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An all-star collective featuring pianist
Ramsey Lewis,
Urban Knights make funky crossover jazz in the spirit of
Lewis' '70s and '80s albums, as well as the work of band's like the Blackbyrds and
the Jazz Crusaders. With
Lewis at the group's core,
Urban Knights have issued a bevy of Top 20 Billboard jazz albums including 1995's
Urban Knights I, 2001's
Urban Knights IV, and 2005's
Urban Knights V.
Formed in 1995,
Urban Knights was initially conceived as a showcase for
Lewis and a rotating cast of guest artists. The group's debut album,
Urban Knights I, arrived that same year on GRP and featured production by
Earth, Wind & Fire's
Maurice White. Joining
Lewis were a bevy of name performers including
Grover Washington, Jr.,
Omar Hakim,
Freddie Hubbard, and others. The album reached number five on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
Urban Knights II followed two years later and again found
Lewis working with producer
White. Also coming on board was the pianist's son, keyboardist
Frayne Lewis. The album reached number seven on the jazz chart and featured guest appearances by
Gerald Albright,
Najee,
Jonathan Butler, and more.
For 2000's
Urban Knights III,
Lewis moved the group to Narada Records and enlisted a handful of Chicago-area pros including son
Frayne Lewis, keyboardist
Kevin Randolph, bassist
Sharay Reed, drummer Calvin Rogers, and percussionist
Alejo Poveda. Also featured are the all-female vocal group
the Staples (cousins of the famed
Staple Singers), saxophonist
Dave Koz, and guitarists
Earl Klugh and
Fareed Haque. The album peaked at number four on the jazz charts. A year later,
Lewis and the group returned with
Urban Knights IV. Joining the ensemble was one-time
Donald Byrd protégé trumpeter
Ron Haynes, as well as guest performer guitarist
Norman Brown. Showcasing a funky sound reminiscent of
Donald Byrd's
Blackbyrds group, the album peaked at number two on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
With 2002's
The Chicago Project,
Lewis stepped back from
Urban Knights and handed leadership over to his son, keyboardist/producer
Frayne Lewis. Also included in the lineup were returning members trumpeter
Haynes, bassist
Reed, guitarist
Haque, and keyboardist
Randolph. The elder
Lewis returned the following year for
Urban Knights V, which featured appearances by saxophonist
Kenny Garrett, vocalist
Michelle Williams, and trumpeter
Orbert Davis.
Lewis was again on board for 2005's
Urban Knights VI, executive producing and performing on several tracks with keyboardist
Randolph, noted Chicago guitarist
Bobby Broom, bassist
Maurice Fitzgerald, drummer Quinjuan Anderson, and saxophonist
Nick Bisesi. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard jazz chart. Following an extended period away from the group,
Lewis put together another
Urban Knights lineup for 2019's
Urban Knights VII, bringing on board guitarist
Henry Johnson, keyboardist
Tim Gant, bassist
Joshua Ramos, and drummer
Charles Heath. Also included were vocalist
Dee Alexander and trumpeter
Maurice Brown. Along with original songs, the album featured reworkings of classic songs by
John Coltrane,
Chick Corea, and
the Beatles. ~ Matt Collar