Career Highlights
Recording Artist
With more than 80 albums recorded to date
Colors
World premiere at The Blue Note Jazz Club Tokyo — September 2010
Proclamation of Hope
Commissioned by Ravinia Festival to compose a new work to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth
Premiere performance at Ravinia — June 2009
Muses and Amusements
World premiere of new music composed for and performed with trio and the Turtle Island Quartet at Ravinia Festival — June 2008
“To Know Her...”
World premiere of new music composed for and performed with the Joffrey Ballet at Ravinia Festival
Choreographed by Donald Byrd — June 2007
On-Air Personality
“The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show”
WNUA 95.5 FM, Chicago, IL
from 1997-2009
“The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show”
Nation-wide syndication
from 2007-2009
“The Jazz Masters”
Host of hour long national PBS special entitled “The Jazz Masters” featuring five winners of the NEA Jazz Masters Award: Nancy Wilson, James Moody, Jon Hendricks, Paquito D’Rivera and George Wein, as well as young vocalist Renee Olstead — June 2005
“Legends of Jazz”
Hosted "Legends of Jazz" with Ramsey Lewis, a weekly two hour jazz radio program syndicated in numerous cities throughout the U.S. — 1990-present
“Jazz Central”
Host of a weekly one hour interview and performance program on “Jazz Central,” for B.E.T. (Black Entertainment Television) cable television nation-wide.
Nominated for 2 ACE awards, 1991 and 1992 — 1990-1999
Lecturer
Music related topics at civic functions and universities including: University of Tennessee, Indiana University, Northeastern University, etc. — 1990-present
Artistic Director
Ravinia Festival “Jazz at Ravinia” — North America’s oldest music festival
Chicago, IL — 1992-present
“Art Tatum Professor in Jazz Studies”
Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL — 1999-2001
Co-founder
Ravinia Mentor Program for Ravinia Festival that cultivates jazz in city high schools — 1995