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It's ironic that on Ramsey Lewis' Urban Knights II (GRP), the one holdover from the first Knights project is only featured half the time. Needless to say, that's the more riveting, jazzier half of this Maurice White-produced exercise in easy funk and potent, machine generated urban grooves. Lewis' slowly simmering, coolly rhythmic piano jaunts add flair to middle of the road silky pieces like "The Promise," but are best enjoyed on the two playful solo interludes which create an organic contrast to the slicker fare they complement. The pianist also adds an avant-garde edge to the heavily soundscaped "Brazilian Rain." Aside from Lewis, this all-star affair features some spirited gospel keyboard and vocal flavors surrounding Najee's soprano sax and flute, as well as a "South African Jam" celebration hosted by Jonathan Butler's happy vocals and guitar. While a positive effort overall, for the inevitable Urban Knights III, White would benefit from ditching the machinery and letting his stars jam more spontaneously.
© Jonathan Widran /TiVo
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Bill Meyers, Producer, Synthesizer, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Morris Pleasure, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Maurice White, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ramsey Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Jimi Randolph, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Sheldon Reynolds, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Kevin Randolph, Keyboards, Synth Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ramsey Lewis, ComposerLyricist - Tony Carpenter, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Webb, Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Logan, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Frayne T. Lewis, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Richard Randolph, ComposerLyricist - Najee, Flute, Soprano Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Theresa Davis, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Karen Boyd, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lambert Anthony, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Chrystle Barret, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Kevin Randolph, Keyboards, Synth Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Maggie Brown, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Frayne T. Lewis, Producer, Keyboards, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Richard Randolph, ComposerLyricist - Najee, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Theresa Davis, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Karen Boyd, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Lambert Anthony, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Chrystle Barret, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bill Meyers, Producer, Synthesizer, Rhodes , Background Vocalist, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Maurice White, Producer, Background Vocalist, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - VERDINE WHITE, Bass, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Sheldon Reynolds, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Valerie Pinkston, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Meyers, Producer, String Arranger, Synthesizer, Rhodes , FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Morris Pleasure, Bass, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Maurice White, Producer - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ramsey Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Carl Carwell, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Sheldon Reynolds, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Maurice White, Producer - Ramsey Lewis, Composer, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bill Meyers, Composer, Producer, String Arranger, Synthesizer, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Morris Pleasure, Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Albright, Soprano Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Maurice White, Composer, Producer - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ramsey Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Jimi Randolph, Composer - Urban Knights, MainArtist
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Valerie Pinkston, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Meyers, Composer, Producer, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, Rhodes , FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, Composer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Maurice White, Producer - Jonathan Butler, Composer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Carl Carwell, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Sheldon Reynolds, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Kevin Randolph, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Ramsey Lewis, Composer, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Frayne T. Lewis, Composer, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Richard Randolph, Composer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Lambert Anthony, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Valerie Pinkston, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Meyers, Producer, Synthesizer, Rhodes , FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Maurice White, Producer - VERDINE WHITE, Bass, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Carl Carwell, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - James Cornwell, Composer - Kevin Guillaume, Composer, Vocal Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Ralph Hawkins, Composer, Vocal Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Sheldon Reynolds, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - CODE/RJSK Productions, Producer - Stan Jones II, Composer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Kevin Randolph, Keyboards, Synth Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ramsey Lewis, Composer, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Carpenter, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Webb, Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Frayne T. Lewis, Composer, Producer - Kevin Richard Randolph, Composer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Lambert Anthony, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bill Meyers, Composer, Producer, String Arranger, Synthesizer, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Morris Pleasure, Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Albright, Soprano Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Emory, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Maurice White, Composer, Producer - Jonathan Butler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ramsey Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist - Ross Vanelli, Composer
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Maurice White, Producer - Ramsey Lewis, Composer, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Urban Knights, MainArtist
℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
It's ironic that on Ramsey Lewis' Urban Knights II (GRP), the one holdover from the first Knights project is only featured half the time. Needless to say, that's the more riveting, jazzier half of this Maurice White-produced exercise in easy funk and potent, machine generated urban grooves. Lewis' slowly simmering, coolly rhythmic piano jaunts add flair to middle of the road silky pieces like "The Promise," but are best enjoyed on the two playful solo interludes which create an organic contrast to the slicker fare they complement. The pianist also adds an avant-garde edge to the heavily soundscaped "Brazilian Rain." Aside from Lewis, this all-star affair features some spirited gospel keyboard and vocal flavors surrounding Najee's soprano sax and flute, as well as a "South African Jam" celebration hosted by Jonathan Butler's happy vocals and guitar. While a positive effort overall, for the inevitable Urban Knights III, White would benefit from ditching the machinery and letting his stars jam more spontaneously.
© Jonathan Widran /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:49:56
- Main artists: Urban Knights
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: GRP
- Genre: Jazz
© 1997 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 1997 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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