''Routes'' is a studio album by American jazz pianist

Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five RIAA certification, gold records and three Grammy Awards ...

, produced by

Larry Dunn Larry Dunn (born Lorenzo Russell Dunn; June 19, 1953) is an American keyboardist, producer, songwriter and musical director, known as one of the original members of the music group Earth, Wind & Fire. Dunn was inducted, as a former band member, in ...

and

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...

and released in 1980 by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. The album reached No. 7 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Top Jazz Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

chart.

Critical reception

The Washington Informer ''The Washington Informer'' is a weekly newspaper published in Washington, D.C. ''The Informer'' is female-owned and is targeted at the African-American population of the D.C. metropolitan area. The publisher is Denise Rolark Barnes, whose fath ...

'' called the album "a mixture of African and Caribbean flavor," deeming it "a further extension of Ramsey Lewis' innovation." ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' called it "little more than funky cocktail lounge music which smoothly blends into the woodwork."

Track listing

Personnel

*Guitar –

Al McKay Albert Phillip McKay (born February 2, 1948) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He is a former member of The Watts 103rd Rhythm Street Band and Earth, Wind & Fire. As a member of EW&F, during 2000, he was inducted into the ...

Leo Nocentelli Leo Nocentelli (born June 15, 1946) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member and lead guitarist of the funk band the Meters. He wrote the original versions of several funk classics such as " Cissy Strut" and "Hey ...

Roland Bautista Roland Bautista (May 30, 1951 – February 29, 2012) was an American guitarist. He was best known for his work with Earth, Wind & Fire. He also worked with such artists as Ronnie Laws, The Crusaders (Houston group), The Crusaders, George Duke an ...

*Bass: David Barard,

Keni Burke Kenneth M. "Keni" Burke (born September 28, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career with four siblings in the 1970s band the Five Stairsteps. Biography Five Stairsteps As a membe ...

, Byron Miller *Keyboards: –

, Sam Henry Jr., Ramsey Lewis *Drums:

Herman "Roscoe" Ernest III Herman Ernest III (August 12, 1951 – March 6, 2011), best known as Roscoe, was an American session drummer and, for 30 years, the drummer for Dr. John. He was most active in the New Orleans Funk scene and referred to his playing style as "die ...

James Gadson James Edward Gadson (born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and songwriter. ...

, Ndugu Chancler *Percussion: Fred White, Kenneth "Afro" Williams,

Paulinho Da Costa Paulinho da Costa (, born Paulo Roberto da Costa on May 31, 1948) is a Brazilian percussionist. Beginning his career as a samba musician in Brazil, he moved to the United States in the early 1970s and worked with Brazilian bandleader Sérgio Me ...

Phillip Bailey Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his fou ...

*Horns: Michael Davis, Rahm Lee,

Louis Satterfield Louis Edward Satterfield (April 3, 1937 – September 27, 2004) was an American bassist and trombonist. Satterfield was a member of both The Pharaohs and the Phenix Horns. He also collaborated with prominent artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Mu ...

*Saxophone – Donald Myrick *Vocals –

Jon Lind Jonathan Gus Lind (April 14, 1948 – January 15, 2022), professionally known as Jon Lind, was an American songwriter, performer and A&R executive. Biography Lind was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 14, 1948, and raised in New York City. He ...

, Warren Weinberg,

Maurice White Maurice White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey. ...

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1980 albums Ramsey Lewis albums Albums produced by Allen Toussaint Columbia Records albums