The In Crowd

by Ramsey Lewis, Ramsey Lewis Trio

Overview

Ramsey Lewis staked his claim to fame with The In Crowd, an instrumental version of Dobie Gray's Top 40 hit. He also was one of the first soul jazz icons of the mid-'60s, based on the strength of the sales of this recording, done over three days during a club date at the Bohemian Caverns in Washington, D.C. What is not readily acknowledged over the years is that bassist Eldee Young is really the star of the show. He's the one who gets the crowd revved up with his vocalizing in tandem with the notes he is playing. It's on his Ray Charles-like take on "Tennessee Waltz" and a similar treatment of Gale Garnett's minor pop hit "You Been Talkin' 'Bout Me Baby" that gets the patrons off. Of course the quintessential hip shakin' introductory title track gets the groove in motion, but it's Young that lights the fuse. His stellar work with drummer Redd Holt bolsters the style of Lewis, and takes it further for the upbeat bossa "Felicidade." Of course, Lewis is the bluesy centerpiece on "Since I Fell for You," another cover of a pop hit that at the time Lenny Welch did so well. The variant is the dramatic "Theme from Spartacus," which has an up-and-down dynamic more suited for a concert hall than a smoky nightclub. This is the moment where Lewis shined the brightest, the "in crowd" at the club was verbally into it, and the time for this music was right. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Product Details

Release Date:	01/12/2024
Label:	Verve
UPC:	0602458364941
Rank:	29935

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ramsey Lewis Trio   Primary Artist
Ramsey Lewis   Primary Artist,Piano,Keyboards
Eldee Young   Primary Artist,Bass,Cello
Redd Holt   Primary Artist,Drums

Technical Credits

Pee Wee King   Composer
Vinicius de Moraes   Composer
Ramsey Lewis   Performer
Esmond Edwards   Producer
Redd Stewart   Composer
Buddy Johnson   Composer
Adolph Green   Composer
Alex North   Composer
Cameron Mizell   Production Coordination
Andre Salvet   Composer
Antonio Carlos Jobim   Composer
Ramsey Lewis Trio   Performer
Gale Garnett   Composer
Ray Rivera   Composer
Barry Alfonso   Liner Notes
Al Clarke   Liner Notes
Hollis King   Art Direction
Isabelle Wong   Package Design
Ray Rivers   Composer
Andre Michel Charles Salvet   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Andy McKaie   Reissue Supervisor
Betty Comden   Composer
Kevin Reeves   Mastering
Billy Page   Composer
Duke Ellington   Composer
Walter Hirsch   Composer
Jule Styne   Composer