Johnny Graham just strums away on a thick,rhythmic guitar on two chords-going up and down note wise. But in the end this song ended up redefining Ramsey Lewis as a major player on the 70’s jazz funk scene. And he and EWF felt the song off the album of that same title would be “Hot Dawgit”. Just before I wrote this,Henrique Hopkins informed me that the studio version of “Sun Goddess” was basically an afterthought jam. I knew of this windy city soul jazz piano master from my father playing his Don’t It Feel Good album on vinyl for me around the same time. It was a live version where Maurice announced that they were going to perform a song they’d done with Ramsey Lewis. It was actually on EWF’s Gratitude album that I first heard the song “Sun Goddess”. And it all came together for White and Myrick through the man that got Maurice’s career going to start with: Ramsey Lewis. Myrick first met Maurice White as members of the Chicago band The Pharaohs-which also included future Phenix Horns trombonist Louis Satterfield. The mans way with jazzy harmonics was by no means limited to ballads. He played solos on key songs such as Phillip Bailey’s vocal showcase on the live rendition of “Reasons” on the bands Gratitude album,as well their 1979 hit “After The Love Has Gone”. Don Myrick,the tenor saxophonist for Earth Wind & Fire’s Phenix Horns from 1975 to 1982,passed away over twelve years ago.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |