Gordan Ramsey Masterclass

The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, with Gordan Nikolic, puts down a spicy performance of two of Mozart's bubbliest symphonies: the "Haffner" and the "Linz". "Both symphonies swoop and swerve at sprightly tempos where needed, which is different from being just fast. They virtually tremble with life. The engineers have succeeded admirably with a transparent soundstage." (Fanfare)

The present album, number nine in Eric le Sage’s valiant Schumann edition, is devoted to the trios with piano, a favourite formation of the 19th Century that combines the economy of chamber music with the prestige of instrumental music. He is accompanied by regular partners Gordan Nikolitch and Christophe Coin with a guest appearance from Paul Meyer on clarinet for Op. 56.

Although Ramsey Lewis' career with Chess stretched from the mid-'50s to the end of the 1960s, it was only in the mid-'60s that he made a significant dent in the pop market. Accordingly, this 18-track collection is not so much a representative sampling of his Chess output as it is a heavy dip into his most popular mid-'60s recordings. Although the tracks do span 1961-1967, all but four cuts were done in 1964-1966. Not that this is such a bad thing; this era was the time at which Lewis issued not just his most popular stuff, but also his best. It's a strong group of his best pop-jazz-R&B material, including all four of his Top 40 hits ("The 'In' Crowd," "A Hard Day's Night," "Hang on Sloopy," and "Wade in the Water")…

Standard Ramsey Lewis vehicle; good-to-routine pop-flavored and soulful material with some rousing piano solos and some not so energetic. Lewis was in the middle of another impressive run, making one hit album after another.

Pianist and contemporary jazz icon Ramsey Lewis revisits his classic 1974 electric jazz-funk album Sun Goddess for 2011's Ramsey, Taking Another Look. Featuring a newly minted lineup of his '70s electric band, Taking Another Look features keyboardist Mike Logan, guitarist Henry Johnson, bassist Joshua Ramos, and drummer Charles Heath, all of whom reveal a knack for the funky, soulful jazz Lewis is reinvestigating here. Included are reworkings such classic '70s tracks as "Tambura," "Love Song," and "Jungle Strut." These are dance-oriented jazz-funk cuts with an organic, groove-oriented vibe that stick closely to the original '70s conception. In fact, the original version of Lewis' hit "Sun Goddess" is included and rounds out the album nicely…