Ramsey Lewis - At The Bohemian Gardens

Ramsey Lewis Trio - At The Bohemian Gardens - Argo LP 741 - Canadian Chess Pressing, Mono

Ramsey Lewis - Piano
Eldee Young - Bass + Cello
Red Holt - Drums

Recorded - June 4 & 6 1964, Bohemian Gardens, Washington, DC

Supervision - Esmond Edwards
Production - Edgewood Recording Studios Inc [no engineer listed]
Cover Design - Tom Gorman

Released - October 10, 1964

Here's more hip Ramsey Lewis and this time it's a wonderfully atmospheric choice Argo side cut in the summer of 1964 at the legendary Bohemian Gardens nightclub in Washington, DC! This side has often been forgotten and overshadowed by a subsequent side cut the next year in May 1965 at these same Bohemian Gardens - 'The In Crowd' (Argo LP 757) which would launch the trio unexpectedly to stratospheric commercial success. But this particular side in my opinion is stronger and much more coherent. These live piano trio sides were almost Chess/Argo's bread and butter; I can't get enough of them - this is Jazz the way it's meant to be heard - live in front of an appreciative audience....

It's also interesting to compare and contrast this side with another live side cut by fellow label mate Ahmad Jamal as well in the summer of 1964 - Naked City Theme. While Jamal is going off in all sorts of interesting directions, almost proto-'free jazz new thing' within the confines of the jazz piano trio setup (see the seminal Extensions for example) - Lewis' trio is clearly moving in the quite opposite direction - a lean, crowd pleasing, pop, 'hand clapping' commercialized sound which would soon pay huge dividends. This in some respects also marks unfortunately the beginning of the end of the classic period of the first and original Ramsey Lewis Trio (1958-1965). This side also has one of my favorite and striking Argo covers, designed by one Tom Gorman. Good fidelity off an early Canadian Cadet mono pressing.

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