Aretha Franklin Tony Bennett Clinton Brazil Chicago county Wells classical jazz Music Aretha Franklin Tony Bennett Clinton Brazil Chicago county Wells

Ramsey Lewis, pianist and composer whose smoothly funky jazz covers of pop hits sold in their millions – obituary

Reading now: 627
msn.com

Aretha Franklin and Tony Bennett, and performed at the 1995 state dinner that President Clinton hosted for President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil.

Hard-nosed jazz fans might have shrugged him off as a pop-jazz quisling who spent much of his time on gospel-powered covers and catchy funk anthems.

Yet he gracefully drew on all manner of influences, interweaving jazz, classical and pop with a sureness of touch that defied classification.

Speaking in 2011, Lewis described his approach to composing and performing. “Life is a solo, and it continues,” he said. “I just know that when I put my hands on the piano it’s going to flow. ”Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis was born in Chicago on May 27 1935, the son of Ramsey Lewis Snr, a maintenance man who introduced his son to the music of Duke Ellington and Art Tatum, and his wife Pauline, a cleaner.

Read more on msn.com
The website celebsbar.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.

Related News

DMCA