Jazz legend Ramsey Lewis will unveil a new composition at his Ravinia Festival concert with Natalie Cole next week.
This première is unusual because he is inviting fans to join him in the creative process and name the new tune.
A video on the Ravinia site shows Lewis playing the new song and talking about what moved him to write it.
"I've written enough pieces, but I've run out of names," he says. "It is a ballad, and can you help me out by naming it?"
Listeners are invited to submit a title to contests@ravinia.org.
The winner will be invited to the concert on August 28. "During the concert," Lewis says, "while we are playing this piece, I will invite you to stand up and take a bow."
As a jazz composer, Lewis is nothing if not prolific. He recently released his 80th collection of songs entitled, Ramsey, Taking Another Look.
This, despite the fact that Lewis claims about his compositions: "I continue to play with it. Being a jazz musician, you're never really finished writing a piece. That's the way it is."
