RAMSEY LEWIS AND HIS ELECTRIC BAND - Taking Another Look (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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. Which isn't to say that this is solely a retro-leaning venture. On the contrary, as with the rest of the album, tracks such as the dramatic, midtempo funk number "To Know Her" and the lush ballad "Sharing Her Journey" are expertly produced contemporary jazz numbers. by Matt Collar
Tracklist :
1     Intimacy 8:02
Paul Iams / Paul Libman
2     Tambura 4:18
Ramsey Lewis
3     Love Song 5:20
Ramsey Lewis
4     Living for the City 5:31
Stevie Wonder
5     Betcha by Golly Wow 5:01
Thomas Bell / Linda Epstein
6     To Know Her 5:31
Ramsey Lewis
7     The Way She Smiles 3:09
Ramsey Lewis
8     Jungle Strut 4:15
Ramsey Lewis
9     Sharing Her Journey 6:23
Ramsey Lewis
10     Sun Goddess 4:59
Jon Lind / Maurice White
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Joshua Ramos
Drums – Charles Heath
Grand Piano [Steinway], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Ramsey Lewis
Guitar – Henry Johnson
Keyboards – Mike Logan

RAMSEY LEWIS & URBAN KNIGHTS - VII (2019) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On the heels of announcing his retirement in 2018, the then-83-year-old Ramsey Lewis entered the studio with his longtime crossover funk outfit Urban Knights to record 2019's earthy and stylistically expansive VII. A group originally conceived in the early '90s in the vein of such iconic ensembles as Donald Byrd's Blackbyrds and Joe Sample's Jazz Crusaders, Urban Knights found Lewis collaborating with a bevy of younger musicians and star guests over the years, and VII continues this fruitful tradition. Joining Lewis here is a newly convened Urban Knights ensemble featuring a lineup of noted Chicago-area performers including keyboardist Tim Grant, guitarist Henry Johnson, bassist Joshua Ramos, and drummer Charles Heath. Together they play a vibrant blend of soul-jazz that evokes Lewis' classic '70s and '80s albums like 1974's Sun Goddess, 1977's Love Notes, and 1981's Three Piece Suite. In fact, on VII, Lewis revisits a handful of his past tracks including the disco-era title track to his 1977 album "Tequila Mockingbird," "Baby What You Want Me To Do" off 1981's Live at the Savoy, and "Sharing Her Journey" off 2009's Songs from the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey. He achieves yet more old-school flavor elsewhere reworking Sting's "Shape of My Heart" with vocalist Dee Alexander, and offering a burnished, loungey reading of the Beatles' "And I Love Her." Also evocative is "The Rose," a laid-back and soulful groover featuring trumpeter Maurice Brown. There are two superb solo numbers from Lewis in "Dear Lord" and "Trees," both of which spotlight his elegant, deeply lyrical piano artistry. While it may come in the wake of Lewis entering the final years of his career, VII sparks with the energy and vitality of an artist at the peak of his abilities. by Matt Collar  
Tracklist :
1     Dear Lord 1:44
2     Tequila Mockingbird 6:16
3     The Shape of My Heart 5:31
4     Sharing Her Journey 6:02
5     The Rose 4:53
6     The Spark 6:42
7     I'll Never Forget You 3:44
8     Baby What You Want Me to Do 5:02
9     And I Love Her 4:10
10     Armando's Rhumba 3:35
11     Trees 1:56
Credits :
Tim Gant - Keyboards
Charles Heath - Drums
Henry Johnson - Guitar
Ramsey Lewis - Piano
Joshua Ramos -    Bass
The Stereo - Drum Programming