Label: 20th Century Fox
Jazz
A very obscure release and never put to CD, this album from Ahmad Jamal in many ways harkens back to his early releases on Argo such as But Not For Me and Live At The Pershing. Although this is a studio session, here he has surrounded himself with some of the most sought after session men. Most of these are in quintet or sextet groupings, something a little different to his usual trio settings.
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A sorely underexposed figure and a major influence on Miles Davis, pianist Ahmad Jamal isn't generally ranked among the all-time giants of jazz, but he impressed fellow musicians and record buyers alike with his innovative, minimalist approach. Jamal's manipulations of space and silence, tension and release, and dynamics all broke new ground, and had an impact far beyond Jamal's favored piano trio format. As an arranger, Jamal made the most of his small-group settings by thinking of them in orchestral terms: using his trademark devices to create contrast and dramatic effect, and allowing the rhythm section a great deal of independence in its interplay. Nonetheless, his ensembles were always tightly focused as well, following their leader through sudden changes in tempo or time signature, and often carrying the main riff of a tune.
Jamal's own playing was a model of economy; because he didn't overwhelm listeners with his technique, his flashes of virtuosity had significantly more impact. His lines were spare and light, yet melodically and harmonically inventive, and driven by complex left-hand chord voicings that broke with Bud Powell's right-hand emphasis. A chamber-like sensibility and a classical formality permeated much of his playing, yet he swung like a jazzman without fail. Miles Davis greatly admired him, borrowing liberally from his repertoire and arrangements, and encouraging his pianist Red Garland to imitate Jamal's playing as closely as possible; additionally, Jamal's concepts of space and subtlety greatly affected Davis in his own right, both as a soloist and as a bandleader who (as it's often put) let the music breathe.
In the wake of But Not for Me's success, Jamal opened his own club, the Alhambra, and recorded prolifically for Argo during the '60s. Some of his albums continued to enjoy crossover success, including 1958's Ahmad Jamal Trio, Vol. 4 and 1960's Ahmad Jamal at the Penthouse, the latter of which teamed the trio with a 15-piece string section masterminded by Joe Kennedy. Two live albums, Alhambra and All of You, documented the group's 1961 performances at Jamal's club, though unfortunately it would not exist for much longer. Neither would Jamal's trio, which disbanded in 1962.
Jamal moved to 20th Century in 1973 for a series of decent-selling albums that kicked off with Ahmad Jamal '73, another session with arranger Richard Evans. Others included 1974's Jamalca, 1975's Jamal Plays Jamal, 1976's Steppin' Out with a Dream, 1979's One, and 1980's Intervals and Genetic Walk; of those, the former two and Intervals all made the R&B charts, while Genetic Walk was Jamal's fifth and final album to reach the pop charts. Nasser left the trio in the mid-'70s and was replaced by John Hurd, and the lineup was also expanded to include guitarist Calvin Keys for the 1976 concert set Live at Oil Can Harry's (a one-off for the short-lived Catalyst label).
This album is very seldon found today and is a valuable addition to the Jamal canon and should be in a serious jazz library. Jamal is laying down tracks here with the authority of his early years in a contemporary setting in 1978. A splendid recording and it was done very well, the music on this LP is pure Ahmad Jamal at his best.
Vinyl Plays completely, very low surface noise and vinyl is housed in archive protective inner sleeve. Jacket is in great condition, very minor edge wear, no split seams, no bar code.
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Shondu Akiem- Conga
Virginia Ayers- Vocals
Roger Bethelmy- Drums
Hal Blaine- Percussion
Dave Crawford- Flute, Flute (Alto)
Paulinho Da Costa- Percussion
Scott Edwards- Bass (Electric)
André Fischer- Drums
John Heard- Bass
Marlo Henderson- Guitar (Rhythm)
Geoff Howe- Percussion
Ahmad Jamal- Piano
Calvin Keys- Guitar
Eloise Laws- Vocals
Eddie Marshall- Drums
Mike Melvoin- Synthesizer
Kenneth Nash- Conga
Chuck Rainey- Bass
John Rowin- Guitar
Stephanie Spruill- Vocals
Bill Summers- Percussion, Bongos
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A1. One
A2. Just The Way You Are
A3. Jet
B1. Black Cow
B2. Dynamo
B3. Sumayah
B4. Festival
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