Ramsey Lewis, drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young formed the … Read Full Bio ↴Ramsey Lewis, drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio. They started as primarily a jazz unit but after their hit, "The In Crowd", in 1965 (the single reached fifth place on the pop charts, and the album second place) the trio concentrated more and more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form the Young-Holt Trio and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White. White was replaced by Maurice Jennings in 1970. In the late 1970s an additional keyboard player was frequently added to the lineup. A contemporary version of "The In Crowd" was recorded for Lewis' 2004 album, Time Flies.

Ramsey Lewis has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.

His recent "With One Voice" release pays homage to his gospel roots all while maintaining his classic style. With the help of gospel favorites Smokie Norful, Darius Brooks, and Donald Lawrence, Lewis delivers an emotion-packed, soul-stirring, album. Lewis also enlisted the help of his church's choir, pastored by his older sister, to sing on several of the album's tracks. The J.W. James Memorial A.M.E. Church Combined Choir is breath-taking, adding so much life, freedom, and hope to "With One Voice". The CD's first single, "Pass Me Not" can be heard on Chicago's WGCI 107.5.

In addition to recording and performing, he is / has been a radio host on Chicago's Smooth Jazz station, WNUA (95.5 FM). His syndicated show Legends of Jazz, featuring classic jazz recordings from artists such as Charlie Parker and Miles Davis), can be heard in 60 cities in the United States and other countries as well. His most recent venture, the Legends of Jazz television series on PBS, was first aired in April 2006.

As of 2005 he has been hosting a radio show called Legends of Jazz for London's Smooth FM (previously Jazz FM).

On December 4, 2006, the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show will become a part of Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, simulcasting on other Smooth Jazz stations across the country for the first time. However, the show will still be based in Chicago, as it has always been.

Old Devil Moon
The Ramsey Lewis Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I look at you and suddenly
Something in your eyes I see
Soon begins bewitching me
It's that old devil moon
That you stole from the skies
It's that old devil moon in your eyes

You and you glance make this romance

Too hot to handle
Stars in the night
Blazing their light
Can't hold a candle
To your razzle-dazzle

You've got me flyin' high and wide
On a magic carpet ride
Full of butterflies inside
Wanna cry, wanna croon
Wanna laugh like a loon
It's that old devil moon in your eyes

Just when I think
I'm free as a dove
Old devil moon

Deep in your eyes
Blinds me with love

Overall Meaning

The Ramsey Lewis Trio's "Old Devil Moon" is a classic love ballad that explores the powerful and all-encompassing nature of falling in love. The song begins with the singer looking into their lover's eyes and realizing that they are completely entranced by the person before them. The imagery of the "old devil moon" in the lover's eyes suggests that there is something almost supernatural about this person's ability to captivate and enchant the singer.

As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the intense nature of their feelings for this person. The romance between them is described as "too hot to handle," and the stars in the night sky are said to "blaze their light" in comparison to the lover's "razzle-dazzle." The singer is overwhelmed by their emotions and describes feeling "flyin' high and wide" and having "butterflies inside." Despite this intensity, however, the singer feels completely powerless - blinded by the "old devil moon" in their lover's eyes.

Line by Line Meaning

I look at you and suddenly
As soon as I lay my eyes on you

Something in your eyes I see
I notice something in the way you look at me

Soon begins bewitching me
It doesn't take long before I am under your spell

It's that old devil moon
The reason for my enchantment is that old devil moon

That you stole from the skies
It's as if you took the moon from the sky and put it in your eyes

It's that old devil moon in your eyes
The enchantment I feel comes from the moon that seems to reside in your eyes

You and you glance make this romance
The way you look at me adds to the romance

Too hot to handle
It's almost too intense

Stars in the night
Even the stars in the sky

Blazing their light
With all their brightness

Can't hold a candle
Cannot compare to