He earned three Grammy awards and seven gold records. The Chicago native began composing large-scale musical works later in his career.
CHICAGO — Renowned jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, whose music entertained fans over a more than 60-year career that began with the Ramsey Lewis Trio and made him one of the country's most successful jazz musicians, has died. He was 87.
"It gave us a lot of opportunity to try our ideas and learn what it means to perform in front of an audience," Lewis said as he was named National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2007. He accepted the award from his mentor and fellow Jazz Master, pianist Billy Taylor. The Chicago native began composing large-scale musical works later in his career. His first was an eight-movement piece for Chicago's Joffrey Ballet. He also completed a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln —"Proclamation of Hope: A Symphonic Poem by Ramsey Lewis."
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