Urban Knights - Urban Knights I / 1995

 Urban Knights I is the debut album of the jazz group Urban Knights released in 1995 by GRP Records.^[7] The album reached No. 5 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

 Urban Knights 1 was produced by Maurice White. Artists such as The Emotions, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr. and Omar Hakim appeared on the album. Urban Knights I also features a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire's 1981 single "Wanna Be with You".

 When Maurice White produced the Urban Knights' self-titled debut album in 1994, some people were surprised to see Earth, Wind & Fire's leader/founder producing an album of mostly instrumental jazz-funk and pop-jazz. But for those who knew something about White's pre-EWF history, it wasn't all that surprising -- White had a jazz background, and he played drums in the Ramsey Lewis Trio before forming EWF's original pre-Philip Bailey lineup in 1970. Lewis, in fact, is among the participants on this CD by the Urban Knights, whose first lineup consists of Lewis on piano, Grover Washington, Jr. on tenor and soprano sax, Victor Bailey on electric bass, and Omar Hakim on drums. With such an all-star lineup, this album should have been exceptional -- it isn't, although Urban Knights offers a generally pleasant, if inconsistent and unremarkable, mixture of jazz, R&B, and pop. There are moments of interest; the CD's more noteworthy tracks include Lewis' Brazilian-influenced "Urban Samba," Hakim's dreamy "Hearts of Longing," and White's funky "On the Radio." But when Earth, Wind & Fire's leader/founder is the producer and musicians like Lewis and Washington are on board, you expect an album that is more than just pleasant -- you expect a masterpiece. And while Urban Knights isn't bad, it doesn't live up to its enormous potential. 

 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.