“Them Changes” (1970) – Ramsey Lewis * Written by Buddy Miles * 45: “Them Changes” / “Unsilent Majority” * LP: Them Changes * Produced by Ramsey Lewis * Label: Cadet
Jazz keyboardist Ramsey Lewis had a knack for the single format; too bad his “Them Changes” never got much radio traction, although playlists show that Los Angeles MOR station KMPC used to give it some air time. Recorded live at the Depot in Minneapolis in May 1970, this Rhodes piano version of Buddy Miles’s signature song hearkens back to the club-date sound of earlier Lewis hits like “The In Crowd” and “Hang on Sloopy,” locking into a deep groove with the help of Morris Jennings (drums), Cleveland Eaton (bass), and Phil Upchurch (guitar). The current-event images on the cover give the instrumental album an activist vibe. (The 45 version cretits “Ramsey Lewis & Co.”).