Funky Serenity

Funky Serenity is an album by the pianist Ramsey Lewis, released in 1973 on Columbia Records. The album got to No. 6 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.^[1]

Funky Serenity
Studio album by Ramsey Lewis
Released	January 30, 1973
Recorded	October 1972
Genre	Jazz
Length	48:07
Label	Columbia KC 32030
Producer	Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Lewis chronology
Upendo Ni Pamoja (1972) Funky Serenity (1973) Ramsey Lewis' Newly Recorded All-Time Non-Stop Golden Hits (1973)

Samples

"Dreams" was sampled by A Tribe Called Quest on the song "Electric Relaxation", from their 1993 LP Midnight Marauders. Beck also sampled "My Love For You" on the song "Debra."^[2][3]

"My Love For You" was also sampled by Musiq Soulchild on the track "Girl Next Door." What's more, Lewis' rendition of Luther Ingram's "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" was sampled by The Fugees on "Fu-Gee-La."^[3][4]

Producer Kanye West also sampled Lewis' cover of The Stylistics' "Betcha by Golly, Wow" for the Mariah Carey song "Stay the Night" on her 2005 LP The Emancipation of Mimi.^[5]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[7]

Andrew Hamilton of AllMusic called the album "enjoyable and essential".^[6]

Track listing

All compositions by Cleveland Eaton, Morris Jennings and Ramsey Lewis except as indicated

1. "Kufanya Mapenzi (Making Love)" (Eddie Green) - 5:17
2. "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" (Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, Raymond Jackson) - 5:24
3. "What It Is!" - 2:41
4. "My Love for You" (Green) - 5:14
5. "Nights in White Satin" (Justin Hayward) - 5:36
6. "Serene Funk" - 4:11
7. "Dreams" - 9:39
8. "Betcha by Golly, Wow" (Thom Bell, Linda Creed) - 5:09
9. "Where Is the Love" (Ralph MacDonald, William Salter) - 4:56

Personnel

• Ramsey Lewis - piano, electric piano, harpsichord
• Cleveland Eaton - bass, electric bass, percussion
• Morris Jennings - drums, congas, percussion
• Ed Green - percussion, violin