Bill Ramsay

William George "Rams" Ramsay was an American jazz saxophonist and band leader based in Seattle. In 1997, he was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame, the top of eight Golden Ear Award categories presented annually since 1990 by the Earshot Jazz Society of Seattle. Ramsay performed on all the primary saxophones – soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone – as well as clarinet, and bass clarinet. Ramsay died on March 2, 2024, at the age of 95.

Performance affiliations

Alto sax in the Buddy Morrow Band in the early 60s
Baritone sax in the Maynard Ferguson Band
Lead alto sax in the Ray McKinley Band
Tenor sax in the Benny Goodman Octet
Baritone sax in the Count Basie Orchestra for two years; Ramsay was hired in April 1984, three weeks before Basie died, to sub for Johnny C. Williams, who had been hospitalized; Ramsay got the call from Basie's road manager, Sonny Cohn; Bobby Mitchell had recommended Ramsay to Basie after having heard him with the Benny Goodman Band
Baritone sax in the Duke Ellington Orchestra
Toured with Les Brown, Frank Wess & Sweets Edison Band, Grover Mitchell's New York All Star Orchestra, Dennis Mackrel Jazz Orchestra, and Frankie Capp's "Juggernaut."
Performed with the bands of Thad Jones, Cab Calloway, Mel Lewis, Gene Harris, and Quincy Jones
In the 1980s, Ramsay led his own big band that performed Sundays at Parnall's Jazz Club in Seattle
Member of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra since its founding in 1995.
Co-leader, with Milton Edwin Kleeb, of the Ramsay-Kleeb Big Band. Based in Seattle, the ten-piece jazz band played the music of Miles Davis, Gil Evans, and Gerry Mulligan.

Selected discography

As leader

Ramsay-Kleeb Band, "Red" Kelly's Heroes, C.A.R.S. Productions

As arranger

Jay Thomas with the Cedar Walton Trio, Easy Does It, Discovery

As sideman

Frank Wess–Harry Edison Orchestra, Dear Mr. Basie Concord Jazz
Grover Mitchell Orchestra, Hip Shakin, Ken Music
Jay Thomas, 360 Degrees Hep Jazz
Mel Torme with the Frank Wess Orchestra, Live at the Concord Jazz Festival, August 17, 1990, Concord Jazz
The Frank Wess Orchestra, Entre Nous, Live "Kan-i Hoken Hall", Tokyo, Japan, November 11, 1990 Concord Jazz
Becca Duran with the Jay Thomas Group, Hide & Seek, Discovery Records
Bud Shank, Lost Cathedral, Seven Sensational Saxophones - Fujitsu-Concord 26Th Jazz Festival, Jesse Davis, Gary Foster, Bill Ramsay, Ken Peplowski, Chris Potter, Frank Wess, and Rickey Woodard
, Live Live Live, recorded at Triad Studios, Redmond, Washington
, Forever, MNOP Records
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, SRJO Live, Origin Records
Mel Tormé, Two Darn Hot: A Night at the Concord Pavilion/Live at the Fujitsu-Concord
Pete Christlieb, For Heaven's Sake, C.A.R.S. Productions
Jon Belcher & Savoy Swing, Till Tom Special, Irrational Behavior Productions Charlie May All Star Big Band Plays the Arrangements of Gaylord Jones
, Let the Good Times Roll
, Mood Swings
& the NW Prevailing Winds, Convergence Zone, Origin Records
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Sacred Music of Duke Ellington, Origin Records
& the SW Santa Ana Winds, My Museum, Origin Records
Bud Shank, Awakening
Jimmy Heath & the Seattle Jazz Orchestra, Endless Search, Origin Records
& The Northwest Bouncing Beagles, Ballet of the Bouncing Beagles, Origin Records
Stix Hooper, Many Hats
Primo Kim Villaruz, Make it Right, R.K.K. Productions, Inc.
Milt Kleeb Octet, Something if Nothing Else,

Unpublished'

Bill Ramsay & the Hipshaker Big Band, Thaddeus, unpublished live recording at Tula's

Filmography

A Tribute to Count Basie, filmed at Kan-i Hoken Hall, Tokyo, November 11, 1989 Fujitsu Concord Jazz Festival, filmed at Kan-i Hoken Hall, Japan, November 11, 1990

''Diane Schuur: Live from Seattle - With Maynard Ferguson and His Big Bop Nouveau Band''

Service in the U.S. Armed Forces

From September 28, 1948, to June 25, 1952, Ramsay served in the U.S. Army. He ended his tour with an honorable discharge.

Family

Parents
Sister
Spouse
'''Daughter'''

Audio & video links

, featuring Frank Wess and Doug Lawrence on tenors