The members of the Ramsey Lewis Trio were jazz composer and pianist, Ramsey Lewis, bassist Eldee Young and percussionist Redd Holt.
In 1956, they released their first album, Ramsey Lewis and His Gentlemen of Jazz, on the Chess label.
Following their 1965 hit “The In Crowd” (the single reached No. 5 on the pop charts, and the album No. 2) they concentrated more on pop material.
The Trio received a Grammy for the 1965 instrumental hit, “The In Crowd.”
After Young and Holt left Lewis’ trio to form their group, Young-Holt Unlimited, the pianist Ramsey hired a new rhythm section with Cleveland Eaton on bass and Maurice White on drums.
When White left the band to form Earth, Wind & Fire, Morris Jennings signed on as the trio’s new percussionist.
White returned to produce Lewis’ 1974 smash album entitled Sun Goddess, in which Lewis first experimented with electronic keyboards and featured Earth, Wind & Fire on the album.
In 1983, Lewis returned to the studio with Young and Holt for the album Reunion.
Eldee Young died from a heart attack on February 12, 2007, at age 71 in Bangkok, Thailand and Ramsey Lewis died on September 12, 2022, at age 87 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Redd Holt is currently the drummer in a group which performs a live set on Friday nights at The East Bank Club in Chicago.