Ramsey Lewis Trio Comes To McCallum Theatre

He was 15 when a fellow musician, Wallace Burton, asked him to join his jazz band. The seven piece group called themselves "The Cleffs" and provided Ramsey with his first real involvement with the great music of jazz. The emerging Ramsey Lewis Trio had its roots there as the rhythm section, comprised of Ramsey on piano, Eldee Young on bass, and Redd Holt on drums.

Ramsey Lewis captivated fans with his first album Ramsey Lewis and the Gentlemen of Swing by the Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1956. By 1965, he was one of the nation's most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd," "Hang On Sloopy," and "Wade In The Water." He has three Grammy Awards and seven gold records and received the NARAS Recording Governor's Award in 2000. Other honors include the National Endowment for the Arts highest award in the field of music in the jazz category, and the Illinois honor of "Living Landmark" award in March 2007. His gospel album With One Voice won the 2006 Stellar Award for Best Gospel instrumental album.

Ramsey hosts WNUA-FM Chicago's weekday radio show, "The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show," which was syndicated nationwide in 2007, and hosts the syndicated "Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis" that airs in over 75 cities. In 2003, Ramsey co-produced the thirteen part series "Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis" which aired on PBS, and collaborated to produce a ballet of original music that premiered at the 2007 Ravinia Festival. In 2005, he formed the Ramsey Lewis Foundation to help provide youth with the opportunity to play musical instruments and develop self-confidence and a sense of personal accomplishment.

Ramsey tours nationally and internationally in various musical configurations, but primarily performs with his trio composed of Larry Gray on bass and Leon Joyce on drums.

This performance by The Ramsey Lewis Trio, as part of the Fitz's Jazz Café series at the McCallum Theatre, is sponsored by Desert Lexus, Pacific Western Bank, La Quinta Resort, Century 21 Mirage Realty, Masters Financial Group, and KJJZ 102.3-FM.

The Ramsey Lewis Trio will perform at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California, on Saturday, April 5, 2008, at 8:00pm. Tickets are priced at $75 $55, $45 and $35
-- www.mccallumtheatre.com