Musical legend and jazz icon Ramsey Lewis will be bringing his Sun Goddess tour to Indianapolis when he appears for the upcoming Indy Jazz Fest.
Lewis, a popular Chicago pianist, will be joined on stage by the current lineup of his quintet for a special performance on Sept. 13 at the Madame Walker Theatre. He is one of the headliners for the annual, 10-day Indy Jazz Fest that draws participants from around the country to the city.
Best known in both the jazz and pop community for classics such as “The In Crowd,” “Hang on Sloopy” and the 1974 smash hit “Sun Goddess,” Lewis recently talked to the Recorder about his appreciation for Indianapolis, the current state of jazz music and what it takes to achieve greatness in your chosen art form.
Recorder: Indy Jazz Fest is right around the corner. Has Indianapolis been a city you enjoy visiting?
Lewis: I have always enjoyed Indianapolis because the people are very hospitable, and I have respect for all the great jazz musicians who have come from that area. I haven’t been there in about five years, so it’s gonna’ be very refreshing for me to get back and see how it has changed.
Can you tell us a little about your current group of musicians?
I have Henry Johnson on guitar, who has had his own group and is quite the professional. Joshua Ramos is on bass and is the youngest in the group. He is only in his 20s, but he plays both the upright and electric bass, and he has become a very proficient soloist. Also, on drums is another young fellow, Charles Heath – I seem to surround myself with young people. Not only is he a wonderful section player, but he too is a great soloist. On keyboards, I have Tim Gant, who uses the keyboards to not only support the ensemble of the band, but is also another fine soloist.
You have had an opportunity to perform with some of the world’s greatest musicians. Who is still on your wish list?
Too many to talk about (laughs).
What is the inspiration for most of your music?
Life itself.
Over the years, you have inspired many artists who have become popular in their own right, including Earth, Wind and Fire founder Maurice White, who started out with you in the Ramsey Lewis trio. Have you talked to him recently?
No, I haven’t talked to Maurice in several months now. As you know, his health was not the best (Parkinson’s disease), but the last time I talked to him, his health was getting much better and he sounded very up and is writing music and enjoying life.
What kind of advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
One must, first of all, be proficient on your instrument and realize that that’s an ongoing seat. Nobody knows his or her instrument perfectly well. So, staying in shape in terms of practicing is important. Knowing the traditions and fundamentals of our music is also important. Finally, getting experience playing in front of people is also important. That might be easier said than done, but whatever way you can, it should be done. Practicing is only half the game.
To get to Carnegie Hall, as they say, one must not only have practice, but one must also have the experience of playing for people. It doesn’t matter where it is; church, the YMCA, fashion shows. You have to get the experience standing in front of people playing, whether it is in your group, as a soloist … it’s communicating with people that helps you fine tune what you’re all about.
Jazz is one of the genres that form the foundation of African-Americans and Americans in general. Why is it important that we preserve jazz as an art form? How can the torch be passed on to the next generation of musicians?
I think having places for young people to perform is key. As I travel the United States, I see a lot of young people in high school and college jazz bands, but they – especially juniors and seniors in college – when they look at what’s before them they don’t see a lot of places to perform. The question becomes ‘what am I going to do with this art form once I leave college or the university?’
When some of the great musicians from Indianapolis such as Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard and J.J. Johnson, were coming up there were places where they performed. That was how they got to be as good as they were. As they studied the art form; they were not all of a sudden great. They got to be as great as they were because almost every weekend they were playing somewhere. And when they weren’t playing publicly they were practicing over and over again. One without the other is no good; playing publicly and never practicing privately is no good, and practicing without playing in front of folks is no good.
We have the first part and young people studying the music in a formal way. That’s good, now we have to develop more places for young people, in a safe environment, to stand up and say ‘this is what I’m about.’ When I was coming up in Chicago there were about 25 or 30 places to play, and now there are only 12. That may be good for some cities but in a place the size of Chicago, that’s not enough.
Did you ever dream that you would have this level of success, or were you just doing what you love?
Doing what you love is what it’s all about. If you spend anytime dreaming about awards and accolades then you’re fooling yourself and you’re probably in the wrong profession. One must have a profession where he or she only dreams about getting better. That’s all I did. I didn’t think about Grammy awards, Emmys, Oscars, or playing in Carnegie Hall or the Claypool in Indianapolis. All I thought about was going to my piano lessons and practicing and getting better. Even now, at 78, I like to perform, but I’m already thinking about when I get home this weekend I’m going to enjoy the weekend with my family but I’m also looking forward to hours sitting at the piano practicing and writing music. It’s all about the music.
For more information about Indy Jazz Fest, visit indyjazzfest.net. For more information about Ramsey Lewis, visit ramseylewis.com.
