Satellite view of Manhattan centered on the intersection of Park Avenue and 34th Street, showing directions and local times of sunsets (solid arrows) and sunrises (dotted arrows) during Manhattanhenge (black), summer solstice (red), equinoxes (purple), and winter solstice (blue) in 2011. Times marked * have been adjusted for daylight saving. Click the image for an expanded view.

Looking west along 42nd Street at 8:23 p.m. on July 13, 2006. This photograph shows the sun lined up with the center line of 42nd Street.

Manhattanhenge – sometimes referred to as the Manhattan Solstice – is a semiannual occurrence during which the setting sun aligns with the east–west streets of the main street grid in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The neologism is derived from Stonehenge, where the sun aligns with the stones on the solstices with a similarly dramatic effect. The word was popularized in 2002 by Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History. The term applies to those streets that follow the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which are laid out in a grid offset 29.0 degrees from true east–west. (The 29.0 degrees should be added to true east and west, making the western bearing approximately 299.0 degrees.) During Manhattanhenge, an observer on one of the gridded east-west streets will see the sun setting over New Jersey directly opposite, from the street, along its centerline.

The dates of Manhattanhenge usually occur around May 28 and July 12 or July 13 – spaced evenly around summer solstice. In 2011, Manhattanhenge occurred on May 31 at 8:17 p.m., and on July 12 (full sun) and 13 (half sun), both at 8:25 p.m.^[1][2] In 2012, it will occur on Tuesday, May 29 at 8:17 p.m. and Thursday, July 12 at 8:25 p.m. (half sun), and on Wednesday, May 30 at 8:16 p.m. and Wednesday, July 11 at 8:24 p.m. (full sun). ^[1]

The two corresponding mornings of sunrise right on the center lines of the Manhattan grid are approximately December 5 and January 8 – spaced evenly around winter solstice.^[3] As with the solstices and equinoxes, the dates vary somewhat from year to year.^{[citation needed]}

Related phenomena[link]

The same phenomenon happens in other cities with a uniform street grid. Such occurrences would coincide with the vernal and autumnal equinox only if the grid plan were laid out precisely north-south and east-west, and perfectly aligned with true north as opposed to magnetic north. The situation in Baltimore, Maryland comes fairly close, with its sunrises on March 25 and September 18 and sunsets on March 12 and September 29.^[4] In Chicago, Illinois, the setting sun lines up with the grid system on September 25, a phenomenon known similarly as Chicagohenge.^[5] In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the setting sun lines up with the east–west streets on October 25 and February 16, a phenomenon known locally as Torontohenge.^[6][7] In Montreal, Quebec, Canada, there may be a Montrealhenge each year on July 12.^[8]

In popular culture[link]

• The Manhattanhenge phenomenon was the focus of the episode of CSI: NY that aired on November 25, 2009.^[9]
• The hardcore punk band Fucked Up used an image of Manhattanhenge for the cover of their 2008 album, The Chemistry of Common Life.^[10]
• The closing scene from the 2010 film Morning Glory features Mike Pomeroy, played by Harrison Ford, and Becky Fuller, played by Rachel McAdams, walking off into the Manhattanhenge sunset.

See also[link]

New York City portal

• Box Tunnel
• MIThenge
• Stonehenge replicas and derivatives

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manhattanhenge

• Hayden Planetarium discussion
• Video on Science Friday website
• Manhattanhenge, NOVA scienceNOW, first broadcast September 14, 2006
• New York Times CityRoom Blog from June 1st, 2009
• Manhattan Sunset
• Flickr photos tagged with Manhattanhenge
• Wired New York discussion of Manhattenhenge
• Video interpretation of Manhattanhenge
• Angle is 28.9 degrees
• Torontohenge wiki page on Torontopedia
• What is Manhattanhenge
• Manhattanhenge images on Yahoo! news July 12, 2011

Ramsey Lewis
Lewis at KPLU in October 2009
Background information
Birth name	Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr.
Born	(1935-05-27) May 27, 1935 (age 77)
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, jazz funk, pop
Occupations	Composer, pianist, radio personality
Instruments	Piano, keyboards
Years active	1956–present
Labels	MCA, Columbia, Blue Note, Hidden Beach Recordings
Associated acts	Young-Holt Unlimited
Website	www.ramseylewis.com

Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. (born May 27, 1935) is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.

Biography[link]

Ramsey Lewis was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ramsey Lewis, Sr. and Pauline Lewis.^[1] Lewis began taking piano lessons at the age of four. At 15 he joined his first jazz band, The Cleffs. The seven-piece group provided Lewis his first involvement with jazz; he would later join Cleffs drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young to form the Ramsey Lewis Trio. Lewis is a graduate of DePaul University.

The trio started as primarily a jazz unit and released their first album, Ramsey Lewis And The Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. Following their 1965 hit "The In Crowd" (the single reached #5 on the pop charts, and the album #2) they concentrated more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form Young-Holt Unlimited and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White. White left to form Earth, Wind & Fire was replaced by Morris Jennings in 1970. Later, Frankie Donaldson and Bill Dickens replaced Jennings and Eaton; Felton Crews also appeared on many 1980's releases.

By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd", "Hang On Sloopy",^[2] and "Wade in the Water". All three singles each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs.^[3] Many of his recordings attracted a large non-jazz audience. In the 1970s, Lewis often played electric piano, although by later in the decade he was sticking to acoustic and using an additional keyboardist in his groups.^[4]

In 1994, Lewis appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, alongside other prominent jazz artists, Herbie Hancock and Roy Ayers. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine.

In addition to recording and performing, Lewis hosts the weekly syndicated radio program Legends of Jazz, created in 1990. He also hosted the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on Chicago "smooth jazz" radio station WNUA (95.5 FM). In December 2006, this morning show became part of Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, simulcasting on other smooth jazz stations across the country until its cancellation in May 2009, when WNUA switched over to a Spanish format.^[5]

In 2006, a well-received 13-episode Legends of Jazz television series hosted by Lewis was broadcast on public TV nationwide and featured live performances by a variety of jazz artists including Larry Gray, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joey Defrancesco, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Kurt Elling, Benny Golson, Pat Metheny and Tony Bennett.^[6]

Lewis performing at JazzFe 2006. Photo by Tomas Forgac

Lewis is artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia (an annual feature at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois) and helped organize Ravinia's Jazz Mentor Program.^[7] Ramsey also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Merit School of Music, a Chicago inner-city music program and The Chicago High School for the Arts, the new public arts high school in Chicago. Early in 2005, the Ramsey Lewis Foundation was created to help connect at-risk children to the world of music. As an offshoot of that foundation, Lewis plans to form a Youth Choir and Youth Orchestra. In January 2007, the Dave Brubeck Institute invited Lewis to join its Honorary Board of Friends at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Lewis is an Honorary Board member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Lewis is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. In May 2008, Lewis received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Chicago upon delivering the keynote address at the undergraduate commencement ceremony.

Lewis still lives in Chicago, Illinois, the city of his musical roots. He has seven children, fourteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Discography[link]

Awards and recognitions[link]

Lewis performs live in the KPLU studio on October 2009

Grammy history[link]

• Career Wins: 3^[11]
• Career nominations:

Gold records[link]

Currently, the normal RIAA certifications for a gold album is 500,000 units.

Recognitions[link]

• 2002: Ramsey Lewis, carried the Winter 2002 Olympic Torch, Ramsey lights the cauldron for its brief stop in Chicago.^[13]
• 2003: NAACP Image Award, Best Jazz Artist, for his album Simple Pleasures (2003)^[14]
• 2006: 22nd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Best Gospel Instrumental Album, With One Voice (2005)^[15]
• 2007: National Endowment for the Arts, Jazz Masters Award^[16]
• 2007: Landmarks Illinois, Legendary Landmark Award, as one of living treasures of Illinois. "Just like our landmarked buildings, our three Legendary Landmarks have been critical to the civic well-being of Chicago and stand as a testimony to the greatness of our cultural integrity." said David Bahlman, president of Landmarks Illinois.^[17]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ramsey Lewis official site
• Billboard Chart History for Ramsey Lewis
• PBS - Legends of Jazz
• Ramsey Lewis interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' March 2010
• Interview, About.com
• Ramsey's Rhythms
• Jazz Monthly Feature Interview: Ramsey Lewis
• Legends of Jazz podcasts