Join us in the lobby at 7:15pm for an Italian wine tasting by Gallo Ristorante and an art exhibit by award-winning Connecticut painter Cynthia Mullins!
National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Ramsey Lewis has been an iconic leader in the contemporary jazz movement for more than 50 years with an unforgettable sound and outgoing personality that has allowed him to cross over to the pop and R&B charts. The Ramsey Lewis Trio, with bassist Eldee Young and percussionist Redd Holt, became a fixture on the Chicago jazz scene, releasing their debut album, Ramsey Lewis & His Gentlemen of Jazz, back in 1956. Lewis earned his first gold record, as well as a Grammy award for Best Jazz Performance, for their swinging version of Dobie Gray’s hit “The In Crowd.” He returned to the pop charts in 1966 with versions of “Hang On Sloopy” and “Wade In The Water.” Ramsey Lewis is perhaps best known for his career-defining “Sun Goddess” album released in 1974, Lewis was also the long-time disc jockey of the nationally-broadcast Legends of Jazz radio program as well as the host of the 13-episode Legends of Jazz PBS television series.
Kicking off the night is the funky-jazz-fusion band Steve Clarke Trio. Their latest release “Sparkle” is being well received by fans in U.S. and Europe. The inter play of this trio is quite noticeable, performing together the last 5 years and doing 5 European tours as a trio has paid off. The grooves and improvisations throughtout the recordings and shows flow naturally and seamlessly into and out of the compositions.