Concert Review: Ramsey Lewis at the Dakota Jazz Club

Ramsey Lewis and his band. From left to right, Tim Gant on keyboards, Charles Heath on drums, Ramsey Lewis on piano, Joshua Ramos on bass, and Henry Johnson on guitar.

Last night I saw the great jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis at the Dakota Jazz Club. I’ve seen Ramsey Lewis three times before, in 2009, in 2012, and in 2015. Each time he’s put on an excellent show full of his vibrant piano playing. Lewis played with the same group I’ve seen him with before, Tim Gant on keyboards, Henry Johnson on guitar, Joshua Ramos on bass and Charles Heath on drums. 

Ramsey Lewis’ first album, recorded in 1956, was titled Ramsey Lewis and His Gentle-Men of Swing. The very first song on that album was “Carmen,” a jazz version of the habanera from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. Ramsey Lewis always comes across as a gentleman-he’s always impeccably dressed and seems like a very nice guy. And it’s fitting that his first song on his first album was a fusion of classical and jazz. Lewis studied classical piano as a young man, and his playing brings together many different elements-jazz, classical, soul, R&B, pop, and more. 

Lewis achieved crossover success in 1965 with his recording of “The ‘In’ Crowd,” which had been a pop hit for Dobie Gray. Recorded live at the Bohemian Caverns club in Washington, D.C., with his great trio of Eldee Young on bass and Redd Holt on drums, the album and the single were both Top 5 hits on the pop charts, an unprecedented feat for a jazz group. Lewis’ recording of “The ‘In’ Crowd” is often used in TV shows and movies, as it has become a song that instantly captures its era in just a few funky notes. 

Lewis opened the concert last night with the smooth funk of “Tequila Mockingbird,” and he mixed a musical quote from “The Trolley Song.” His next song was a version of the Beatles “Here, There and Everywhere.” He began the song solo, and slowly the rest of the group joined in as it moved in other directions. Lewis followed that up with another Beatles song, “A Hard Day’s Night,” which he had a hit with in 1966. The band really got to show off their chops on “A Hard Day’s Night,” as everyone took lengthy solos. The whole band is excellent, and special mention must be made of Henry Johnson on guitar, who reminds me a lot of Wes Montgomery. Johnson also had some terrific exchanges with Joshua Ramos on bass. Lewis played a beautiful version of “Dear Lord,” a John Coltrane song. Lewis is adept at playing both ballads and funky swingers. His style is always smooth and easy to listen to.

Lewis closed the 7PM show with his two biggest hits, “Sun Goddess,” which he revealed was written as an Earth, Wind & Fire song that Maurice White couldn’t think of any words for, and of course, “The ‘In’ Crowd.” At the age of 82, Ramsey Lewis doesn’t disappoint.

Concert Review: Paul Weller at the Pantages Theatre

Paul Weller

Last night Paul Weller played at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis. Weller is one of my favorite musicians, and I’ve seen him live once before, at the Varsity Theater in 2014. (I reviewed that show here.) Weller put on an excellent show last night, working with a crack band, led by longtime Weller sideman Steve Cradock, who traded lead guitar duties with Weller all night long. 

Weller played several songs from his latest album, A Kind Revolution, which came out in May of 2017. He played the catchy “Woo Se Mama,” which he played keyboards on, the Bowie-esque tune “Nova,” the yearning ballad “The Cranes Are Back,” and the moody “Hopper,” a song about the painted Edward Hopper. 

Although Weller only played one song from his years with The Jam, the excellent “Start!” he did play a few songs from his Style Council days, “My Ever Changing Moods,” “Shout to the Top” and “Have You Ever Had it Blue.” All of these songs had the crowd on their feet, rocking and rolling. If Paul Weller wanted to, he could easily have played all songs from The Jam and Style Council years, mixed in a couple of more recent songs, and people would have been thrilled. But Weller’s never been one to take the easy road. Ever since he broke up The Jam at the height of their popularity in late 1982, Weller has charted his own musical course. It hasn’t always been an easy journey, but Weller has made many superb solo albums and created a formidable discography, full of fascinating music.

Weller also played some of his more recent solo songs. I especially enjoyed “From the Floorboards Up,” a charging rocker from his great 2005 solo album As Is Now, and the jazzy “Above the Clouds,” from his 1992 self-titled solo debut. “Above the Clouds” is a great song, and it also has something of a special place in my life, as it’s the default song that my phone plays in the car when it can’t remember what I was last listening to.

The first encore of the evening was a set of acoustic songs, including some brand-new songs like “Gravity.” We’ll have to see if that appears on Weller’s next album. The second encore was more rock and roll, including the great song “Peacock Suit.” 

Opening for Weller was the English folk singer-songwriter Lucy Rose, who played a nice half hour set. Overall, it was a superb evening of music with Paul Weller, one of the great rock singers and songwriters of the last forty years.