The Sound Of Spring - Ramsey Lewis Trio

Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

The Sound Of Spring
Ramsey Lewis Trio
Supervision: Leonard Chess
Production: Ruth Brown
Cover: Don Bronstein
Recorded February 14, 15, 1962 at United Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
Argo LP 693

Personel: Ramsey Lewis, piano
Elder Young, bass
Isaac (Red) Holt, drums

Side one features the following strings: Sidney Sharp, Leonard Marlarsky, Robert Barene, Lou Raderman, William Kurasch, Israel Baker, Ralph Schaeffer, Irving Lipshultz, Darrel Terwillinger, Irving Weinper, Alexander Neiman, Emmet Sargent Arranged and conducted by Riley Hampton

From the back cover: Born (Ramsey Lewis) in Chicago May 27, 1935, Ramsey studied privately from the age of six, later attending Chicago Musical College and De Paul University. ("However," he says, "I credit most of my musical accomplishments to Miss D. Mendelsohn, my instructress.") Music has been the focus of his life from the start: with a mother who sang in the church choir and a father who directed it, as well as two sisters who studied piano extensively; he never considered the possibility of any other career. He was an early admirer of Art Tatum and Bud Powell, but considers John Lewis and Oscar Peterson his main influences.

Eldee Young, also Chicago-born (January 7, 1936) has a similar background. His father played guitar and mandolin. Eldee studied guitar with his brother, Carl; played guitar and bass in high school, and studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He began his professional career early, going on the road with rhythm-and-blues singer Chuck Willis in 1954.

Isaac (Red) Holt, born May 16, 1932 in Rosedale, Mississippi was raised in Chicago and was a childhood friend of Ramsey and Eldee, playing with them in a teen-age band. Red studied at Crane Tech., later playing in an Army band in Germany, in 1955.

Riley Hampton, a virtual fourth wheel who makes the trio move on Side 1, is best known for his skillful backgrounds for Etta James, and was perviously associated with Ramsey in the Sound Of Christmas album. The instrumentation here includes seven violins, three violas, two cellos and the trio. It is to Hampton's credit that instead of bogging the trio down in a molasses-like wasteland of sirupy sounds, he has used the instrumentation to provide coloristic contrasts and orchestral variety.

– Leonard Feather

Sound Of Spring
Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
Blue Spring
Spring Is Here
Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
Spring Fever
It Might As Well Be Spring
Soft Winds
There'll Be Another Spring
Truly, Truly Spring