Tequila Mockingbird (song)

"Tequila Mockingbird"
Single by Ramsey Lewis
from the album Tequila Mockingbird
B-side	"My Angel's Smile"
Released	February 1978
Format	7" single, stereo, mono, promo
Genre	Jazz, Funk, Soul
Length	3:15
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Larry Dunn
Producer(s)	Larry Dunn

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"Tequila Mockingbird" is single issued by jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis in Feb 1978 on Columbia Records. The song went on to receive within the UK a significant amount of radio airplay.

Overview

"Tequila Mockingbird" was composed and produced by Larry Dunn. The single's b-side was a song called My Angel's smile. Both Tequila Mockingbird and My Angel's Smile came upon Ramsey Lewis's 1977 studio album Tequila Mockingbird.

During a concert at Ronnie Scott's, London, Lewis revealed that Columbia Records came up with the song's title.

Critical reception

Cashbox proclaimed that "the title track is a funky jump which features lead trade-offs between Lewis and Ronnie Laws on soprano sax." Billboard also noted Tequila Mockingbird as a "recommended" single.

Within a review of Ramsey Lewis & Urban Knights' 2019 LP "VII" Smooth Jazz Magazine declared that "The album revisits what is possibly his most famous tune, "Tequila Mockingbird."

John Fordham of The Guardian in a review of Lewis' show at Ronnie Scott's, London noted that "Lewis had a close connection with African American superstars Earth, Wind & Fire in the 70s. He soon reminds his audience of those collaborations with an account of "Tequila Mockingbird" (“The label named it,” he announces mock apologetically) in which the Wes Montgomery-like guitarist Henry Johnson and bassist Joshua Ramos set up an infectiously chugging unison hook cushioning a bright Latin-chordal piano melody, while synth player Tim Gant softly mimics a soul-jazz horn section on the accents. Lewis improvises unaccompanied in delicate treble twists, chord-punching rhythm patterns and wry trills before the band clamours back into the hook."

Jackson Sinnenberg of JazzTimes declared in his review of Ramsey Lewis & Urban Knights VII that "...An infectious joy extends from every instrument in their reworking of his Tequila Mockingbird, ushered in by Charles Heath’s carnival-worthy marching drum line. As Lewis lays down the lightly swinging rumba groove, keyboardist Tim Gant chimes in with synthesizers above like a celestial fanfare. Henry Johnson drives the band here and elsewhere with ringing, rapid-fire scratch rhythm guitar."

Tim Stenhouse of UKVibe.org proclaimed that "the title track...echo(es) the Earth, Wind & Fire trademark sound..."

Seattle Music Insider wrote: "What a great evening everyone had at Jazz Alley with Ramsey Lewis and Philip Bailey on May 22 (2014). In all my years of going to Jazz Alley, I’ve never seen or heard a crowd so involved with an act – dancing and  singing along during most of the set. Ramsey came on first with his Electric Band, starting off the gig with "Tequila Mockingbird"...".

Live Performances

For over 40 years, Ramsey Lewis has continued to feature "Tequila Mockingbird" as the opening number in his live shows, which have included Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London, Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, and his show at The Playboy Jazz Festival at The Hollywood Bowl, June 2018.

Steve Edwards Soul Show The Fusion Special, Las Vegas PRX radio, highlights "a killer vocal interpretation of the Ramsey Lewis classic "Tequila Mockingbird" by Ms Dee Dee Bridgewater."

Appearances in other media

During May 2019, The Roots performed a live cover version of "Tequila Mockingbird" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Jeff Daniels, who was currently appearing in the Broadway show "To Kill A Mockingbird", came out to take the guest seat. In a panel discussion with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots on "the show's knack for blending music and comedy, they shared that The "Tonight Show" gang loves seeing guests' reaction to their entrance music."

Cover versions

Dee Dee Bridgewater recorded a vocal version of "Tequila Mockingbird" with lyrics written by Roxanne Seeman. It was produced by George Duke for her "Bad For Me" album released in 1979.

Bridgewater's version was covered by the Japanese vocal group ITS on their 1980 album "Rainbow".

Original and cover versions of "Tequila Mockingbird" have also been included by Ramsey Lewis and Dee Dee Bridgewater upon LPs such as:

• Ramsey Lewis – The Best of Ramsey Lewis, 1981, CBS Records
• Ramsey Lewis – The Electric Collection, 1981, Columbia Records
• Ramsey Lewis – Ivory Pyramid, 1992, GRP Records (Cover version)
• Ramsey Lewis – I Love a Piano: GRP Gold Encore Series, 1993, GRP)
• Ramsey Lewis – Classic Jazz-Funk, Vol. 7, Mastercuts
• Ramsey Lewis - The Columbia Anthology (1972 - 1989), 2018
• Ramsey Lewis & Urban Knights - VII, 2019, Ropeadope
• Dee Dee Bridgewater - Wonderland - The Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire, Expansion Records, 2012.
• Dee Dee Bridgewater - Only The Best of Dee Dee Bridgewater, 2009,

Tequila Mockingbird was also played by DJ John Gomez as the closing song of the 2019 4-day Kala Festival on the Albanian Riviera.

Personnel

• Ramsey Lewis - acoustic piano
• Leon Ndugu Chancler - drums
• Al McKay - guitar
• Verdine White - bass
• Larry Dunn - Fender Rhodes, Moog synthesizer
• Eddie del Barrio - horn arrangement
• George del Barrio - string arrangement
• Ronnie Laws - soprano saxophone

References

This article "Tequila Mockingbird (song)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Tequila Mockingbird (song). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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