Looking Forward to London

On July 16th, I am performing a solo recital at the London Symphony Orchestra St. Luke’s chapel.

You can read more about the venue here.
You can find out more about the July 16th performance here.

Friends, family and fans have been asking about the trip and the performance. I thought I’d address some of those questions here on my blog.

What songs you are planning on performing? I have prepared six or seven original pieces for solo piano. Besides a recent private performance, this is the first time most of them will be performed before an audience. One of them debuted last month at Ravinia, “Softly, She Sings.” It comes from my wife, Jan. It’s a melody that she first imagined as a child. One day she sang it to me in a soft voice, hence the title. I look forward to performing it in London.

Some other songs I’m planning on performing: John Coltrane’s “Dear Lord,” a medley of standards including “Here There and Everywhere,” “In the Still of the Night” and “Body and Soul.” There’s a medley of “The ‘In’ Crowd” and “Wade in the Water,” and another consisting of some other Gospel pieces.

How many times have you performed a solo recital or concert? This is probably only the fourth or fifth time I’ve performed solo in over 50 years as professional musician. I usually play with my trio along with Larry Gray and Leon Joyce. During those concerts, there is usually a solo section but the London performance will be an entire concert of solo piano playing.

What brought about this and other recent requests to perform solo? On my latest album, Songs from the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey, I recorded four solo pieces and this could have inspired requests for me to perform as a soloist.

How do you feel about performing as a soloist? I love playing solo piano because that is how I was brought up – playing in church and studying European classical music such as Bach and Beethoven. From the ages of 4-15 I performed almost exclusively alone on stage. It wasn’t until I joined the jazz group The Cleffs as a teenager that I began performing regularly with other musicians. But most of all, I feel that while I am performing as a soloist I am not alone. I am on stage with the piano which is my dear, dear friend and has been my friend nearly all my life.

What do you love best about London? London has all the diversity and energy that one would expect and enjoy in a large, international and cosmopolitan city but it still retains its own unique flavor. In the United States, we favor new skyscrapers and structures. In cities like London and Tokyo, while there is that same contemporary growth, they are able to retain their old charm. I also love the cultural traditions – mainly stopping in the afternoon for tea.

Besides the performance, what are you looking forward to the most? The break from my schedule here at home. I love my daily routine of waking up and spending much of the day writing music and practicing piano. But even with a routine that I cherish, one must come up for air. Jan has been very busy with her jewelry and accessory design work and writing her book. We are both looking forward to some rest and relaxation in London. We love to just get out and walk. London is a wonderful city for walking.