Longtime jazzman Ramsey Lewis has returned to the electric district on his funkiest outing in years. Taking Another Look is in part a revisiting of Lewis' highly-regarded 1974 classic Sun Goddess. On that album, which Lewis recorded with Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey and Maurice White, Lewis demonstrated his prowess on a level that matched Herbie Hancock's. Lewis' performances on ARP synthesizers and Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, as well as acoustic piano and electric guitar, earned the already-successful keyboardist and composer scores of new fans the way Hancock's first Headhunters albums cast a net out to lovers of funk one year earlier.
Ramsey: Taking Another Look sees the now 76-year-old Lewis rerecording five selections from Sun Goddess plus five new tracks. The burning synthesized funk of "Tambura" indeed gives "Chameleon" a run for its money. The expressive acoustic piano lines of "Love Song" are wholly engrossing and reveal layers of motifs within. An interpretation of the Stevie Wonder song, "Living For The City" was the centerpiece of Sun Goddess. As the album's title implies, Lewis "takes another look" at the nearly-forty-year-old classic and finds the redux just as vital and engaging. "Jungle Strut" boasts a most infectious drum groove, a punchy upright bass solo and searing ARP-esque synthesizer licks.
The re-realized "Sun Goddess" is shorter than the original by three-and-a-half minutes but it serves as the perfect complement, a modern counterpart to the aged vintage of its predecessor. The new tracks tend to be more acoustic piano-centric yet no less groovy. "Intimacy," "Betcha By Golly Wow," "To Know Her," and "Sharing Her Journey" all make for splendid sonic voyages, but it's a safe bet the funk-fusion numbers that inspired this release will cast more light.
Tracks:
1. Intimacy (8:01)
2. Tambura (4:18)
3. Love Song (5:19)
4. Living For The City (5:28)
5. Betcha By Golly Wow (5:00)
6. To Know Her (5:30)
7. The Way She Smiles (3:07)
8. Jungle Strut (4:14)
9. Sharing Her Journey (6:21)
10. Sun Goddess (4:59)
Total Time — 52:36
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