Playlist and Notes 25 April 2023

 

Playlist and Notes 2023-04-25

A celebration of the life and music of Ahmad Jamal, native of Pittsburgh and one of the greatest jazz pianists ever.

Ahmad Jamal – Autumn Leaves (8:49)

Ahmad Jamal – Pittsburgh (7:02)

Ahmad Jamal – Poinciana (4:28)

Ahmad Jamal – Billy Boy (2:37)

Ahmad Jamal – Ahmad’s Blues (2:52)

 

Notes:

Ahmad Jamal – b. 2 July 1930; d. 16 April 2023 – [piano]

Described as: “laid-back accessible style.”

Began his career in the 1940s. Critic Stanley Crouch wrote that Charlie Parker was the only musician “more important to the development of fresh form jazz than Ahmad Jamal.”

Musicians who cite him as an influence include Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett.[1]

One of his good friends, Miles Davis, once said: “All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal.” [He] “knocked me out with his concept of space, his lightness of touch, and the way he phrases notes and chords and passages.”

Began performing as a teenager in nightclubs, “I’d do algebra during intermission, between sets.”

On his Legacy: “You can exercise properly, eat properly but the most important thing of all is thinking properly. Things are a mess, and that’s understatement; so much is being lost because of greed.”  “Things are very few authentic, pure approaches to life now. But this music is one of them, and it continues to be.”[2]

 


[1] Eric Grode, ”Ahmad Jamal, Whose Spare Style Redefined Jazz Piano, Dies at 92,” New York Times, 16 April 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/obituaries/ahmad-jamal-jazz-dead.html.

[2] Sian Cain, ”Ahmad Jamal, influential jazz pianist, dies aged 92,” The Guardian, 16 April 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/17/ahmad-jamal-influential-jazz-pianist-dies-aged-92.


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