‘The In Crowd’: The Ramsey Lewis Trio’s Pop Jazz Classic
Ramsey and company’s signature tune, recorded at this live date, made the trio certified gateway artists.
As pianist Ramsey Lewis liked to tell the story, his trio’s breakthrough track happened by way of a random recommendation from a waitress. Booked for a live recording date at Washington D.C.’s storied jazz venue the Bohemian Caverns in May 1965, Lewis and his bandmates, bassist Eldee Young and drummer Redd Holt, were posted up at a local coffee shop futilely brainstorming a “fun song” to add to their set. Their server, overhearing their dilemma, chimed in “You guys might like this,” and strode over to the jukebox to cue up Dobie Gray’s groovy ode to OG hipsterdom, “The ‘In’ Crowd.” Greeted by the song’s bluesy melodic hook, Lewis thought, “That’ll work.”
The Ramsey Lewis Trio’s “The ‘In’ Crowd” would actually outperform Gray’s on the charts (going both top 10 pop and R&B later that year) and eventually take home a Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance. Listening back, it’s easy to hear why. Where the original lyrically articulates all the trappings of cool, the trio’s rendition is cool. Lewis’s spare, soulful playing over a locked-in Young-Holt rhythm section stays securely in the pocket, embodying the first rule of cool by never overexerting itself. The trio also enjoys a room full of auxiliary members in the Caverns’ audience; handclaps and shouts not only bring the party vibe, but their gleeful recognition that this particular selection – about discerning folks out for a good time – uncannily resembles themselves.
Ramsey and company’s signature tune made the trio certified gateway artists – attracting a fanbase heavy on jazz newbies, and setting up Lewis individually for an extended career as an ambassador of the art form. What he may have lacked in hardcore bebop chops or harmonic complexity as a soloist, he made up for in pure feeling – a style necessitated by playing in church from age 9 on the South Side of Chicago. “That [experience] taught me the importance of reaching out to an audience,” he’d say in hindsight. “In an African-American church if the music doesn’t resonate, you’re out of here.” Early classical training further refined the lithe touch he applied with equal effectiveness to romantic standards, soundtrack numbers, or pop and soul covers.
All may be found on The In Crowd – which is filled out by the rest of the group’s Bohemian Caverns set. Its best moments tap into the same soulful spirit and rapport with the room that characterized its hit. Lewis may get top billing, but Young nearly steals the show with no shortage of showmanship. Singing along with each note he plays, he introduces “Tennessee Waltz” with flamenco flavored double bass flourishes that get the crowd guffawing in delight. His periodic grunts punctuate a version of Gale Garnett’s “You’ve Been Talkin’ ‘Bout Me Baby” that struts with playful defiance. However, a reading of “Love Theme From ‘Spartacus’” brings out all three musicians’ best attributes. With the club nearly silent, Lewis establishes the melody answered by gently placed triangle taps from Holt. Young and Holt finally break the tension, launching into a 4/4 rhythm reminiscent of Horace Silver’s classic, “Song For My Father.” The crowd yells its approval and Lewis solos passionately, as if back before the church pews.
