LP-758

Ahmad Jamal – Extensions

Released 1965

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal, piano; Jamil S. Nasser, bass; Vernel Fournier, drums
Nola's Penthouse Studios, New York, May 18-20 1965

13961 This terrible planet
13962 Dance to the lady
13963 Bogaloo (?) (unissued)
13964 Whisper not
13965 Extensions (pt 1)
13966 Who can I turn to? (unissued)
13967 The first love song (unissued)
13968 unknown title (unissued)
13969 Look at that face (unissued)

Track Listing

Extensions	Ahmad Jamal	May 18-20 1965
Dance To The Lady	John Handy	May 18-20 1965
This Terrible Planet	Bob Williams	May 18-20 1965
Whisper Not	Benny Golson	May 18-20 1965

Liner Notes

IT IS always delightful exposing oneself to Ahmad Jamal's talents because he posesses all of the ingredients of 'the real jazz musician'. Innate ability varies in people but this man has been given an infectious swing, a wide harmonic scope, and a love for beautiful melodies.

Until a couple of years ago, he often said. "I haven't had a lesson in fifteen years: I was playing this way when I was twenty!" In his native Pittsburgh, and later while working Chicago night spots, his exceptional gifts were recognized, hut we have to differ with Jamal — he's playing greater than ever! This album is a testimony to that, sanctioned by the extremely capable bassist, Jamil S. Nasser, and the superb drummer, Vernei Fournier. Jamal's preference for the trio has persisted for sixteen years and this seems to be an ideal choice.

From "Wanted...Peace," one of Bob Williams' musicals, comes THIS TERRIFLE PLANET. A rhythmic combination of tambourin, sock cymbal, and side tom helps set the pace of this F-minor medium offering with a bluesy-eastern flavor.

Ahmad says, "THIS TERRIBLE PLANET is a most interesting composition and the words are equally interesting. I'm looking forward to people like Johnny Hartman doing it."

The runs of John Handy's DANCE TO THE LADY advance ripples of feeling. A&R man Dave Usher, highly excited in the control booth, is prompted to tell Ahmad after the take. "Yea! The lady dances with us!"

"DANCE TO THE LADY is a pretty tune," says Ahmad. "I dig it! Written by one of the most talented and scholarly musicians today, John Handy. He holds a masters degree and lives in San Francisco. A person, in musician circles, is very unfortunate who hasn't discovered him, very unfortunate!"

Benny Golson's WHISPER NOT is in the 'groovy modern tradition'. A fiery flavor is given underneath the beat by Vernel's fantastic top cymbal work.

Ahmad reminisces, "WHISPER NOT is such a swinger! A tune I've been doing for some time. Wrinen by one of my favorite musicians who has the rare facility of being a fine writer and instrutnentalist. When he was with Earl Bostic, he used to come to the Pershing. This is one of many of his compositions I enjoy."

After an ensemble intro, we go into the only original, EXTENSIONS. Then comes a bass solo, then one by Fournier, then Ahmad surprises us by tastefully plucking the piano strings. Following is a series of exchanges and then an up-tempo demon-like swing: a sort of intellectual adventure. a variety of interesting rhythms.

Ahmad considers EXTENSIONS to be the most important tune in the album and it has occupied his thoughts considerably: "This is a flag-waver even time we perform it. Wc did it with the Cleveland Orchestra on July 28, 1965. This is definitely 'thinking' music. Ever since we starred doing EXTENSIONS it hasn't failed to overwhelm the audience to the point of standing ovations."

Vernel Fournier has experienced two jazz history-making cities and perhaps this has contributed to his more than adequate percussion endowment and made him an expert. He was born in New Orleans and migrated to Chicago at twenty. A recording studio technician says. "He plays so politely!" Fournier rides his top cymbal brilliantly and with accompanying accents, using sock, brass, snare and tom — a soloist can't helped being moved. A brief spell away from the trio caused him to say on returning, "It's good to be back. I missed Ahmad!"

Vernel says. "THIS TERRIBLE PLANET is some title! It has a beautiful African sound. I play 3/4 and 4/4 time, Jamil 3/4, and Ahmad 3/4. DANCE TO THE LADY has a beautiful melody," Vernel continues, "I love this one! I like WHISPER NOT's beat. Going to listen carefully to the playback. Yea, " Vernel amens, "this EXTENSIONS really gives me a fast up-there challenge!"

Jamil S. Nasser is also from a city with a jazz tradition, Memphis. He allied himself to the bass in 1948 and, now being one of the prominent men on that instrument in New York, shows that this alliance wasn't fruitless. Of significance, however, is the pleasure of hearing his power, steady beat, and fertile rhythmic imagination.

Jamil says. "I love THIS TERRIBLE PLANET and sinking into the rhythm like an anchor. This I call 'anchoring'. DANCE TO THE LADY is unusual, musical, and written by a helluva musician! Love the tune! I get a swingin' kick out of WHISPER NOT." (Nasser danced happily on the playback of this one.) "We really get a good tempo on EXTENSIONS."

Watching Ahmad during a break flipping the pages of a Bach two- and three-part inventions, one thinks — or could think — of the journey trekked by him to the top: it's miraculous! But greatness cannot be harnessed by obstacles or disadvantages — this record is the proof.

And now allow me to present Ahmad Jamal's EXTENSIONS...

—Ahmad Basheer
Off The Record

LP-751

Ahmad Jamal – The Roar Of The Greasepaint - The Smell Of The Crowd

Released 1965

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal, piano; Jamil Nasser, bass; Chuck Lampkin, drums
Nola Penthouse Studio, New York City, February 24+25 1965

13788 Who can I turn to?
13789 That's what it is to be young
13790 This dream
13791 The beautiful land
13792 Look at that face
13793 Where would you be without me?
13794 It isn't enough
13795 My first love song
13796 Sweet beginning
13797 A wonderful day like today
13798 Feeling good

Track Listing

Look At That Face	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
Where Would You Be Without Me?	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
It Isn't Enough	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
Sweet Beginning	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
The Dream	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
Feeling Good	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
My First Love Song	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
A Wonderful Day Like Today	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
That's What It Is To Be Young	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965
The Beautiful Land	Bricusse/Newley	February 24+25 1965

Liner Notes

BEFORE it arrived on Broadway, The Roar Of The Greasepaint—The Smell of the Crowd already had achieved a singular series of triumphs. Not only was it a spiraling hit on the road, but there were also more than fifty recordings of songs from the score (a pre-Broadway testament of optimism that exceeded even the welcoming trumpets that greeted Hello, Dolly! and Fiddler on the Roof), This album of Anthony Newley's and Leslie Bricusse's songs, however, is a distinctive tribute because the musical temperament and style of Ahmad Jamal are particularly suited to the Newley-Bricusse way of looking at life and reflecting what they see and hear in music.

Their previous American conquest was Stop the World—I Want To Get Off, a wry, poignant, irreverent morality play about the circular frustrations and self-evasions of a man "making it" in the 20th century jungle. The Roar of the Greasepaint—The Smell Of the Crowd is both a more astringent and more hopeful exploration of the game of life, At first, in an ingenious gameboard of a set, two figures are seen at the play of existence. Sir (Cyril Ritchard) represents those in power, whose basic characteristic is the over-riding desire to maintain power. Cocky (Anthony Newley) speaks for most of the rest of us — those without power or with such little power that we cannot really be in full charge of what hapens to us.

Evety time it app that Cocky may win a game, Sir changes the rules. I will not spoil your fun by detailing the rest of the plot, except to say that as new figures ppear, Cocky sees that there are other ways than his own passivity to counteract Sir. One can assert oneself; one can even refuse to play if the game is rigged. And finally, Cocky learns that he too can make his own rules so that Sir will have to learn to co-exist on equal terms rather than to dominate as if his power were a law of nature. It isn't.

The essentials of the Newley-Bricusse writing style — and of Newley's remarkably evocative skill as a performer — are disciplined simplicity, clarity of design, resiliant wit and a superb sense of timing. Without trying to make Jamal the image of them, it is nonetheless true that those same qualities describe Jamal's way of making music. Furthermore, Jamal himself is a contemplative, arching observer of the way we live now. He has strong feelings about the way things ought to be and could be and, like Newley and Bricusse, he has a firm sense of who he is and what his capacities are.

Accordingly, Jamal and this score fuse easily. Throughout, there are the immediately identifiable Jamal insignia — the plastic use of space; the lithe beat, the graceful humor and the sense of power in reserve. The propulsive force is there, as in sections of "Sweet Beginning" and "Feeling Good". He has supple sense of dynamics, and therefore, he is capable of varying gradations of climax. He swings without strain and with both subtlety and sensibility.

Tne softly glowing lyricism that is a fundamental element of Jamal's style is in evidence on every track, from the luminosity of "Where Would You Be Without Me?" to the aura of unfolding surprise he brings to "That's What It Is To Be Young". Chuck Lampkin and Jamil Nasser meanwhile provide Jamal with a crisply moving foundation on which he can play with time.

The album underlines the consistency of Jamal's firmly personal approach to music. Beginning in 1958 with his recording of a performance at Chicago's Pershing Hotel (Argo LP-628 & LPS-628), Jamal has experienced widening public delight in his work. He does not fall into any conveniently categorical "bag." He is, in sum, himself.

What Jamal has to offer musically - as in the recording — is refreshingly personal on its own terms. I mean his clarity, essentially sanguine view of life and his grace. And when you want to conjugate the possibilities of the kinds of kicks that come on a spring day, the Jamal microcosm is one place to visit. He is a singular part of today's roar of the greasepaint and smell of the crowd.

—NAT HENTOFF

LP-733

Ahmad Jamal – Naked City Theme

Released 1964

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal, piano; Jamil Sulieman (Nasser), bass; Chuck Lampkin, drums
Jazz Workshop, San Francisco, 1963-1964

12880 Whisper not
12881 Naked City theme
12882 One for Miles
12883 Haitian market place
12981 Beautiful love
12982 Surrealism
12983 Minor adjustment
12984 Johnny one note
12985 Have you met Miss Jones?
12986 I believe in you
13301 Minor moods
13302 Keep on keepin' on
13303 Stolen moments
13563 Lollipops and roses

Track Listing

Naked City Theme	B. May & M. Raskin	December 10 1963
Minor Moods	A. Jamal	June 26-28 1964
Haitian Market Place	R. Evans	December 10 1963
Beautiful Love	V. Youing & W. King	Early 1964
One For Miles	A. Jamal	December 10 1963
Lollipops And Roses	T. Velona	June 26-28 1964

Liner Notes

THIS IS AHMAD JAMAL'S first new album in two years. It was recorded live, last June, at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco — that West Coast city which seems to generate so much excellent jazz nowadays. Most musicians will agree that the jazz experience is heightened by playing to real people. Real San Francisco people seem to be even better, as other jazz musicians who have played there will attest.

The Jamal story is heart-warming. Only a handful of modern jazzmen have achieved the genuine commercial success that he has. That kind of success (enormous record sales and sellout personal appearances) must have surprised him, since he had not consciously sought it. Only rarely would he leave his Chicago workshop, where he had numerous local admirers. Jamal was, and is, essentially, a first-rate pianist — a fact known to fellow jazz musicians who heard him in Chicago long ago, before he gained widespread recognition.

Now, of course, everyone knows Ahmad Jamal's celebrated style. On its surface, his playing is gentle, warm and lyrical, and charms even a non-jazz audience. Yet everyone listening must have felt the relentless beat, because it was always there — rolling along like ocean waves.

Although Jamal seems to prefer subtlety and indirection, in reality he is strongly percussive and places accents much like a drummer. On this album, his percussiveness is strongly evidenced. Earlier records, however, had the interplay of rhythmic accents between him and the other musicians more subdued — now it constantly erupts!

Not that there is a "new" Jamal — all that was so attractive before is still here — only the emphasis has shifted. This shift is due, in no small part, to his new sidemen: drummer Chuck Lampkin and bassist Jamil Sulieman. Lampkin, formerly with Dizzy Gillespie, has a crisp sound and a hard-swinging beat. Sulieman's sound, deeply vibrant, is cleanly articulated and he has that "walking" beat. Both men are capable of producing the varying dynamics and shadings that Ahmad's conception demands.

One thing more! Here is a tightly-knit group. Each tune, subjected to any number of possible attacks, is spun out with increasing ingenuity and excitement. Within this diversity. always there is thc unity of a trio performance, rather than simple piano-with-rhythm backing.

The six compositions selected for this album were chosen from numerous inspired performances given the nights of June 26, 27, and 28, 1964.

NAKED CITY THEME: The title song of this album, written by Billy May, is a pretty melody languidly played in the first chorus by Ahmad, over an ever-rolling tom-tom beat. Clanging cymbals and hammered chords from the piano are then added in increasing volume and intensity, and a striking alteration to the interior pulse occurs toward the end of the piece.

MINOR MOODS: Here is Ahmad as composer; this time with an attractive jazz waltz. Following some warm chord progressions by the leader, dig Sulieman's bass solo! After which a crackling solo by Lampkin is heard — but note also his crisp drumming throughout.

HATTIAN MARKET PLACE: From the pen of Richard Evans, (a former bassist with the trio) exotic styling by Jamal is here evidenced. Caribbean rhythms are now the basic pattern, but the feeling is sizzling, hot jazz. Hard to keep still while listening to this one!

BEAUTIFUL LOVE: Victor Young's writing, and here is the romantic mood of Ahmad, beautifully played. You will note though, that beat is always there.

ONE FOR MILES (guess who?): Ahmad, the composer, again. This one is straight-ahead, hard-swinging jazz! Brilliant solos by Ahmad and Sulieman, big-band drum accents by Lampkin, and sly, witty touches from one and all are contained here. Swings for days!

LOLLIPOPS AND ROSES: Penned by Tony Velona; here is a lovely song played tenderly for the most part, with that shimmering piano tone that is Jamal's hallmark. Still, before the climax, the trio examines the piece in some other lights that are more direct, consequently, a few sparks fly!

Norval Perkins
Former jazz columnist for the Washington Afro-American

LP-719

Ahmad Jamal - Poinciana

Released 1963

Recording and Session Information

"Pershing Lounge", Chicago, January 16 1958
Ahmad Jamal, piano; Israel Croby, bass; Vernell Fournier, drums

Poinciana
September 5/6 1958 Spotlight Club, Washington D.C.
9026 Autumn Leaves
9033 Tater Pie
9037 Gal In Calico
9041 This Can't Be Love
9047 Ivy
9050 Old Devil Moon
9053 You don't know what love is

Poinciana	Bernier / Simon	January 16 1958
You Don't Know What Love Is	D. Raye, G. DePaul	September 5, 6 1958
Gal In Calico	A. Schwartz, L. Robin	September 5, 6 1958
Ivy	H. Carmichael	September 5, 6 1958
Tater Pie	Irving Ashby	September 5, 6 1958
Autumn Leaves	Prevert, Mercer, Kozma	September 5, 6 1958
This Can't Be Love	Rodgers & Hart	September 5, 6 1958
Ole Devil Moon	Lane, Harburg	September 5, 6 1958

Liner Notes

THERE have been piano trios in great abundance in Jazz ever since Art Tatum showed the way back in the early 30's. Most of them have been "One man" trios, such as Art's, because of the overwhelming talent with which the leader-pianist was usually imbued. The bass and drums usually kept to the unobtrusive role of time keeping. Erroll Garner's men are listed as string and percussion accompaniment, which they very finely but innocuously are. And so the trios go.

With The Ahmad Jamal Trio of this setting the word trio means exactly that; three! Indisputably, it is Ahmad's trio, it is he the general public comes to see and hear. They come now to hear his new group which is rapidly growing to excellence. However. the trio herein is no more. Its great bassist, Israel Crosby has passed on, and its greatly underrated but superbly inventive drummer, Vernell Fournier is now with George Shearing. Those of you who've heard this trio may differ With me and say that Israel or Vernell never did solo, that they merely kept time and were subservient to Ahmad's explorations. In the sense of an out and out extrovert type solo this is essentially true. However, the few breaks they do take plus their overall contributions to, the general meaning of the selection being played are so important and so much a part of the whole conception that without their rapport it is very doubtful that the Ahmad Jamal Trio would have gained the fame it so deserved. No one, I'm sure realizes this fact as keenly as the exceptionally talented pianist-composer, Ahmad Jamal. (This is one reason he has reorganized his present trio along the same lines, with Richard Evans, bass and Chuck Lampkin, drums). Both of these excellent sidemen possess some of the great qualities of their predecessors, plus of course, their own personal talents, which are quite large!

All of the selections included in this album were recorded before a live audience and their appreciative reactions are easily evident after each number. "Poinciana," one Of the first tunes to really boost the group begins side one, and is followed by a great standard, "You Don't Know What Love Is." Sprinkled by many humorous ihterpolations, this selection swings along with Israel giving "singing" lessons to all bassists while propelling Ahmad into some fanciful flights of two fisted chords and deftly turned single note runs. "Gal In Calico" which follows features some of the most finger poppin'est head shakin' swingin' ever recorded. Vernell builds right along with Ahmad and distinguishes himself by crashing the loudest cymbal ever in his long career. Obscure but beautiful is the ballad, "Ivy"; its Rhumba like treatment alternating with a deep sounding 4/4 is perfect interpretation by these masters. The first side ends With guitarist Irving Ashby's composition, "Tater Pie," a light sounding swinger which lends itself admirably to the easy styled improvisations Of Ahmad. Israel's meter, choice Of notes and unfrantic but definitely positive style of bass walking on this tune are remarkable, and without fear of stretching a point I would say this is the way most bass players would like to be able to play!

The longest tune in the the forever standard, "Autumn Leaves" opens the second side, and is given vastly treatment than Miles Davis' famous interpretation. "This Can't Be Love," which I've always loved by Lester Young is played robustly with tongue-in-cheek. Many truly humorous interpolations poke their way through the web of the tunes' melody which Ahmad constantly toys with in much the same did with multi-noted flourishes alternating with open gaps of rhythm. On this and the album's closer, "Ole Devil Moon," Israel Crosby once again rules the world of tasteful bass playing hands down. Notice also the interplay between drums and bass, both listening to Ahmad and each other.

Listening to and appreciating each other musically and personally with the talent already involved was perhaps the secret of the TRIO. I truly feel that Ahmad Jamal's Trio is most certainly among the elite in its field of music. This album, among his many others, helps to justify this position, as does his new trio. I sincerely think POINCIANA will meet with the approval of your discerning ears.

—JOE SEGAL

LP-712

Ahmad Jamal - Macanudo

Released 1963

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal, piano; Art Davis, bass; Richard Evans, dirextor with large orchestra
RVG, Englewood, New York, December 20-21 1962

12087 Sugar loaf at twilight
12088 Montevideo
12089 Belo horizonte
12090 Bossa nova do Marilla
12091 Buenos Aires
12092 Bogota
12093 Haitian marketplace
12094 Carnival in Panama

Track Listing

Montevideo	Richard Evans	December 20-21 1962
Bogota	Richard Evans	December 20-21 1962
Sugar Load At Twilight	Richard Evans	December 20-21 1962
Haitian Market Place	Richard Evans	December 20-21 1962
Buenos Aires	Richard Evans	December 20-21 1962
Bossa Nova Do Marilla	Richard Evans	December 20-21 1962
Carnival In Panama	Richard Evans	December 20-21 1962
Belo Horizonte	Richard Evans	December 20-21 1962

Liner Notes

THIS IS A SPANISH slang word for "hip". It is very appropriate on this occasion for this album is a "hip" blending of the best rhythmic currents in Afro-Harlem and Afro-Latin American music. This album, in fact, is a justly-deserved tribute to President and Mrs. Jack Kennedy. It grew out of the President's cultural program which carried Composer Richard Evans to several South American countries as a musical ambassador and ended with an unprecedented White House jam session. Here. in eight impressionistic tone paintings of eight Latin American cities, is the musical result Of that cultural safari. If you are looking for hard-driving examples of the exciting rhythmic concoctions of Latin America, this is your record. If you are looking for gimmicky "fad" music, however, pass this one up. Ahmad Jamal, Richard Evans and their supporting cast on this brilliant album are to be commended for their good taste in avoiding the "fad" aspects of the contemporary Latin American movement. This is a record which doesn't try to prove anything—except that music is fun, from any part of the country.

Ahmad Jamal, the driving force behind this album, is at home in Brazil. On the driving Haitian Market Place and the imaginative Buenos Aires, Jamal demonstrates that he has no peers in the art of piano magic. Coaxing great blocks of shimmering sound from the piano, the great pianist successfully defends his title as the most rhythmic and creative artist working on the keyboard today. On Sugar Loaf, incidentally, Jamal breaks new ground with an extraordinary solo on the celesta. As a musical host and as a recording director, I have followed Jamal's climb from Chicago's Pershing Lounge to the Himalaya of jazz. This is one of his best.

Richard Evans, the Chicago-based bassist who received long overdue recognition when he made the White House scene, blossoms forth on this album as a composer of note. Although he is only thirty, Evans has played and written for Maynard Ferguson, Dinah Washington and other musical greats. He served also as musical director of the Paul Winter sextet which made a six-month tour of Latin America and returned to Washington to make musical history as the first jazz group to give a concert at the White House.

Evans provides a colorful frame for the Jamal palette. Using jazz greats and conservatory-trained musicians from the New York Philharmonic and other symphony orchestras, he paints brilliant impressionistic portraits with strings, French horns, flutes and the harp and bell. Darting in and out of the splashes of sound, Jamal rises to great heights as an artist by dominating this large and impressive orchestra.

Jazztistically speaking, this is a record for the musical buff who has everything. It is one of those rare records that yield choice delights with repeated listening.

Here, in the swinging, uninhibited words of Composer Evans, is the musical fare: Montevideo — The capital of Uruguay is bright, fast and happy. A rolling eloquent recital by Ahmad Jamal delineates the modern and traditional in this great South American city.

Bogota — Bogota, Colombia, is paradox-ville. It is beautiful and beastly, hip and square, kind and cruel, old and new. Playing against the full orchestra, Jamal goes to the heart of the paradox.

Sugar Loaf — When you see the orange rays of the sun bathe Rio de Janeiro at twilight, you are filled with a feeling of peace which can best be defined with the soft tones of strings, celesta and French horn. The highlight of this tone painting is Jamal's lovely solo on the celesta.

Haitian Market Place — Imagine an open market in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with hundreds of Haitians selling their wares and chanting in broken French. The pure African rhythms, the poverty and the soul combine to make you want to scream for them and moan with them. In this portrait, the brass screams and Jamal moans.

Buenos Aires — Argentina, the New York of South America, is so hip they call it B. A. The musical scene? No senoritas with guitars, no castanets, but some darn good modern jazz musicians who will send many North American jazz musicians back to the "wood shed." B. A. deserves undiluted jazz. B. A. deserves a sparkling Jamal solo.

Bona Nova Do Marilla — This number and the inventive Jamal interpolations capture the mood of the little out-of-the-way town of Marilla, Brazil. Here are the quiet, polite people, the pleasant little restaurant around the corner, the modest cemetery and the sheer beauty of Marilla's simplicity.

Carnival in Panama — Jamal sets the pace for this fast, rhythmical number with a percussive solo that shimmers and delights.

Belo Horizonte — This Brazilian city is smooth and relaxing. Bossa Nova is in order here with another pulsating Jamal solo and a Jamal-influenced ending.

Daddy-O Daylie
WAAF.WMAQ

LP-703

Ahmad Jamal – At The Blackhawk

Released 1962

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal, piano; Israel Crosby, bass; Vernel Fournier, drums
Blackhawk, San Francisco, January 31, February 1 1962

11737 The second time around
11738 (Medley :)
Alone together
Love walked in
11739 Smoke gets in your eyes
11740 We live in two different worlds
11741 The best thing for you
11742 (Medley :)
I'll take romance
My funny Valentine
11743 I'm old fashioned
11744 Like someone in love
11745 Angel eyes
11746 Darn that dream
11747 Falling in love with love
11748 On Green Dolphin Street
11749 April in Paris
11750 We kiss in a shadow
11833 Night mist blues
Like someone in love (alt #1)
Like someone in love (alt #2)
The second time around (alt #1)
The second time around (alt #2)

Track Listing

I'll Take Romance	Oakland-Hammerstein	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962
My Funny Valentine	Rodgers-Hart	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962
Like Someone In Love	Van Heusen-Burke	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962
Falling In Love With You	Rodgers-Hart	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962
The Best Thing For You	Irving Berlin	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962
April In Paris	Harburg-Duke	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962
The Second Time Around	Van Heusen-Kahn	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962
We Live In Two Different Worlds	Fred Rose	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962
Night Mist Blues	Ahmad Jamal	Jan 31, Feb 1 1962

Liner Notes

IN THE HISTORY of jazz there has been only a handful of rhythm sections that have approached perfection. Basie had such a group in the late Thirties and Forties, and Ahmad Jamal had onc from 1954 to 1961, when these marvelous sides were at the Blackhawk in San Francisco.

The death, in August 1962 of the bassist Crosby, marked the irrevocable finale to the particular trio that has given me more pleasure than any other in the past decade. At the age of sixteen Crosby made his first discs in Chicago with Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman and an all-star small combo, and from that time on there never was another bassist to equal him. His intonation was impeccable, his technique prodigious he never bothered to display it, and — most important of all — he was the complete ensemble musician. His prowess gave Jamal a freedom to experiment in a way no other pianist has dared to do.

The Ahmad Jamal Trio far transcends the jazz world, and the fact that it has been consistently the most popular trio on records has caused the self-styled jazz critics to polish off such epithets as "commercial" and "cocktail music". Pay the writers no mind, and listen to some of the most sensitive, delicate and subtle music in jazz history.

There is one track on the second side of this disc that will go down in history as one of the greatest of all blues performances: "Night Mist Blues". For me this is the crowning achievement of Ahmad's recording career, and one can only hope that it can become a two-sided single hit. Ahmad plays with a gusto he usually hides. Crosby is miraculous and Fournier on drums, nothing short of perfection.

In the days when this writer was a critic himself, nothing used to infuriate him more than superlatives on liner notes. He steers away from them on the occasional copy he writes for Columbia albums; but when confronted by a record like this plus the memory of Israel Crosby he has had to succumb to his enthusiasm.

Since Crosby's death Ahmad has been searching for the right successor, and finally in Richard Evans he has found one. If Vernell Fournier can be persuaded to return the magic of the Jamal Trio can continue. This, alas, is the final disc of that unparalleled threesome: Jamal, Fournier and Crosby.

John Hammond

LP-691

Ahmad Jamal - All Of You

Released 1962

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal Trio
Ahmad Jamal, piano; Israel Crosby, bass; Vernel Fournier, drums
Live "The Alhambra", Chicago, IL, late June 1961

For full set list, see LP-685

11102 Ahmad Jamal You're blase
11103 Ahmad Jamal You go to my head
11106 Ahmad Jamal All of you
11108 Ahmad Jamal What is this thing called love?
11109 Ahmad Jamal Star eyes
11115 Ahmad Jamal Time on my hands
11116 Ahmad Jamal Angel eyes

Track Listing

Time On My Hands	Adamson, Gordon, Youmans	June 1961
Angel Eyes	Brent, Dennis	June 1961
You Go To My Head	Gillespie, Coots	June 1961
Star Eyes	Raye, DePaul	June 1961
All Of You	Cole Porter	June 1961
You're Blase	Sievier, Hamilton	June 1961
What Is This Thing Called Love	Cole Porter	June 1961

Liner Notes

The Ahmad Jamal Trio was formed in May - 1951. At that time we were using Guitar - Ray Crawford and Bass - Tommy Sowell.

We started recording in 1952. I had been trying to sell the idea spasmodically since 1949, when I made certain efforts in this direction toward some of the most likely recording companies at that time...unsuccessfully.

I will always remember my very dear and long time acquaintance Chris Powell (whose group most of you "informed afflcienados" wouldn't remember the late Clifford Brown being a part of). Chris' group made the first demonstration pressings with me in Toronto . where he was working at the time and I was accompanying a group of singers called "The Caldwells."

Since then much has taken place....recording and otherwise, including some "5" Star record ratings (whatever that means....Ahmad's Blues, etc.,...Down Beat Magazine) as early as 1952 when the group was virtually unheard of.

I was fortunate enough to grow up with and around such musicians as Thomas Turrentine, Joe Harris, Harold Holt, Joe Kennedy, Sam Johnson, Edgar Willis, and also share the rich heritage that Pittsburgh Roy Eldridge, Erroll Garner, Dodo Marmarosa, Ray Brown, Art Blakely, Earl Hines, Billy Eckstein, Billy Strayhorn and many many others, including some personalities that are synonymous with Pittsburgh....LeRoy Brown, Honey Boy Minor, William Hitchcock, Joe Westray, etc.

Pittsburgh was and still is a formidable territory for transient musicians, with sessions going on into the early hours of the morning. Such musicians as Jerry Elliott, Billy Lewis, Bass McMahon and the musicians who hadn't started playing then and are doing so well now (Stanley Turrentine and others) playing Host.

This present L. P. was recorded in one of the most enjoyable and most compatible atmospheres that I have ever known, as far as clubs go.....The AlHambra.....not saying this because we own same, but because so many club owners and promoters could take a lesson from the Artist's approach toward working facilities for the musicians and singers.

The acoustics; the piano, the lighting, the atmosphere, could only be conducive to one thing.......a happy result and here it is.

AHMAD JAMAL

LP-685

Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra

Released 1961

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal Trio
Ahmad Jamal, piano; Israel Crosby, bass; Vernel Fournier, drums
Live "The Alhambra", Chicago, IL, late June 1961

Full set list. Released as LP-685, LP-691 and LP-786
11092 Ahmad Jamal We kiss in the shadow
11093 Ahmad Jamal Sweet and lovely
11094 Ahmad Jamal The party's over
11095 Ahmad Jamal Love for sale
11096 Ahmad Jamal Snowfall
11097 Ahmad Jamal Broadway
11098 Ahmad Jamal Willow, weep for me
11099 Ahmad Jamal Autumn leaves
11100 Ahmad Jamal Isn't it romantic?
11101 Ahmad Jamal The breeze and I
11102 Ahmad Jamal You're blase
11103 Ahmad Jamal You go to my head
11104 Ahmad Jamal Desert sands
11105 Ahmad Jamal I get a kick out of you
11106 Ahmad Jamal All of you
11107 Ahmad Jamal Where or when
11108 Ahmad Jamal What is this thing called love? 11109 Ahmad Jamal Star eyes
11110 Ahmad Jamal Isn't is a lovely day
11111 Ahmad Jamal Don't worry 'bout me (unissued)
11112 Ahmad Jamal I can't get started
11113 Ahmad Jamal You're driving me crazy
11114 Ahmad Jamal Let's call it a day
11115 Ahmad Jamal Time on my hands
11116 Ahmad Jamal Angel eyes
Ahmad Jamal Medley: (unissued)
11117 Ahmad Jamal With the wind and the rain in your hair
11118 Ahmad Jamal You are my springtime
11119 Ahmad Jamal There is no greater love (unissued)
11120 Ahmad Jamal My heart stood still
Ahmad Jamal Poinciana (unissued)
Ahmad Jamal We kiss in a shadow (alt) (unissued)
Ahmad Jamal Stella by starlight (unissued)
Ahmad Jamal The lady is a tramp (unissued)

Track Listing

We Kiss In A Shadow	Rodgers, Hammerstein	June 1961
Sweet And Lovely	Charles N. Daniels, Arnheim, Tobias	June 1961
The Party's Over	Byrne, Comden, Green	June 1961
Love For Sale	Cole Porter	June 1961
Snow Fall	Thornhill	June 1961
Broadway	Woode, McRae	June 1961
Willow Weep For Me	Ronell	June 1961
Autumn Leaves	Prevert, Kosma	June 1961
Isn't It Romantic	Rodgers, Hart	June 1961
The Breeze And I	Stillman, Lecuona	June 1961

Liner Notes

ARTISTS are, by and large, a dreaming lot. Musicians are no exception; in fact, some of the world's most prolific jazz creators ply their melodic trade while envisioning castles rising high into the sky. It is the privilege of each of us to dream and dream and dream again. It falls the lot of a few of us to equip that dream with spurs of driving, realistic ambition and hardwork. And here, the sky watchers are sifted from those solid bricks, out of whom come the pillars of our society.

Reaching modestly for the sun, there stands on Chicago's once elegant Michigan Boulevard, a new structure ironically reminiscent of the old splendor. This edifice is more than a brick and mortar symbol; it is the gossamer culmination of a dream — a dream spun of webs of inspiration and talent, hung together by threads of disappointments and health-sapping devotion. Yet watching the slight, bearded owner walking with quiet pride throughout the elaborate room, one knows instantly that he is savoring the sweet smell of success, and triumph over strife.

Ahmad Jamal was at home regularly at the turn of the 5th decade. Crowds had not yet begun to for his tinkling, happy piano. He played infrequently in clubs. There stirring within him that frustrating, incomplete feeling of not knowing the total acceptance of the mass populace; yet, he was playing music and remaining at home (an ideal situation for the family man). All that was lacking was financial fruit and the broadened horizon. In the mid 50's "The Hit" was cut and with the subsequent popular demand, Jamal took to the road to become the itinerant musician.

To offset his longing for the warmth and security of his home in Chicago, travelling Jamal began spinning his dream. Cities and countries of the world began to fascinate him and he mentally catalogued the most appealing attributes of each. Of all the lands he visited, actually and vicariously, the far and middle east most impressed the pianist.

In 1960, Ahmad returned to the Windy City to begin the fulfillment of the dream. In 1961, the doors of Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra were opened to the public. Beautifully appointed, boasting a completely imported interior, continental cuisine; the club elegantly speaks of its eastern heritage. There was never a more receptive audience than the members of the press who came out that extra-warm summer afternoon to offer best wishes to the owner-musician.

It was natural and appropriate that the first musical attraction at the new Alhambra should be the Jamal Trio. It was also fitting that, during Jamal's stay there, this session should be cut. The warmth and communion of spirit which prevades throughout the club is reflected here in the harmony and togetherness of the unit. Actually, time and its passage may show that the flow of this unity went in the opposite direction. In other words, this closeknit unit might have instilled into the Alhambra a healthy shot of its own oneness. If this be true, Alhambra is extremely fortunate.

The tunes recorded here constitute music heard and enjoyed each night during the trio's engagement. Artistically, this is one of the best on-the-spot recordings the group has yet produced. All elements seemed to be right and at the right time.

We share with Jamal and Argo, extreme pleasure and pride in the production of this album which is a lanmark in the annals of jazz recording. A prominent jazz artist of national and international acclaim sits at his own piano in his own club and plays own groove; and he records the event proudly for all posterity. We doff our hat to Ahmad at the Alhambra.

Sid McCoy

LP-673

Listen To The Ahmad Jamal Quintet

Released 1961

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal Quintet
Ahmad Jamal, pinao; Ray Crawford, guitar; Joe Kennedy, violin; Israel Crosby, bass; Vernel Fournier, drums
Chicago, August 15 & 16, 1960

10363 Who cares?
10364 Ahmad's waltz
10365 Hallelujah
10366 Tempo for two
10367 Yesterdays
10368 It's a wonderful world
10369 You came a long way from St. Louis
10370 Valentina
10371 Lover man
10372 Baia

Track Listing

Ahmad's Waltz	Ahmad Jamal	August 15 & 16 1960
Valentina	Christine, Reynolds	August 15 & 16 1960
Yesterdays	Kern, Harbach	August 15 & 16 1960
Tempo For Two	Joe Kennedy	August 15 & 16 1960
Hallelujah	Grey, Robin, Youmans	August 15 & 16 1960
It's A Wonderful World	Adamson, Savitt, Watson	August 15 & 16 1960
Baia	Barroso	August 15 & 16 1960
You Came A Long Way From St. Louis	Russell, Brooks	August 15 & 16 1960
Lover Man	Davis, Sherman, Ramirez	August 15 & 16 1960
Who Cares	George & Ira Gershwin	August 15 & 16 1960

Liner Notes

REMEMBER when the record people talked so incessantly about finding a "new sound?" The search went on wildly and weirdly, with tapes that were speeded and slowed and doubled back upon themselves, echo chambers and wind tunnels and bullwhips and other gimmicks. The engineers didn't say they were looking for a "good" sound—just a "new" one.

The fad faded, but Ahmad Jamal fans, whose number is so great that they have snapped up tremendous volumes of the pianist's long-playing records in the last three years, will find a different kind of "new sound" on this record. It's not only new; it's good.

Ahmad has sold a schmillion LPs as the head man of a trio that long has included Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums. Why, then, add violin and guitar strings to what bas been an essentially percussive and artistically and financial successful combination?

For the ample reason that there is more than one way to say a thing, more than one volume or tone of voice. Everybody knows Ahmad Jamal has something to say musically, Herewith he embellishes his message without losing the simplicity and sense of understatement that zoomed him up the ladder at an amazing rate of speed.

Ahmad's piano, Israel's bass, and Vernell's drums greet the violin of Joe Kennedy and the guitar of Ray Crawford, and you can hear them assert (in naval parlance): "Happy to have you aboard!"

The newcomers to the ensemble (and please let's not start calling it the Ahmad Jamal trio plus two) join the group gracefully. They are not obtrusive and they aren't bashful either, You'll hear them lurking in the background much of the time. When it's their turn to take the tiller, they step into poised if momentary command.

Jamal devotees may find Ahmad has put more impact and a richer flavor than usual into this first record session with a fivesome, and they're likely to agree that the added strings are a worthwhile experifilcnt. The youthful veteran continues to be a musician who speaks softly but carries a subtle wallop.

These are not just so many tunes in one mood, with a few at different tempo stuck in for contrast. They're a package filled with variety—bright or brooding, racy or reflective, carefree or cautious.

Ahmad's Waltz is a pointed exercise that has nothing in common with the three-quarter time of Johann Strauss. Jamal's piano is the captain of this cruise, but Crawford's guitar has no hesitancy about making its presence known.

Ahmad's Valentina bears slight resemblance to the young lady of that name whose praises Maurice Chevalier sang a generation ago. Fournier's virile drums make it sound more like Son Of Valentina in their heated discussion with the piano. When the violin enters it's a swinging party that grows more upbeat as it goes along.

The unhurried Yesterdays, an evergreen ideal for a reworking, gets a pensive introduction before wiggling off in several directions With the maestro's touch embroidering it elaborately.

Tempo For Two answers decisively the question: "Why the violin?" Now you know! Joe Kennedy fiddles a forthright argument before piano, drums, bass, and guitar voice their agreement in beautiful balance.

In Halleluiah, Ahmad shows how deftly he can maintain touch of delicacy even When he and his teammates are in a hurry. That violin steals brief scene again in It's A Wonderful World when, after a deep-throated bass idyll, it picks up the scene both saucily and plaintively.

Some feverish dialogue between piano and drums marks Ahmad's piano extends a tentative feeler into Memory Lane in You Came Long From St. Louis with a wistfulness that could be a recollection of the Browns of that town, but the cnsemblc jars the keyboard into today with an assertiveness that makes for a strong finish.

Lover Man is frankly sentimental, with violin courting piano to the soft voiced accompaniment of the other three. Who Cares? the venerable Gershwin gem, ends this cavalcade with a rousing romp in which each says his say in turn, almost like instrumentalists in an oleltime Dixieland band.

Yep, this session has variety. And — any more questions about why Ahmad Jamal decided to try adding a violin and guitar?

William Leonard

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

LP-662

Ahmad Jamal - Happy Moods

Released 1960

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal Trio
Ahmad Jamal, piano; Israel Crosby, bass; Vernel Fournier, drums
Chicago, January 20 & 21, 1960

9945 Rhumba no. 2
9956 Easy to love
9958 Little old lady
9960 Excerpt from the blues
9964 I'll never stop loving you
9970 Pavanne
9973 For all we know
9974 Speak low
9977 Time on my hands
Raincheck

Track Listing

Little Old Lady	Hoagy Carmichael	January 20 & 21, 1960
For All We Know	Morton Gould	January 20 & 21, 1960
Pavanne	Ahmad Jamal	January 20 & 21, 1960
Excerpt From The Blues	Cole Porter	January 20 & 21, 1960
You'd Be So Easy To Love	Billy Strayhorn	January 20 & 21, 1960
Time On My Hands	Adamson, Youmans, Gordon	January 20 & 21, 1960
Raincheck	Strayhorn	January 20 & 21, 1960
I'll Never Stop Loving You	Cahn, Brodszky	January 20 & 21, 1960
Speak Low	Weill, Nash	January 20 & 21, 1960
Rhumba No. 2	Ahmad Jamal	January 20 & 21, 1960

Liner Notes

THE METEORIC RISE of Ahmad Jamal from comparative obscurity to the most sought-after and biggest-selling recording artist in jazz is one of the phenomenons of the last two years. Seldom in the history of music has a man soared to international renown so rapidly.

To the people who had never heard of Jamal previous to 1958, it probably seemed almost miraculous that a man could come from nowhere so fast. To those who had watched with some interest a career that was a good decade in the making, the surprise was not nearly so great. Because for years Ahmad had displayed great potential for success and had built up a small but tremendously loyal following.

When the lightning struck, he was ready.

That lightning came in the form of a 12-inch-round vinylite disc called Argo LP 628, But Not For Me. Most commonly it is referred to as Jamal At The Pershing. It touched off a prairie fire.

Succeeding recordings included two LPs recorded in night club surroundings and one with orchestra — Jamal At The Penthouse. This is the first studio recording the trio has done by itself since the fates smiled.

And the hallmarks of the hrnal style are in full evidence here — simplicity, rhythmic force, subtlety, and remarkable interplay between the members.

Take the first track, for example. Ahmad dug back to the to come up with a pop hit of that day in Hoagy Carmichael's Little Old Lady. The melody is stated in typical Jamal fashion — easily recognizable but shaped gracefully and slyly to his own liking. A long solo from Ahmad follows, as bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernell Fournier play hand-in-glove behind him.

A touching ballad performance follows as Ahmad weaves a haunting mood on For All We Know.

Morton Gould's Pavanne is next and is an excellent example of how far afield Jamal will range to find material suitable to him. The smoothly-meshed, free-floating rhythmic vitality of the trio is a highlight here.

Excerpt From The Blues is a Jamal original that allows him to roam reflectively and quietly through the blues before kicking up the tempo once more on Cole Porter's You'd Be So Easy To Love.

Ahmad's approach to the first track on the second side is unusual. He plays just one chorus of Time On My Hands, straying little from the melody, before going into a closing vamp. "It's such a pretty tune as written that I didn't feel like doing any more than this with it," says Jamal.

Raincheck is a Billy Strayhorn composition that is played brilliantly by Ahmad and associates. Fournier puts brushes aside to play with sticks for the first time in the album and contributes greatly to swinging feeling of the performance.

Another change-of-pace ballad follows as Ahmad inserts hints of Over The Rainbow into his playing of I'll Never Stop Loving You.

Vernell goes back to sticks on Speak Low, Ahmad unleashes some violence in his long, churning solo, and the final chorus becomes a sparkling example of subtlety and rhythmic ingenuity.

The absorption Jamal often has shown for Latin tempos is evidenced once again on the closer, Rhumba No. 2, his own composition, and it is a fitting wrap-up to yet another package of first-rate Jamal.

It has often been said of Ahmad that because of the taste and simplicity of his style, What he doesn't play is often as important as what he does play.

I must disagree.

I like to hear what he does play.
Jack Tracy

Down Beat 18 August 1960 Volume 27 Issue 17
This one left me in a pretty unhappy mood despite the fact that it was well executed. So many jazzmen have listed Jamal as one of their first sources of inspiration. It is more than mildly disappointing, therefore, to hear this artist collapse into a sea of pretty clichés, pyrodynamics, and technical chicanery.

There are occasional flashes of thoughtful creativity throughout. Old Lady is one, portions of Blues is another. The album swings quite satisfactorily. However. there is that uncomfortable bounce created by the brief piano stabs by Jamal punctuated by Fournier’s bass drum.

Crosby is uncompromising in his taste, and he continues as the sparkplug of the group.

In case you hadn't noticed, consider that one cute little tune, Time, has only the opening chorus and a “closing vamp”; that Loving You has some awfully cute quotes from Over the Rainbow; that Rhumba No. 2 has some very cute trills and frills, and that the playing time runs exactly 36 minutes and 36 seconds (isn’t that cute?). All this considered, the album is just a little too cute for jazz. It is a first-rate contribution, however. (B.G.)

LP-646

Ahmad Jamal – Jamal At The Penthouse

Released August 1959

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal, piano; Israel Crosby, bass; Vernel Fournie, drums, Harry Lookofsky, Gene Orloff, Sylvan Shulman, Leo Kruczek, Harry Katzman, Alexander Cores, Alvin Rudnitsky, Seymour Miroff, Bernard Eichebaum, Felix Orlewitz, Bertrand Hirsch, Isadore Zir, George Brown, Lucien Schmit, David Soyer, strings; Joe Kennedy (arranger)
Nola's Penthouse Studios, New York, February 27 & 28, 1959

9377 Comme Ci, comme Ca
9378 Ivy
9379 Never Never Land
9380 Tangerine
9381 Ahmad's Blues
9382 Seleritus
9383 I Like To Recognize The Rune
9384 I'm Alone With You
9385 Sophisticated Gentlemen

Track Listing

Comme Ci, Comme Ca	Kramer, Whitney	February 27 & 28, 1959
Ivy	Hoagy Carmichael	February 27 & 28, 1959
Never Never Land	Jule Styne	February 27 & 28, 1959
Tangerine	Mercer, Schertzinger	February 27 & 28, 1959
Ahmad's Blues	Ahmad Jamal	February 27 & 28, 1959
Seleritus	Ahmad Jamal	February 27 & 28, 1959
I Like To Recognize The Tune	Rodgers, Hart	February 27 & 28, 1959
I’m Alone With You	Bud Estes	February 27 & 28, 1959
Sophisticated Gentlemen	Kennedy, Bennett	February 27 & 28, 1959

Liner Notes

About The Artist If you have been lost in the Amazonian jungles for several years or have endured a similar disassociation with civilization, it's just possible that you may be hearing of Ahmad Jamal for the first time. It's not likely, of course, what with the rapid strides in communication, the increased efficiency in the distribution of records, and the phenomenal world wide enthusiasm for jazz.

The first time I heard a Jamal recording must have been, roughly, eight years ago. I was having a bite to eat before starting my nightly shift, when suddenly I was intrigued by some exciting sounds emanating from the restaurant's sound system, hooked to a juke box in the manager's office. It was a fervid, Latin treatment of a well-known standard and I lost no time in finding someone who was familiar with the juke box so that I could learn who was playing and thereby acquire a copy of the record for my show.

There began, then, a period of frustration, as Ahmad Jamal was on a comparatively new label with undeveloped distribution, and I experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining any of his records. Since that time, I'm happy to say, Ahmad's records are more readily available and Ahmad is not — which is a back handed way of saying that his rapid growth in popularity has resulted in steady bookings in the better jazz rooms, colleges, concerts, and the like.

Although he was born and educated in Pittsburgh, Pa., Chicago was actually the springboard that launched his career. Such discerning entrepreneurs as Frank Holzfiend and Miller Brown several years ago first presented the Ahmad Jamal trio in their respective rooms — the Blue Note and the Pershing Lounge.

Ahmad Jamal once was a member of a group known as the Four Strings, of which the director was Joseph J. Kennedy, Jr. Ever since the group disbanded in 1949 it has been Ahmad's hope that some day he might utilize the services of Joe Kennedy as arranger and conductor of a session for the trio with strings. This album is the culmination of that idea.

Kennedy comes from a musical family, having had ancestors who performed before the crowned heads of Europe. He and Ahmad literally grew up together, their families being closely associated, and Ahmad's faith in him as one of the foremost arrangers and composers of this era is unwavering.

The prize Joe won in a high school music contest was the privilege of studying violin under the late Theodore Rentz, former professor of violin at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. It's not surprising, then, that Ahmad speaks of Joe Kennedy's knowledge of the violin as "extraordinary," and possessing "a wealth of musical talent." This is evident in the extraordinary "full" sound he obtains in his use of the strings in this album, as well as his strategic use of them. Never intrusive, never overpowering, the coming restraint in their use serves to point up the trio just as seasoned dressings do your favorite mixed green salad.

About The Music

Comme Ci, Comme Ca - The strings are introduced immediately for four bars, with the trio echoing in the exchange of fours. Vernell Fournier's crisp, punctuating drumming is contrasted by the delicacy of Ahmad's approach to this pop tune of several years ago.

Ivy — After a quiet ad lib opening to this lovely Hoagy Carmichael peren the trio establishes Latin motif up to the release, which it takes in an easy fox-trot tempo...then it's back to the original tempo, accented by tom-toms. There is an interesting use of a suggestion of the bolero in modulating into the second chorus.

Never Never Land — This is taken in what has come to be known as a "funky" tempo among musicians; relaxed, danceable, and paced by bongos.

Tangerine — The Schertzinger-Mercer ballad of the early '40s has joined the ranks of "standards" by virtue of its pretty melody, evoking memories of its original popularity. Ahmad takes it slightly up-tempo, and arranger Kennedy has given the strings a little more sweeping role than in the previous three numbers. We guarantee that the color won't fade; but if it does, "Marie Phillipe's to blame..."

Ahmad's Blues — This is in an "it's getting late out" mood, with mysterioso exclamations by the strings, and Israel Crosby walking like a nimble-footed ghost from cellar to attic—again proving himself to be outstanding bassist in a generation where "beat" is more becoming as a musical contribution than as a Bohemian attitude.

Seleritus — This is the melody, more than any other in the album, that I have found recurring and running through my head hours after listening to the album. It is the name of a little boy whom Ahmad once met, and, he felt, so musical a name that he was inspired to write this lovely melody. Although the trio had previously recorded it, Kennedy's scoring for the strings made it a "must" for this augmented version. Just as a small boy can remain tranquil and seemingly angelic for only brief spells, the sudden acceleration and switch from pp to ff at the close, although momentarily startling, relaxes one with the grinning realization that it is all very logical.

I Like To Recognize The Tune — They swing this one at a brisk pace, with the strings growling in the lower register at times, and then working hard in more audible fashion. New Orleans-born Vernell Fournier trades fours at the drums with the leader, and then with the strings. Ahmad's pianistics are light, crisp, and sure, and Mr. Rodgers may rest assured that his tune is most recognizable.

I'm Alone With You — The strings are again featured in a fashion that should blend with the mood of the romantic-minded — and isn't everyone upon occasion? Whether your ideal rendezvous would be a stroll through Le Bois of Paris on a sunny spring afternoon, or watching the twinkling of lights in the Bay Area from high atop The Mark in San Francisco, here is music to transport you there in an instant.

Sophisticated Gentleman — Quietly-assured, smart, debonair...this melodic portrait embodies all of these qualities, and we cannot but assume that the gentleman composers Kennedy and Bennett had in mind would be the perfect escort for the Duke's "Lady" of like mien.

The above analyses, of course, simply reflect my own reactions to the selections in the album. Your enjoyment of the music herein will undoubtedly be enhanced as new facets become apparent with repeated listening. To me there is a certain analogy between Ahmad Jamal's playing and that of Count Basie; to wit: the effective use by each of understatement and implication, which I find an ingratiating subtlety; and second, the subordinating of one's own role as leader to the ultimately greater impact of the group as whole.

It's no wonder, then, that the music-loving public has become increasingly aware of Ahmad trio to the point that followers are legion, and enthusiastic in their acclaim.

Dick Martin

LP-2638

Ahmad Jamal Trio - Portfolio of Ahmad Jamal

Released 1958

Recording and Session Information

September 5/6 1958 Spotlight Club, Washington D.C.

LP 2638 9023 Ahmad's Blues
LP 2638 9024 It Could Happen To You
LP 636 9025/9040 I Wish I Knew
LP 2638 9026 Autumn Leaves
LP 636 9027 Stompin' at the Savoy
9028 Love for Sale
LP 636 9029 Cheek to Cheek
LP 636 9030 The Girl Next Door
LP 636 9031 Secret Love
LP 636 9032 Squatty Roo
9033 Tater Pie
LP 636 9034 Taboo
LP 636 9035 Autumn in New York
9036 Too Late Now
LP 2638 9037 Gal In Calico
LP 636 9038 That's All
LP 636 9039 Should I LP 2638 9041 This Can't Be Love
LP 2638 9042 I Didn't Know What Time It Was
9043 The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
LP 2638 9044 Seleritus
LP 2638 9045 So Beats My Heart For You
9046 Pavanne
LP 2638 9047 Ivy
LP 2638 9048 Let's Fall in Love
9049 My Funny Valentine
LP 2638 9050 Old Devil Moon
LP 2638 9051 Aki and Ukthay (Brother and Sister)
LP 2638 9052 Our Delight
LP 2638 9053 You Don't Know What Love is

Track Listing

This Can't Be Love	Rodgers & Hart	September 5, 6 1958
Autumn Leaves	Prevert, Mercer, Kozma	September 5, 6 1958
Ahmad's Blues	Ahmad Jamal	September 5, 6 1958
Ole Devil Moon	Lane, Harburg	September 5, 6 1958
Selertius	Ahmad Jamal	September 5, 6 1958
It Could Happen To You	Van Heusen, Burke	September 5, 6 1958
Ivy	H. Carmichael	September 5, 6 1958
Tater Pie	Irving Ashby	September 5, 6 1958
Let's Fall In Love	H. Arlen, T. Koehler	September 5, 6 1958
Aki Ukthay	Ahmad Jamal	September 5, 6 1958
You Don't Know What Love Is	D. Raye, G. DePaul	September 5, 6 1958
I Didn't Know What Time It Was	Rodgers & Hart	September 5, 6 1958
So Beats My Heart For You	Henderson, Ballard, Waring	September 5, 6 1958
Gal In Calico	A. Schwartz, L. Robin	September 5, 6 1958
Our Delight	T. Dameron	September 5, 6 1958

Liner Notes

Scorned by the critics but worshipped by musicians and public alike, the Ahmad Jamal Trio was the biggest selling jazz group on records in the year 1958. Billboard Best Sellmg Artists on LP's for 1958: Ahmad Jamal, No. 13; Jonah Jones, No. 18; Erroll Garner, No. 24. Years and years of discouragement and frustration were swept aside by the public acceptance of the single disc and album entitled BUT NOT FOR ME, followed by the session recorded at Washington's Spotlite Club, called simply AHMAD JAMAL.

As a long-time and lonely critical admirer of Ahmad, I'm grateful to the kids of America for paving the way for public acceptance of this quiet, tasteful, and vastly subtle group. For this is a true ensemble: three giants with the same concept of a swinging beat. Israel Crosby and Vernell Fournier, on bass and drums, are far more than mere accompanists. Together they provide a foundation and inspiration that free Ahmad from the rhythmic bonds which have enveloped him in the past. Free from worries of tempo, Ahmad is finally able to give full rein to his unique improvisational talent.

During a recent engagement at New York's Apollo Theatre, Ahmad was musing about his last appearance there in 1948 — as a pianist in the obscure George Hudson orchestra. He was uncomfortable in big bands, and soon turned to trio work. The Three Strings was his first venture with guitar and bass, and its success was modest around the environs of Chicago. In the early Fifties came the first trio called Ahmad Jamal, with the guitar of Ray Crawford and the bass of Eddie Calhoun (now with Erroll Garner). Through the intercession of Frank Holzfeind, owner of Chicago's Blue Note, this was the group New York first heard in 1952 at The Embers. Its subtlety and charm completely eluded the noisy patrons of this establishment, and Ahmad beat a disillusioned retreat to the midwest.

Bad luck also enveloped the trio's first recordings, which were released on the step-child label of a major company and received a minimum of distribution. The tunes, Billy Boy, Perfidia, Surrey with a Fringe on Top, are still in the books of the present group, and these Okehs remain among my favorite 78's. The influential jazz critics ignored both the trio and its discs, and Jamal became so upset that in his next New York engagement, he walked off the stand during a set at The Embers, packed his bags and returned to Chicago.

Ahmad's history is not unlike that of other presently successful jazz figures. Bill Basie scuffled for fourteen years before One o'Clock Jump became a hit in 1937. There was an intermission pianist named Garner who for a decade luxuriated in shadows. Tatum was another genius who had to wait years before being recognized, as were Fats Waller and Ellington. Still others, such as Fletcher Henderson, James P. Johnson, and Lester Young, died in comparative obscurity despite major contributions to American music.

Even with the enormous success of his Argo LP's, Ahmad has still to be heard in the flesh or seen in the movies or TV by the vast general, meaning non-Negro public. A true artist, he makes remarkably few concessions to popular taste, demands attention, and exacts of himself the highest possible standards. His is an artistry that has consistently eluded the commercial concepts of agents, bookers, and the powers-that-be in the mass media.

Let's talk a bit about the other members of this unique trio. Israel Crosby was an integral member of Albert Ammons' Rhythm Kings, and I was lucky enough to supervise his first record session early in 1936, when he was a tender sixteen. His "Blues of Israel" was the first jazz disc built around a bass solo, and his collaborators were no less than Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, and Jess Stacy. Then as now, he was an endlessly creative and solid ensemble bassist, and it wasn't long before he recorded with Teddy Wilson, joined Fletcher Henderson's band at the Grand Terrace, and finally migrated to New York, where he was among the first musicians to break the color line in broadcasting house bands. After a year at CBS, mostly with Raymond Scott's unit, he was drafted by half an inch (he is barely five foot two and the bass seems to tower above him). Overlooked for years in the musical polls, he is finally receiving his due with Ahmad.

Vernell Fournier is from New Orleans, but first made his name around Chicago as drummer with Buster Bennett's band in 1952, which also featured Crosby. Until he joined this trio, he was often obliged to try other trades than music. A superb technician and rock-steady, he is in the Jo Jones tradition, and seems to be happiest when working with Israel.

All the music on these four sides was recorded during actual performances at Washington's Spotlite Club. It is more than evident that the audience was impeccable in its behaviour, succumbing completely to the hypnotic spell Ahmad weaves so well. Concentrated attention brings out the very best in this trio, which is a fact that New York audiences have still to learn.

It would be effrontery for this annotator to attempt to impose his taste on the buyers of his portfolio. Whether in originals like "Ahmad's Blues" or "Aki & Ukthay"; the standards "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Let's Fall in Love"; or such Rodgers and Hart show tunes as "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" or 'This Can't Be Love", Ahmad's wit and imagination are in constant play. Jamal is a true original, one of a handful produced by American jazz.

JOHN HAMMOND
Noted Jazz Anthority