VA • Saga Jazz Jazz & Latin Songs [Argentina, Brasil, Cuba, Mexico]

     

Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Django Reinhardt, Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, George Shearing, Charlie Shavers, Oscar Aleman, Charlie Parker, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Ahmad Jamal, Sarah Vaughan …

Ahmad Jamal • Jamal Plays Jamal

 

VA • Jazz Piano Hits

 

Les McCann, Billy Taylor, Larry Goldings, Ahmad Jamal, Junior Mance, Eddie Harris, Bengt Hallberg, John Lewis …

Ahmad Jamal • Digital Works

 

VA • The House That Trane Built - The Story of Impulse Records

 

VA • Autour De Minuit - Piano Bar

 

Ahmad Jamal, Bobby Timmons, Claude Bolling, McCoy Tyner, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Clark, The Three Sounds,
 

 

Ahmad Jamal • Classic Concert Series

 

This release that contains Four Classic Live Jazz Albums from Ahmad Jamal, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details.
"At The Pershing Vol. 1 (But Not For Me)'; "Jamal At The Pershing vol.2'; "Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra' and "All Of You - Live At The Alhambra'.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1930 and still going strong today, 90+ years later, Ahmad Jamal started playing piano at 3 years old and turned professional at 14! His early influences include Earl Hines, Erroll Garner and Mary Lou Williams and he has the distinction of being spotted as a "coming great' by none other than Art Tatum. He discovered Islam in his 20s and in 1950 Fred Jones became Ahmad Jamal as he took the Muslim faith. Jamal started his recording career for Okeh in 1951 as The Three Strings, who would later be known as The Ahmad Jamal Trio, although Jamal himself disliked the term trio. In 1957 Vernell Fournier joined the trio on drums and significantly changed the sound of the band that was heard in 1958 at the famed Pershing hotel in Chicago. The first volume would go on to spend 108 weeks on the charts! Here we feature both sets Jamal performed over two nights with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums. The financial success of the Pershing recordings allowed Jamal to open his own restaurant and club called The Alahambra in Chicago. It's from here that we present the second half of our live set, Jamal's two sets again with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums recorded live in 1961. Ahmad Jamal's unique piano style has often been overlooked in the roll call of great jazz pianists however his place in "American Classical music' (as he liked to describe jazz) has been assured over his long and still continuing career.
https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Ahmad-Jamal/dp/B0BX4JB6M9

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This release that contains Four Classic Live Jazz Albums from Ahmad Jamal, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details.
"At The Pershing Vol. 1 (But Not For Me)'; "Jamal At The Pershing vol.2'; "Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra' and "All Of You - Live At The Alhambra'.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1930 and still going strong today, 90+ years later, Ahmad Jamal started playing piano at 3 years old and turned professional at 14! His early influences include Earl Hines, Erroll Garner and Mary Lou Williams and he has the distinction of being spotted as a "coming great' by none other than Art Tatum. He discovered Islam in his 20s and in 1950 Fred Jones became Ahmad Jamal as he took the Muslim faith. Jamal started his recording career for Okeh in 1951 as The Three Strings, who would later be known as The Ahmad Jamal Trio, although Jamal himself disliked the term trio. In 1957 Vernell Fournier joined the trio on drums and significantly changed the sound of the band that was heard in 1958 at the famed Pershing hotel in Chicago. The first volume would go on to spend 108 weeks on the charts! Here we feature both sets Jamal performed over two nights with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums. The financial success of the Pershing recordings allowed Jamal to open his own restaurant and club called The Alahambra in Chicago. It's from here that we present the second half of our live set, Jamal's two sets again with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums recorded live in 1961. Ahmad Jamal's unique piano style has often been overlooked in the roll call of great jazz pianists however his place in "American Classical music' (as he liked to describe jazz) has been assured over his long and still continuing career.
https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Ahmad-Jamal/dp/B0BX4JB6M9

ahmadjamal.com ...

Ahmad Jamal • The Best of Ahmad Jamal

 

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Ahmad Jamal & Gary Burton • Live At Midem

 

 

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gary-burton ...

Colaborador / Contributor:  Ketmokin

Ahmad Jamal • Live In Marciac, August 5th 2014

 

In 1951, Mr. Jamal first recorded 'Ahmad's Blues' on Okeh Records. His arrangement of the folk tune 'Billy Boy', and 'Poinciana' (not his original composition), also stem from this period. In 1955, he recorded his first Argo (Chess) Records album that included 'New Rhumba', 'Excerpts From The Blues', 'Medley' (actually 'I Don't Want To Be Kissed'), and 'It Ain't Necessarily So' —all later utilized by Miles Davis and Gil Evans on the albums "Miles Ahead" and "Porgy and Bess." In his autobiography, Mr. Davis praises Mr. Jamal's special artistic qualities and cites his influence. In fact, the mid-to-late 1950's Miles Davis Quintet recordings notably feature material previously recorded by Mr. Jamal: 'Squeeze Me', 'It Could Happen To You', 'But Not For Me', 'Surrey With The Fringe On Top', 'Ahmad's Blues', 'On Green Dolphin Street' and 'Billy Boy'.

In 1956, Mr. Jamal, who had already been joined by bassist Israel Crosby in 1955, replaced guitarist Ray Crawford with a drummer. Working as the "house trio" at Chicago's Pershing Hotel drummer Vernell Fournier joined this trio in 1958 and Mr. Jamal made a live album for Argo Records entitled "But Not For Me". The resulting hit single and album, that also included 'Poinciana' — his rendition could be considered his "signature". This album remained on the Ten Best-selling charts for 108 weeks — unprecedented then for a jazz album. This financial success enabled Mr. Jamal to realize a dream, and he opened a restaurant/club, The Alhambra, in Chicago. Here the Trio was able to perform while limiting their touring schedule and Mr. Jamal was able to do record production and community work.

Mr. Jamal was born on July 2, 1930, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A child prodigy who began to play the piano at the age of 3, he began formal studies at age 7. While in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African-American concert singer and teacher Mary Caldwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. He joined the musicians union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation from Westinghouse High School at the age of 17, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1950, he formed his first trio, The Three Strings. Performing at New York's The Embers club, Record Producer John Hammond "discovered" The Three Strings and signed them to Okeh Records (a division of Columbia, now Sony Records).

Mr. Jamal has continued to record his outstanding original arrangements of such standards as 'I Love You', 'A Time For Love', 'On Green Dolphin Street' (well before Miles Davis!), 'End of a Love Affair', to cite a few. Mr. Jamal's own classic compositions begin with 'Ahmad's Blues' (first recorded on October 25, 1951!), 'New Rhumba', 'Manhattan Reflections', 'Tranquility', 'Extensions', 'The Awakening', 'Night Mist Blues' and most recently 'If I Find You Again', among many others..

In 1994, Mr. Jamal received the American Jazz Masters award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The same year he was named a Duke Ellington Fellow at Yale University, where he performed commissioned works with the Assai String Quartet. A CD is available of these works.

In 1970, Mr. Jamal performed the title tune by Johnny Mandel for the soundtrack of the film "Mash!"; and in 1995, two tracks from his hit album "But Not For Me" — 'Music, Music, Music', and 'Poinciana' — were featured in the Clint Eastwood film "The Bridges of Madison County".

Mr. Jamal's CD entitled "The Essence" features tenor saxophonist George Coleman — Mr. Jamal's first recording made with a horn! Critical acclaim and outstanding sales resulted in two prestigious awards: D'jango D'or (critics) and Cloch (for sales) in France. Its success generated a concert at Salle Pleyel, and a CD has been released "Ahmad Jamal a Paris" (1992) and a second "live" concert by Mr. Jamal in l996 under the same title, unissued except in France and available on the Dreyfus Records on the Internet, Mr. Jamal rightly considers one of his best recordings. Ahmad Jamal's 70th Birthday "live" concert recording Olympia 2000, is known as "The Essence Part III". "The Essence, Part II", featured Donald Byrd on the title track, and on his CD entitled "Nature", Stanley Turrentine is featured on 'The Devil's In My Den', and steel drummer Othello Molineaux augments the trio format. Continuing his recording career, Mr. Jamal released "In Search of" on CD, and his first DVD "Live In Baalbeck".

For students of the piano, Hal Leonard Publications has published "The Ahmad Jamal Collection", a collection of piano transcriptions. Mr. Jamal continues to record exclusively for the French Birdology label, and his albums are released on Verve and Atlantic in the United States.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ahmad-jamal/
Note: Ahmad Jamal died on 16 April 2023, Sheffield, Massachusetts, USA.

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En 1951, Jamal grabó por primera vez "Ahmad's Blues" en Okeh Records. Su arreglo de la melodía folk "Billy Boy" y "Poinciana" (que no es una composición original suya) también datan de esta época. En 1955, grabó su primer álbum para Argo (Chess) Records que incluía 'New Rhumba', 'Excerpts From The Blues', 'Medley' (en realidad 'I Don't Want To Be Kissed'), y 'It Ain't Necessarily So' -todas ellas utilizadas posteriormente por Miles Davis y Gil Evans en los álbumes "Miles Ahead" y "Porgy and Bess". En su autobiografía, el Sr. Davis alaba las especiales cualidades artísticas del Sr. Jamal y cita su influencia. De hecho, las grabaciones de mediados y finales de la década de 1950 del Quinteto de Miles Davis incluyen sobre todo material grabado previamente por el Sr. Jamal: "Squeeze Me", "It Could Happen To You", "But Not For Me", "Surrey With The Fringe On Top", "Ahmad's Blues", "On Green Dolphin Street" y "Billy Boy".

En 1956, el Sr. Jamal, al que ya se había unido el bajista Israel Crosby en 1955, sustituyó al guitarrista Ray Crawford por un batería. Trabajando como "trío de la casa" en el Hotel Pershing de Chicago, el batería Vernell Fournier se unió a este trío en 1958 y el Sr. Jamal grabó un álbum en directo para Argo Records titulado "But Not For Me". El exitoso sencillo y álbum resultante, que también incluía 'Poinciana' - su interpretación podría considerarse su "firma". Este álbum permaneció 108 semanas en las listas de los diez más vendidos, algo sin precedentes entonces para un álbum de jazz. Este éxito financiero permitió al Sr. Jamal hacer realidad un sueño, y abrió un restaurante/club, The Alhambra, en Chicago. Aquí, el Trío pudo actuar al tiempo que limitaba su programa de giras, y el Sr. Jamal pudo dedicarse a la producción discográfica y al trabajo comunitario.

Jamal nació el 2 de julio de 1930 en Pittsburgh (Pensilvania). Niño prodigio que empezó a tocar el piano a los 3 años, inició sus estudios formales a los 7 años. Mientras estudiaba en el instituto, completó el equivalente a clases magistrales universitarias con la célebre concertista y profesora afroamericana Mary Caldwell Dawson y el pianista James Miller. A los 14 años se afilió al sindicato de músicos y a los 17, tras graduarse en el Westinghouse High School, empezó a hacer giras y a recibir elogios de la crítica por sus solos. En 1950 formó su primer trío, The Three Strings. Actuando en el club neoyorquino The Embers, el productor discográfico John Hammond "descubrió" a The Three Strings y los contrató para Okeh Records (una división de Columbia, ahora Sony Records).

El Sr. Jamal ha seguido grabando sus extraordinarios arreglos originales de estándares como "I Love You", "A Time For Love", "On Green Dolphin Street" (¡mucho antes que Miles Davis!), "End of a Love Affair", por citar algunos. Las composiciones clásicas del Sr. Jamal comienzan con "Ahmad's Blues" (¡grabada por primera vez el 25 de octubre de 1951!), "New Rhumba", "Manhattan Reflections", "Tranquility", "Extensions", "The Awakening", "Night Mist Blues" y, más recientemente, "If I Find You Again", entre muchas otras...

En 1994, Jamal recibió el premio American Jazz Masters de la National Endowment for the Arts. Ese mismo año fue nombrado becario Duke Ellington en la Universidad de Yale, donde interpretó obras por encargo con el Cuarteto de Cuerda Assai. Existe un CD con estas obras.

En 1970, Jamal interpretó el tema principal de Johnny Mandel para la banda sonora de la película "Mash!"; y en 1995, dos temas de su exitoso álbum "But Not For Me" -'Music, Music, Music' y 'Poinciana'- aparecieron en la película de Clint Eastwood "Los puentes de Madison County".

El CD del Sr. Jamal titulado "The Essence" cuenta con la participación del saxofonista tenor George Coleman - ¡la primera grabación del Sr. Jamal realizada con una trompa! El éxito de crítica y ventas le valieron dos prestigiosos galardones: D'jango D'or (por la crítica) y Cloch (por las ventas) en Francia. Su éxito generó un concierto en la Salle Pleyel, y se ha editado un CD "Ahmad Jamal a Paris" (1992) y un segundo concierto "en directo" del Sr. Jamal en l996 bajo el mismo título, inédito salvo en Francia y disponible en el Dreyfus Records en Internet, que el Sr. Jamal considera con razón una de sus mejores grabaciones. La grabación del concierto "en directo" del 70 cumpleaños de Ahmad Jamal, Olympia 2000, se conoce como "The Essence Part III". En "The Essence, Part II", participó Donald Byrd en el tema principal, y en su CD titulado "Nature", Stanley Turrentine aparece en 'The Devil's In My Den', y el steel drummer Othello Molineaux aumenta el formato de trío. Continuando con su carrera discográfica, el Sr. Jamal publicó "In Search of" en CD, y su primer DVD "Live In Baalbeck".

Para los estudiantes de piano, Hal Leonard Publications ha publicado "The Ahmad Jamal Collection", una colección de transcripciones para piano. El Sr. Jamal sigue grabando en exclusiva para el sello francés Birdology, y sus álbumes se publican en Verve y Atlantic en Estados Unidos.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ahmad-jamal/
Nota: Ahmad Jamal falleció el 16 de abril de 2023, Sheffield, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos.

ahmadjamal.com ...

Ahmad Jamal • The Bright, The Blue and The Beautiful

 

ahmadjamal.com ...

Colaborador / Contributor:  Pierre

Ahmad Jamal • Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra

 

Review
by Scott Yanow
Taken from what were probably bassist Israel Crosby's final recordings with pianist Ahmad Jamal (14 months before the bassist's unexpected death), this LP features the classic version of Jamal's Trio (with drummer Vernell Fournier) playing live at the leader's short-lived Chicago club. The interplay between the musicians was often magical, as can be heard on such numbers as "We Kiss In a Shadow," "Love for Sale," "Broadway" and "Isn't It Romantic."
https://www.allmusic.com/album/ahmad-jamals-alhambra-mw0001881803

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Reseña
por Scott Yanow
Extraído de las que probablemente fueron las últimas grabaciones del bajista Israel Crosby con el pianista Ahmad Jamal (14 meses antes de la inesperada muerte del bajista), este LP presenta la versión clásica del Jamal's Trio (con el batería Vernell Fournier) tocando en directo en el efímero club del líder en Chicago. La interacción entre los músicos era a menudo mágica, como puede escucharse en temas como "We Kiss In a Shadow", "Love for Sale", "Broadway" y "Isn't It Romantic".
https://www.allmusic.com/album/ahmad-jamals-alhambra-mw0001881803

ahmadjamal.com ...

Ahmad Jamal • Tranquility

 

Biography by Matt Collar

One of the most individualistic pianists, composers, and arrangers of his generation, Ahmad Jamal's disciplined technique and minimalist style had a huge impact on trumpeter Miles Davis, and Jamal was often cited as contributing to the development of cool jazz throughout the 1950s. Though he was an excellent, technically proficient player well-versed in the gymnastic idioms of swing and bebop, he chose to play in a pared-down and nuanced style. Influenced by pianists Errol Garner, Art Tatum, and Nat King Cole, as well as big-band and orchestral music, Jamal developed his own boundary-pushing approach to modern jazz that incorporated an abundance of space, an adept use of tension and release, and unexpected rhythmic phrasing and dynamics. His highly melodic compositional style was evidenced beautifully on the best-selling 1958 offering At the Pershing: But Not for Me. His style and depth only increased in the ensuing decades, displaying themselves on standard-setting trio albums including 1965's Extensions, charting crossover sets like 1979's Intervals, and 1986's Rossiter Road. In the 21st century, Jamal continued carving his own path with a series of live and studio albums that juxtaposed standards with his own compositions including 2003's In Search of Momentum, Blue Moon: The New York Session/The Paris Concert in 2012, and the following year's Saturday Morning: La Buissone Studio Sessions. Even as he neared his nineties, his skills remained as sharp as ever, as evidenced on 2019's solo and duets set Ballades.

Born in Pittsburgh on July 2, 1930, Jamal was a child prodigy and began playing piano at age three, discovered by his uncle. By the time he was seven years old, Jamal was studying privately with Mary Cardwell Dawson, the founder of the National Negro Opera Company. An accomplished musician by his teens, Jamal performed regularly in the local jazz scene and in 1949 toured with George Hudson's Orchestra. After leaving Hudson, he joined swing violinist Joe Kennedy's group the Four Strings, with whom he stayed until Kennedy's departure around 1950.

After leaving the Four Strings, Jamal relocated to Chicago, where he formed his own group, the Three Strings, with bassist Eddie Calhoun and guitarist Ray Crawford. The precursor to the later Ahmad Jamal Trio, the Three Strings would, at different times, include bassists Richard Davis and Israel Crosby. During a stint in New York City, the Three Strings caught the ear of legendary Columbia record exec and talent scout John Hammond, who signed the group to the Columbia subsidiary OKeh in 1951. During this time, Jamal released several influential albums including Ahmad Jamal Trio Plays (also known as Chamber Music of the New Jazz) on Parrot (1955), The Ahmad Jamal Trio on Epic (1955), and Count 'Em 88 on Argo (1956). Some of the landmark songs recorded during these sessions include "Ahmad's Blues" and "Pavanne," both of which had a profound impact on Miles Davis, who later echoed the spare, bluesy quality of Jamal's playing on his own recordings.

In 1958, Jamal took up a residency in the lounge of the Pershing Hotel in Chicago. Working with bassist Crosby and drummer Vernell Fornier, Jamal recorded the seminal live album Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But Not for Me. Comprised primarily of jazz standards, including his definitive version of the buoyant Latin number "Poinciana," the album showcased Jamal's minimalist phrasing and unique approach to small group jazz, emphasizing varied dynamics and nuanced shading as opposed to the high-energy freneticism commonly associated with jazz of the '40s and '50s. Though somewhat misunderstood by critics at the time who did not fully appreciate the inventive qualities of Jamal's playing, the record proved a commercial success and remained on the Billboard album charts for over two years -- a rarefied achievement for a jazz musician of any generation.

The smash success of the album raised the musician's profile and allowed him to open his own club and restaurant, The Alhambra, in Chicago in 1959. During this time, Jamal released several albums on the Argo label including Ahmad Jamal Trio, Vol. 4 (1958), Ahmad Jamal at the Penthouse (1960), Happy Moods (1960), Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra (1961), and All of You (1961). After the Alhambra closed in 1961, Jamal disbanded his trio, moved to New York City, and took a two-year hiatus from the music industry.

In 1964, he returned to performing and recording. Working with a new version of his trio that included bassist Jamil Nasser and drummer Frank Gant, with whom he would work until 1972, Jamal recorded several more albums for Argo (later renamed Cadet) including Naked City Theme (1964), The Roar of the Greasepaint (1965), Extensions (1965), Rhapsody (1966), Heat Wave (1966), Cry Young (1967), and The Bright, the Blue and the Beautiful (1968). Also in 1968, Jamal made his Impulse Records debut with the live album Ahmad Jamal at the Top: Poinciana Revisited. This was followed by several more Impulse releases including The Awakening (1970), Freeflight (1971), and Outertimeinnerspace (1972), both of which culled tracks from his appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1971. These albums found Jamal moving toward an expansive, funk-infused style, sometimes playing a Fender Rhodes electric keyboard. Also during the '70s, Jamal moved to the 20th Century label and continued to release a steady stream of albums that attracted both hardcore jazz and crossover audiences. Of his '70s albums, both Genetic Walk (1975) and Intervals (1979) made the R&B charts.

The '80s continued to be a productive time for Jamal, who kicked off the decade with such albums as Night Song on Motown (1980) and Live in Concert Featuring Gary Burton (1981). After signing with Atlantic, Jamal released several well-received albums that found him returning to his classic, acoustic small group sound including Digital Works (1985), Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival 1985 (1985), Rossiter Road (1986), Crystal (1987), and Pittsburgh (1989).

The '90s also saw a resurgence in interest and acclaim for Jamal, who was awarded the American Jazz Master Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1994. Though he never stopped interpreting standards, Jamal utilized his own compositions more and more as the decades passed. During this period, he delivered such albums as Chicago Revisited: Live at Joel Segal's Jazz Showcase on Telarc (1992), Live in Paris '92 on Verve (1993), I Remember Duke, Hoagy & Strayhorn on Telarc (1994), as well as a handful of superb releases for Birdology including The Essence, Pt. 1 (1995), Big Byrd: The Essence, Pt. 2 (1995), and Nature: The Essence, Pt. 3 (1997).

In 2000, Jamal celebrated his 70th birthday with the concert album L'Olympia 2000 (released in October of the following year), which featured saxophonist George Coleman. He followed up with In Search of Momentum (2003), After Fajr (2005), It's Magic (2008), A Quiet Time (2010), and Blue Moon: The New York Session/The Paris Concert (2012). In 2013, Jamal released the album Saturday Morning: La Buissone Studio Sessions, featuring bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Herlin Riley. Jamal also opened Lincoln Center's concert season that year by performing live with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. A year later, he delivered the concert album Live at the Olympia, June 27, 2012: The Music and the Film of the Comple…, which featured Yusef Lateef. In 2017, Jamal delivered the small group session Marseille, which included contributions from French rapper Abd Al Malik and vocalist Mina Agossi. That same year he was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2019, Jamal released Ballades, a recording inspired by his life-long love of French music and culture. Comprised of three solo compositions -- including his first version of "Poinciana" -- and three duets with longtime bassist James Cammack, the album was issued by Harcourt in September. It would prove to be the last album of original material released during the pianist's lifetime. He passed away in April of 2023 at the age of 92.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ahmad-jamal-mn0000127369#biography

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Biografía de Matt Collar
La técnica disciplinada y el estilo minimalista de Ahmad Jamal, uno de los pianistas, compositores y arreglistas más individualistas de su generación, tuvieron una enorme repercusión en el trompetista Miles Davis, y a menudo se cita a Jamal por su contribución al desarrollo del cool jazz a lo largo de la década de 1950. Aunque era un excelente intérprete, técnicamente competente y versado en los lenguajes gimnásticos del swing y el bebop, optó por tocar con un estilo minimalista y lleno de matices. Influido por los pianistas Errol Garner, Art Tatum y Nat King Cole, así como por la música orquestal y de big-band, Jamal desarrolló su propio enfoque del jazz moderno, que iba más allá de los límites e incorporaba abundancia de espacio, un hábil uso de la tensión y la relajación, y un fraseo y una dinámica rítmicos inesperados. Su estilo compositivo altamente melódico quedó patente en el éxito de ventas de 1958 At the Pershing: But Not for Me. Su estilo y profundidad no hicieron más que aumentar en las décadas siguientes, mostrándose en álbumes de trío que marcaron un hito, como Extensions, de 1965, y en álbumes que marcaron un hito, como Intervals, de 1979, y Rossiter Road, de 1986. En el siglo XXI, Jamal siguió labrándose su propio camino con una serie de álbumes en directo y de estudio en los que yuxtaponía los estándares con sus propias composiciones, como In Search of Momentum, de 2003, Blue Moon: The New York Session/The Paris Concert en 2012, y al año siguiente Saturday Morning: La Buissone Studio Sessions. Incluso cuando se acercaba a los noventa años, sus habilidades seguían siendo tan agudas como siempre, como se evidencia en el conjunto de solos y dúos Ballades de 2019.

Nacido en Pittsburgh el 2 de julio de 1930, Jamal fue un niño prodigio y comenzó a tocar el piano a los tres años, descubierto por su tío. A los siete años, Jamal ya estudiaba en privado con Mary Cardwell Dawson, fundadora de la National Negro Opera Company. En su adolescencia, Jamal ya era un músico consumado, actuaba con regularidad en la escena local de jazz y, en 1949, realizó una gira con la orquesta de George Hudson. Tras dejar a Hudson, se unió al grupo de violín swing Four Strings del violinista Joe Kennedy, con el que permaneció hasta la marcha de Kennedy hacia 1950.

Tras dejar las Four Strings, Jamal se trasladó a Chicago, donde formó su propio grupo, las Three Strings, con el bajista Eddie Calhoun y el guitarrista Ray Crawford. Precursores del posterior Ahmad Jamal Trio, los Three Strings incluyeron en diferentes momentos a los bajistas Richard Davis e Israel Crosby. Durante una temporada en Nueva York, los Three Strings llamaron la atención del legendario ejecutivo de Columbia y cazatalentos John Hammond, que fichó al grupo para la filial de Columbia OKeh en 1951. Durante esta época, Jamal publicó varios álbumes influyentes, como Ahmad Jamal Trio Plays (también conocido como Chamber Music of the New Jazz) en Parrot (1955), The Ahmad Jamal Trio en Epic (1955) y Count 'Em 88 en Argo (1956). Algunas de las canciones más importantes grabadas durante estas sesiones son «Ahmad's Blues» y «Pavanne», que tuvieron un profundo impacto en Miles Davis, quien más tarde se hizo eco de la calidad del blues de Jamal en sus propias grabaciones.

En 1958, Jamal se instaló en el salón del Hotel Pershing de Chicago. En colaboración con el bajista Crosby y el batería Vernell Fornier, Jamal grabó el importante álbum en directo Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But Not for Me. Compuesto principalmente por estándares de jazz, incluida su versión definitiva del boyante número latino «Poinciana», el álbum mostraba el fraseo minimalista de Jamal y su enfoque único del jazz en pequeños grupos, haciendo hincapié en las dinámicas variadas y los matices matizados en contraposición al frenesí de alta energía comúnmente asociado con el jazz de los años cuarenta y cincuenta. Aunque en cierto modo malinterpretado por los críticos de la época, que no apreciaban plenamente las cualidades inventivas de Jamal, el disco fue un éxito comercial y permaneció en las listas de álbumes de Billboard durante más de dos años, un logro poco común para un músico de jazz de cualquier generación.

El gran éxito del álbum elevó el perfil del músico y le permitió abrir su propio club y restaurante, The Alhambra, en Chicago en 1959. Durante esta época, Jamal publicó varios álbumes en el sello Argo, entre ellos Ahmad Jamal Trio, Vol. 4 (1958), Ahmad Jamal at the Penthouse (1960), Happy Moods (1960), Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra (1961) y All of You (1961). Tras el cierre del Alhambra en 1961, Jamal disolvió su trío, se trasladó a Nueva York y se retiró de la industria musical durante dos años.

En 1964, volvió a actuar y grabar. Trabajando con una nueva versión de su trío que incluía al bajista Jamil Nasser y al batería Frank Gant, con quienes trabajaría hasta 1972, Jamal grabó varios álbumes más para Argo (que más tarde pasaría a llamarse Cadet), entre ellos Naked City Theme (1964), The Roar of the Greasepaint (1965), Extensions (1965), Rhapsody (1966), Heat Wave (1966), Cry Young (1967) y The Bright, the Blue and the Beautiful (1968). También en 1968, Jamal debutó en Impulse Records con el álbum en directo Ahmad Jamal at the Top: Poinciana Revisited. A éste le siguieron varios álbumes más de Impulse, como The Awakening (1970), Freeflight (1971) y Outertimeinnerspace (1972), ambos con temas extraídos de su participación en el Festival de Jazz de Montreux en 1971. En estos álbumes, Jamal adoptó un estilo expansivo y funk, a veces tocando un teclado eléctrico Fender Rhodes. También durante los años 70, Jamal se trasladó a la discográfica 20th Century y continuó publicando un flujo constante de álbumes que atraían tanto al jazz hardcore como al público crossover. Entre sus álbumes de los 70, Genetic Walk (1975) e Intervals (1979) entraron en las listas de R&B.

Los 80 siguieron siendo una época productiva para Jamal, que inició la década con álbumes como Night Song on Motown (1980) y Live in Concert Featuring Gary Burton (1981). Tras fichar por Atlantic, Jamal publicó varios álbumes bien recibidos en los que volvía a su clásico sonido acústico de pequeño grupo, como Digital Works (1985), Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival 1985 (1985), Rossiter Road (1986), Crystal (1987) y Pittsburgh (1989).

En los 90 resurgió el interés y el reconocimiento por Jamal, que en 1994 recibió la beca American Jazz Master Fellowship del Fondo Nacional de las Artes. Aunque nunca dejó de interpretar standards, Jamal utilizó cada vez más sus propias composiciones con el paso de las décadas. Durante este periodo, publicó álbumes como Chicago Revisited: Live at Joel Segal's Jazz Showcase en Telarc (1992), Live in Paris '92 en Verve (1993), I Remember Duke, Hoagy & Strayhorn en Telarc (1994), así como un puñado de magníficos lanzamientos para Birdology, entre ellos The Essence, Pt. 1 (1995), Big Byrd: The Essence, Pt. 2 (1995) y Nature: The Essence, Pt. 3 (1997).

En 2000, Jamal celebró su 70 cumpleaños con el álbum de conciertos L'Olympia 2000 (publicado en octubre del año siguiente), en el que participó el saxofonista George Coleman. Siguieron In Search of Momentum (2003), After Fajr (2005), It's Magic (2008), A Quiet Time (2010) y Blue Moon: The New York Session/The Paris Concert (2012). En 2013, Jamal publicó el álbum Saturday Morning: La Buissone Studio Sessions, en el que participaron el bajista Reginald Veal y el batería Herlin Riley. Jamal también inauguró la temporada de conciertos del Lincoln Center ese año actuando en directo con la Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Un año después, entregó el álbum de conciertos Live at the Olympia, June 27, 2012: The Music and the Film of the Comple..., que contó con la participación de Yusef Lateef. En 2017, Jamal entregó la sesión para pequeños grupos Marseille, que incluía colaboraciones del rapero francés Abd Al Malik y la vocalista Mina Agossi. Ese mismo año fue galardonado con un Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

En 2019, Jamal lanzó Ballades, una grabación inspirada en su amor de toda la vida por la música y la cultura francesas. Compuesto por tres composiciones en solitario -incluida su primera versión de «Poinciana»- y tres duetos con el bajista de toda la vida James Cammack, el álbum fue publicado por Harcourt en septiembre. Sería el último álbum de material original publicado en vida del pianista. Falleció en abril de 2023 a la edad de 92 años.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ahmad-jamal-mn0000127369#biography

ahmadjamal.com ...

Colaborador / Contributor:  Pierre

Ahmad Jamal • At The Pershing - But Not For Me

 

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Ahmad Jamal • Night Song

 

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VA • The Rare Tunes Collection From Latin... To Jazz Dance - Vol. 1

 

Eclectic selection.

Ahmad Jamal • At The Top Poinciana Revisited

 

In 1951, Mr. Jamal first recorded 'Ahmad's Blues' on Okeh Records. His arrangement of the folk tune 'Billy Boy', and 'Poinciana' (not his original composition), also stem from this period. In 1955, he recorded his first Argo (Chess) Records album that included 'New Rhumba', 'Excerpts From The Blues', 'Medley' (actually 'I Don't Want To Be Kissed'), and 'It Ain't Necessarily So' —all later utilized by Miles Davis and Gil Evans on the albums "Miles Ahead" and "Porgy and Bess." In his autobiography, Mr. Davis praises Mr. Jamal's special artistic qualities and cites his influence. In fact, the mid-to-late 1950's Miles Davis Quintet recordings notably feature material previously recorded by Mr. Jamal: 'Squeeze Me', 'It Could Happen To You', 'But Not For Me', 'Surrey With The Fringe On Top', 'Ahmad's Blues', 'On Green Dolphin Street' and 'Billy Boy'.

In 1956, Mr. Jamal, who had already been joined by bassist Israel Crosby in 1955, replaced guitarist Ray Crawford with a drummer. Working as the "house trio" at Chicago's Pershing Hotel drummer Vernell Fournier joined this trio in 1958 and Mr. Jamal made a live album for Argo Records entitled "But Not For Me". The resulting hit single and album, that also included 'Poinciana' — his rendition could be considered his "signature". This album remained on the Ten Best-selling charts for 108 weeks — unprecedented then for a jazz album. This financial success enabled Mr. Jamal to realize a dream, and he opened a restaurant/club, The Alhambra, in Chicago. Here the Trio was able to perform while limiting their touring schedule and Mr. Jamal was able to do record production and community work.

Mr. Jamal was born on July 2, 1930, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A child prodigy who began to play the piano at the age of 3, he began formal studies at age 7. While in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African-American concert singer and teacher Mary Caldwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. He joined the musicians union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation from Westinghouse High School at the age of 17, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1950, he formed his first trio, The Three Strings. Performing at New York's The Embers club, Record Producer John Hammond "discovered" The Three Strings and signed them to Okeh Records (a division of Columbia, now Sony Records).

Mr. Jamal has continued to record his outstanding original arrangements of such standards as 'I Love You', 'A Time For Love', 'On Green Dolphin Street' (well before Miles Davis!), 'End of a Love Affair', to cite a few. Mr. Jamal's own classic compositions begin with 'Ahmad's Blues' (first recorded on October 25, 1951!), 'New Rhumba', 'Manhattan Reflections', 'Tranquility', 'Extensions', 'The Awakening', 'Night Mist Blues' and most recently 'If I Find You Again', among many others..

In 1994, Mr. Jamal received the American Jazz Masters award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The same year he was named a Duke Ellington Fellow at Yale University, where he performed commissioned works with the Assai String Quartet. A CD is available of these works.

In 1970, Mr. Jamal performed the title tune by Johnny Mandel for the soundtrack of the film "Mash!"; and in 1995, two tracks from his hit album "But Not For Me" — 'Music, Music, Music', and 'Poinciana' — were featured in the Clint Eastwood film "The Bridges of Madison County".

Mr. Jamal's CD entitled "The Essence" features tenor saxophonist George Coleman — Mr. Jamal's first recording made with a horn! Critical acclaim and outstanding sales resulted in two prestigious awards: D'jango D'or (critics) and Cloch (for sales) in France. Its success generated a concert at Salle Pleyel, and a CD has been released "Ahmad Jamal a Paris" (1992) and a second "live" concert by Mr. Jamal in l996 under the same title, unissued except in France and available on the Dreyfus Records on the Internet, Mr. Jamal rightly considers one of his best recordings. Ahmad Jamal's 70th Birthday "live" concert recording Olympia 2000, is known as "The Essence Part III". "The Essence, Part II", featured Donald Byrd on the title track, and on his CD entitled "Nature", Stanley Turrentine is featured on 'The Devil's In My Den', and steel drummer Othello Molineaux augments the trio format. Continuing his recording career, Mr. Jamal released "In Search of" on CD, and his first DVD "Live In Baalbeck".

For students of the piano, Hal Leonard Publications has published "The Ahmad Jamal Collection", a collection of piano transcriptions. Mr. Jamal continues to record exclusively for the French Birdology label, and his albums are released on Verve and Atlantic in the United States.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ahmad-jamal/
Note: Ahmad Jamal died on 16 April 2023, Sheffield, Massachusetts, USA.

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En 1951, Jamal grabó por primera vez "Ahmad's Blues" en Okeh Records. Su arreglo de la melodía folk "Billy Boy" y "Poinciana" (que no es una composición original suya) también datan de esta época. En 1955, grabó su primer álbum para Argo (Chess) Records que incluía 'New Rhumba', 'Excerpts From The Blues', 'Medley' (en realidad 'I Don't Want To Be Kissed'), y 'It Ain't Necessarily So' -todas ellas utilizadas posteriormente por Miles Davis y Gil Evans en los álbumes "Miles Ahead" y "Porgy and Bess". En su autobiografía, el Sr. Davis alaba las especiales cualidades artísticas del Sr. Jamal y cita su influencia. De hecho, las grabaciones de mediados y finales de la década de 1950 del Quinteto de Miles Davis incluyen sobre todo material grabado previamente por el Sr. Jamal: "Squeeze Me", "It Could Happen To You", "But Not For Me", "Surrey With The Fringe On Top", "Ahmad's Blues", "On Green Dolphin Street" y "Billy Boy".

En 1956, el Sr. Jamal, al que ya se había unido el bajista Israel Crosby en 1955, sustituyó al guitarrista Ray Crawford por un batería. Trabajando como "trío de la casa" en el Hotel Pershing de Chicago, el batería Vernell Fournier se unió a este trío en 1958 y el Sr. Jamal grabó un álbum en directo para Argo Records titulado "But Not For Me". El exitoso sencillo y álbum resultante, que también incluía 'Poinciana' - su interpretación podría considerarse su "firma". Este álbum permaneció 108 semanas en las listas de los diez más vendidos, algo sin precedentes entonces para un álbum de jazz. Este éxito financiero permitió al Sr. Jamal hacer realidad un sueño, y abrió un restaurante/club, The Alhambra, en Chicago. Aquí, el Trío pudo actuar al tiempo que limitaba su programa de giras, y el Sr. Jamal pudo dedicarse a la producción discográfica y al trabajo comunitario.

Jamal nació el 2 de julio de 1930 en Pittsburgh (Pensilvania). Niño prodigio que empezó a tocar el piano a los 3 años, inició sus estudios formales a los 7 años. Mientras estudiaba en el instituto, completó el equivalente a clases magistrales universitarias con la célebre concertista y profesora afroamericana Mary Caldwell Dawson y el pianista James Miller. A los 14 años se afilió al sindicato de músicos y a los 17, tras graduarse en el Westinghouse High School, empezó a hacer giras y a recibir elogios de la crítica por sus solos. En 1950 formó su primer trío, The Three Strings. Actuando en el club neoyorquino The Embers, el productor discográfico John Hammond "descubrió" a The Three Strings y los contrató para Okeh Records (una división de Columbia, ahora Sony Records).

El Sr. Jamal ha seguido grabando sus extraordinarios arreglos originales de estándares como "I Love You", "A Time For Love", "On Green Dolphin Street" (¡mucho antes que Miles Davis!), "End of a Love Affair", por citar algunos. Las composiciones clásicas del Sr. Jamal comienzan con "Ahmad's Blues" (¡grabada por primera vez el 25 de octubre de 1951!), "New Rhumba", "Manhattan Reflections", "Tranquility", "Extensions", "The Awakening", "Night Mist Blues" y, más recientemente, "If I Find You Again", entre muchas otras...

En 1994, Jamal recibió el premio American Jazz Masters de la National Endowment for the Arts. Ese mismo año fue nombrado becario Duke Ellington en la Universidad de Yale, donde interpretó obras por encargo con el Cuarteto de Cuerda Assai. Existe un CD con estas obras.

En 1970, Jamal interpretó el tema principal de Johnny Mandel para la banda sonora de la película "Mash!"; y en 1995, dos temas de su exitoso álbum "But Not For Me" -'Music, Music, Music' y 'Poinciana'- aparecieron en la película de Clint Eastwood "Los puentes de Madison County".

El CD del Sr. Jamal titulado "The Essence" cuenta con la participación del saxofonista tenor George Coleman - ¡la primera grabación del Sr. Jamal realizada con una trompa! El éxito de crítica y ventas le valieron dos prestigiosos galardones: D'jango D'or (por la crítica) y Cloch (por las ventas) en Francia. Su éxito generó un concierto en la Salle Pleyel, y se ha editado un CD "Ahmad Jamal a Paris" (1992) y un segundo concierto "en directo" del Sr. Jamal en l996 bajo el mismo título, inédito salvo en Francia y disponible en el Dreyfus Records en Internet, que el Sr. Jamal considera con razón una de sus mejores grabaciones. La grabación del concierto "en directo" del 70 cumpleaños de Ahmad Jamal, Olympia 2000, se conoce como "The Essence Part III". En "The Essence, Part II", participó Donald Byrd en el tema principal, y en su CD titulado "Nature", Stanley Turrentine aparece en 'The Devil's In My Den', y el steel drummer Othello Molineaux aumenta el formato de trío. Continuando con su carrera discográfica, el Sr. Jamal publicó "In Search of" en CD, y su primer DVD "Live In Baalbeck".

Para los estudiantes de piano, Hal Leonard Publications ha publicado "The Ahmad Jamal Collection", una colección de transcripciones para piano. El Sr. Jamal sigue grabando en exclusiva para el sello francés Birdology, y sus álbumes se publican en Verve y Atlantic en Estados Unidos.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ahmad-jamal/
Nota: Ahmad Jamal falleció el 16 de abril de 2023, Sheffield, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos.

ahmadjamal.com ...

Colaborador / Contributor:  Pierre

VA • Vintage Classic Jazz - 12 Vols

 

Massimo Farao, Thad Jones, Barry Harris, David Hazeltine, Sarah Vaughan, Eric Alexander, Ahmad Jamal, Lonnie Smith, Steve Kuhn, Eddie Higgins, Harold Mabern, Modern Jazz Quartet …

VA • Impulse Recordsː Music, Message And The Moment

 

John Coltrane, Max Roach, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, Shirley Scott, Yusef Lateef, Stanley Turrentine, Earl Hines, Oliver Nelson, Pharoah Sanders, Ahmad Jamal, Archie Shepp, John Handy …

Ahmad Jamal Trio • Count 'Em 88

Review by Scott Yanow
This LP (not yet reissued on CD) was pianist Ahmad Jamal's first with his new group, a trio also including bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Walter Perkins. Although he was reasonably popular around the Chicago area at the time, Jamal's major breakthrough would be the following album, But Not for Me, recorded more than a year later. The "Jamal sound," with its expert use of dynamics, close interplay, space and subtle surprises was very much in place, and this out-of-print set is on the same level as his better-known hits to come. Highlights include "Green Dolphin Street," "How About You" and "Easy To Remember." Well worth searching for.
This LP (not yet reissued on CD) was pianist Ahmad Jamal's first with his new group, a trio also including bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Walter Perkins. Although he was reasonably popular around the Chicago area at the time, Jamal's major breakthrough would be the following album, But Not for Me, recorded more than a year later. The "Jamal sound," with its expert use of dynamics, close interplay, space and subtle surprises was very much in place, and this out-of-print set is on the same level as his better-known hits to come. Highlights include "Green Dolphin Street," "How About You" and "Easy To Remember." Well worth searching for.

 

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Reseña de Scott Yanow
Este LP (aún no reeditado en CD) fue el primero del pianista Ahmad Jamal con su nuevo grupo, un trío que también incluía al bajista Israel Crosby y al baterista Walter Perkins. Aunque era razonablemente popular en la zona de Chicago en ese momento, el mayor avance de Jamal sería el siguiente álbum, But Not for Me, grabado más de un año después. El "sonido Jamal", con su experta utilización de la dinámica, la estrecha interacción, el espacio y las sutiles sorpresas, estaba muy presente, y este conjunto descatalogado está al mismo nivel que sus éxitos más conocidos. Destacan "Green Dolphin Street", "How About You" y "Easy To Remember". Merece la pena buscarlo.
Este LP (aún no reeditado en CD) fue el primero del pianista Ahmad Jamal con su nuevo grupo, un trío que también incluía al bajista Israel Crosby y al baterista Walter Perkins. Aunque era razonablemente popular en la zona de Chicago en ese momento, el mayor avance de Jamal sería el siguiente álbum, But Not for Me, grabado más de un año después. El "sonido Jamal", con su experta utilización de la dinámica, la estrecha interacción, el espacio y las sutiles sorpresas, estaba muy presente, y este conjunto descatalogado está al mismo nivel que sus éxitos más conocidos. Destacan "Green Dolphin Street", "How About You" y "Easy To Remember". Merece la pena buscarlo.