LP-667

Jamal At The Pershing Volume 2

Released July 1960

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal Trio
Ahmad Jamal, piano; Israel Crosby, bass; Vernell Fournier, drums

Pershing Lounge, Chicago, IL, January 17, 1958

10343 Too late now
10344 All the things you are
10345 Cherokee
10346 It might as well be spring
10347 I'll remember April
10348 My funny Valentine
10349 Gone with the wind
10350 Billy Boy
10351 It's you or no one
10352 They can't take that away from me
10353 Poor butterfly

Track Listing

Too Late Now	Lerner, Lane	January 17 1958
All The Things You Are	Kern, Hammerstein	January 17 1958
Cherokee	Ray Noble	January 17 1958
It Might As Well Be Spring	Rodgers, Hammerstein	January 17 1958
I'll Remember April	Raye, DePaul, Johnston	January 17 1958
My Funny Valentine	Rodgers, Hart	January 17 1958
Gone With The Wind	Wrubel, Magidson	January 17 1958
Billy Boy	Arranged By – Jamal	January 17 1958
It's You Or No One	Styne, Cahn	January 17 1958
They Can't Take That Away From Me	Gershwin	January 17 1958
Poor Butterfly	Golden, Hubbell	January 17 1958

Liner Notes

THE nights of January 16 and 17, 1958, marked the turning point in the career of Ahmad Jamal. Argo Records took a load of recording equipment to the Lounge of the Pershing hotel on Chicago's sprawling south side and taped the entire two-night output of the then-comparatively-obscure Ahmad Jamal trio.

The album which resulted from the first night's session (But Not For Me, Argo LP 628) almost instantaneously shot Jamal into the very highest echelon of jazz performers and became one of the biggest-selling recordings in jazz history.

This album comes from the second night. How it happened to come about may be of interest to the listener.

Jamal spent literally dozens of hours selecting the selections that made up But Not For Me. He took into consideration tempos, keys, and types of tunes to make for smooth pacing. After he had finished, and the album was released, turned away from the remaining tapes with almost a sigh of relief and promptly dismissed them from his mind.

In July of 1960, some 2 1/2 years later, a couple of persons ran across some file cards which indicated there was a whole night's output untouched, pulled the tapes out of storage, listened to some three hours of unreleased material.

It took just a few minutes to discover that both nights had produced set after set of consistently remarkable music. Some of the unreleased sides fairly cried to be issued.

Jamal was consulted about the possibility of making this second volume of Pershing performances. He was reluctant. "They're over two years old," he said. "The trio is that much older now, and we don't play the same way we did then."

Then the tapes were played for him. He heard Cherokee. "I'd forgotten that one," he said. "It came out pretty nice." He heard It Might As Well Be Spring. "I listened to Tatum a lot. I guess you can tell by the ending of that." He heard Gone With The Wind. "You know where I got that introauction? Don Elliott's group played at the Modern Jazz room some time before we did the Pershing date and his pianist — I don't remember his name...Bob somebody — played it that way."

He heard Billy Boy. "Gee, we've been doing that one a long time. We recorded it for another label in 1952, then Red Garland's group did the same arrangement not long ago."

He heard Too Late Now, "That's a good tune. We should begin to use it again in our repertoire. I think that might be a good side to lead off the album."

The reluctance had disappeared.

I don't think it need ever have been there. These sides are examples of the polished skill and remarkable interplay that are the marks of the Jamal trio. Israel Crosby is onhand to give imaginative and rock-steady support. Vernell Fournier is, as ever, fluid and quick as Jamal displays all the qualities that have elicited so much vociferous respect from fellow musicians, critics, and record buyers.

Whether this album was recorded 2 1/2 years or 2 1/2 days ago makes no difference. It is fresh, swinging. inventive, and timeless.

And I have a hunch that 10 years from now, it still will be.

Jack Tracy