Prolific jazz composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis got his start in the Chicago music scene with his band the Ramsey Lewis Trio. While his band mates would go on to pursue their own projects, most notably Maurice White, who formed Earth, Wind & Fire in 1970, Lewis was already a widely sought after pianist by 1966 with chart-topping tunes such as "The In Crowd" and the Grammy Award-winning album Wade in the Water. In addition to his extensive catalog, he has contributed to the jazz scene in several different ways including hosting the 13-episode Legends of Jazz television series, serving as artistic director of the jazz portion of Illinois's Ravinia Festival and hosting radio programs such as Legends of Jazz and the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show.
