Funk + Muzak = Fuzak. A portmanteau so good I wish I'd coined it. And it perfectly describes this instrumental disc. A little funkier than smooth jazz with the help of Lewis' old friends from Earth, Wind & Fire. Lewis plays several different keyboards in these arrangements, but for my money I'd rather hear him pound the Fender Rhodes than anything else. This album didn't receive rave reviews (2 or 3 stars) but I like it for what it is. In '77, Ramsey wasn't in with the 'in' crowd anymore, but he could still put out albums that, while not inventive, are quite enjoyable to these ears.
The liner notes in my CD are nonexistent beyond a track listing. Thank goodness for Discogs.
Reviews/ratings:
- CashBox: "This is a joyful album."
- The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
- The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★
- US Billboard Top 200: #11
- Billboard Jazz: #3
- CashBox: #148
- CashBox: #3
- Record World Jazz: #5
Tracks: The three songs produced by EWF keyboardist Larry Dunn are all funky fun: Tequila Mockingbird (which includes and all-too-brief sax solo from Ronnie Laws), Skippin', and That Ole Bach Magic. The other five tracks (produced by Bert deCoteaux) are slightly restrained but still in the same fuzak groove. The only skippable track is Intimacy.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, although I was involved in a production of a stage version of "To Kill a Mockingbird" while a sophomore in high school.
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