Composer, pianist and jazz legend Ramsey Lewis has been referred to as "the great performer" a title reflecting his playing style and musical selections which display his early spiritual and classical training along with his love of jazz and all musical forms. A native Chicagoan, Mr. Lewis represents the great diversity of music for which Chicago is noted.

Ramsey Lewis began playing piano at age 4, and by high school he was studying with the great Dorothy Mendelsohn at the Chicago Musical College. In 1950, Mr. Lewis began playing professionally on weekends in a band that included bassist Eldee Young and drummer Red Holt. Together they formed the renowned Ramsey Lewis Trio. In 1957, Mr. Lewis was signed by Chicago's Chess Records and, in 1959, went on the road for his first national tour.

Over the years Mr. Lewis has experimented with a variety of musical styles, exploring his talent and fine tuning his skills. Mr.Lewis may well have recorded the first "fusion" hit with THE IN CROWD in 1965, followed in the next year by his version of the #1 pop hits HANG ON SLOOPY and WADE IN THE WATER. "they were jazz, R&B, pop and gospel all rolled into one," he noted.

A recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from DePaul University in Chicago, IL in 1993, three Grammy awards and a total of seven gold albums, Ramsey Lewis has become an internationally known and acclaimed musician, renowned for his keyboard virtuosity and artistry. He performed with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1967, opening a longtime association with symphony orchestras and would go on to record his 1978 LEGACY album with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 1988, Mr. Lewis recorded A CLASSIC ENCOUNTER with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Both albums, which are on CBS Masterworks, were arranged and conducted by Mr. James Mack. Mr. Lewis' two latest albums under the GRP Record label are entitled IVORY PYRAMID and SKY ISLANDS.

Besides touring with his quintet which features Henry Johnson (guitar), Charles Webb (bass), Michael Logan (synthetic keyboards) and Steve Cobb (drums), Mr. Lewis joins the distinguished jazz pianist Dr. Billy Taylor in two piano concerts throughout the year. Their 1988 album, WE MEET AGAIN, was also recorded on CBS Masterworks. In 1991 and 1992, the weekly cable tv show (on the BET cable network) "Bet on Jazz", hosted by Mr. Lewis, was nominated for an ACE award in the music series category. He continues to host the highly acclaimed weekly three hour jazz radio show heard on WNUA in Chicago, IL and in other cities throughout the U.S. Adding to his current commitments is acting as Artistic Director for the Ravinia Festival's yearly slimmer series segment "Jazz in June," in Chicago, IL.

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