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Ramsey Lewis Trio - “Summer Breeze” (1973)
If it can be said that music is often in conversation with other music, then you will find no better direct example of this than the cover song.
Despite the mechanical licensing rules that apply to the permissibility of cover songs, there are an infinite number of ways to do a cover song; ergo, to do your own *version and unique interpretation of a pre-existing song.
The tradition of covering songs spans every genre. But in jazz, the tradition of instrumentalists covering songs that include vocals is a special medium. And then there’s the tradition of what I call “re-soulifying” rock songs…
Here, we have the Ramsey Lewis Trio covering “Summer Breeze,” the 1972 hit by folk rock duo Seals & Crofts (Jim Seals and Dash Crofts).
The Isely Brothers reworked “Summer Breeze” for their album ‘3+3’ (1973) — itself a masterpiece that took the original Seals & Crofts song from 3 minutes to 6 minutes ! — so I’m not sure if the Ramsey Lewis Trio was inspired by The Isley Brothers’ cover or, if like The Isley Brothers, they simply moved fast to cover a recent hit.
In any event, what emerges from the Ramsey Lewis Trio’s cover is a subdued yet powerful jazz-soul-funk fusion number that conjures up the sound and feel of an early ‘70s after hours lounge…
I never consider any instrument in the category of no value in the composer's world of creation; it is all according to the time, the place, the performer, the particular need of the composition, and the circumstances involved.
(Sun Ra)