Bill Ramsay, Octogenarian Swinger

Bill Ramsay is a veteran saxophonist widely admired in jazz circles across the US but little known to the public outside the Pacific Northwest. Accomplished on alto and baritone saxes,he co-leads the Ramsay-Kleeb band and is the baritone sparkplug of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. Ramsay has been a first-call sub on the Count Basie band for decades.  His good-natured jousting partnership with tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb never fails to produce hard swing and spontaneous standup comedy.

Ramsay celebrates his 80^th birthday this month. Jim Wilke will observe the occasion on his Jazz Northwest radio program on Sunday, January 4 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, 4:00 p.m. Eastern.  Wilke will include previously unissued music by Ramsay's big band, recorded in 1961. To hear the program in the Seattle-Tacoma area, tune in KPLU at 88.5 FM. To hear it on the internet, go here.  

Ramsay and I are not related -- except by mutual interests. Whenever I encounter him, he tells me to correct the spelling of my last name and I tell him to correct the spelling of his.