On the recordJune 24, 2015
I wish to take a moment to congratulate a native son of Chicago who has earned worldwide acclaim as a jazz pianist and who will soon achieve a lifelong dream of conducting and soloing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Ramsey Lewis is a true American original--a virtuoso pianist and musical innovator who helped pioneer the sound many refer to as ``smooth jazz.'' Fifty-one years ago he and his band, the Ramsey Lewis Trio, recorded a song that became an instant sensation and which remains a definitive classic of the cool jazz genre. It's called ``The In Crowd.'' You know the refrain: ``I'm in with the in crowd. I go where the in crowd goes.'' That song was recorded live at Bohemian Caverns in Washington, DC, with almost no rehearsal. It sounds like a fable but it is true. That afternoon Ramsey and his bandmates--drummer Isaac ``Redd'' Holt and bassist Eldee Young--were sitting in a Washington, DC, coffee shop, debating what they could add to their set that night to make the recording stand out. Their waitress, a woman by the name of Nettie Gray, asked what was wrong. They explained their predicament. Miss Nettie Gray walked over to the jukebox, dropped a coin in the slot and said: ``Listen to this.'' It was ``The In Crowd,'' sung by Dobie Gray--a popular hit at the time. The trio quickly worked out a jazz arrangement and used the song to end their set that evening. The crowd loved it. Audiences everywhere loved it.…
