by Stepney)
On my weblog, I referred to this song as a "Funky Housewife Thang", since "Skippin'" was used as the theme song for a local homemakers' TV show in the late '70s and early '80s. It really is funky (several members of Earth Wind and Fire play on it) -- squishy synths bobbing along until Ramsey's piano enters and brings it down to earth. The kind of thing you could get down to safely while dusting around the house.
from Tequila Mockingbird, available on CD (Columbia)
A very swinging, groovy Latin jazz take on Shorty Long's Motown classic finds Lewis at the height of his form. As expected, Richard Evans turns in an astounding arrangement, utilizing handclaps, studio chatter and a magnificent horn chart.
