Ramsey Lewis – Sun Goddess (2017) Hi-Res

Pianist Ramsey Lewis first came to fame as the purveyor of swinging soul-jazz in the mid-’60s, but like a lot of musicians he underwent some major changes by the end of that decade. Sun Goddess (1974), Lewis’ biggest success of the decade, is miles away from the finger-snapping supper club sounds of “The In Crowd.” By this time, Lewis had transformed himself into a jazz fusion funkateer, riffing on electric piano and synthesizer amid arrangements that meld jazz with funk, R&B, and yes, even touches of progressive rock. Sun Goddess is also something of a stealth Earth, Wind & Fire album, as it features most of the key players from that band, and bears echoes of EW&F’s jazzier, more atmospheric side.