Biography of ahmad jamal i love

Duke writes what he hears, and Bach wrote what he heard. For 70 years, Jamal continued to develop and refine a unique style marked by a judicious use of spaces, dramatic explosions of dynamics, but also a delicate touch. Quips fly from his right hand; queries bubble up on the left. Renowned commentator Stanley Crouch regarded Jamal as a true jazz original, second only to Charlie Parker in the evolution of jazz after But Jamal also had his critics.

Throughout his career, Jamal had a marked preference for ballads and their lyrics. All of a sudden, he stopped. They also made recordings for the Parrot and Epic labels. It was a national and international best-seller. The album sold over a million copies and stayed on the Billboard charts for more than weeks. The commercial success of the record enabled him to open a short-lived club and restaurant called The Alhambra in Chicago.

Already a devout Muslim, Jamal refused to serve liquor, which was hardly an attraction to most jazz fans. I said well, this is it. It was there, after a visit to North Africa, that he converted to Islam. I have re-established my original name. His private life had its problems. 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 , he formed his first trio, The Three Strings. Jamal's own classic compositions begin with Ahmad's Blues first recorded on October 25, !

Biography of ahmad jamal i love

A CD is available of these works. Jamal performed the title tune by Johnny Mandel for the soundtrack of the film Mash! 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 pronounced "shock" -- for sales in France. Jamal in l 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. Continuing his recording career, Mr. Davis praises Mr. Jamal's special artistic qualities and cites his influence. In fact, the mid-to-late 's Miles Davis Quintet recordings notably feature material previously recorded by Mr. Jamal, who had already been joined by bassist Israel Crosby in , replaced guitarist Ray Crawford with a drummer.

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 weeks -- unprecedented then for a jazz album. This financial success enabled Mr. Here the Trio was able to perform while limiting their touring schedule and Mr. Jamal was able to do record production and community work.

In addition to borrowing from Jamal's repertoire, he further insisted that his accompanying pianist, Red Garland, to try to sound like Jamal. In , Jamal worked as accompanist for the Caldwells, a popular song and dance team. In , Jamal constructed a new trio--consisting of bassist Israel Crosby, who replaced Calhoun in , and a drummer instead of a guitarist--and took up residence as the house group at Chicago's Pershing Hotel.

In , drummer Vernell Fournier joined Jamal and Crosby, and the trio made a live recording. The resulting album, Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing , featuring his famous version of "Poinciana," earned recognition as a milestone in jazz recordings. Winning praise from jazz music listeners as well as critics, Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing rose to the top of the Billboard charts, where it remained for an astounding weeks.

Spurred by the success of his trio's recording, Jamal recorded and toured non-stop in the late s and early s. He also opened his own non-alcoholic club, the Alhambra, in Chicago, which closed in Throughout the s and s, several other noted jazz players received their start from Jamal. Following the release of Digital Works in , featuring new versions of "But Not for Me" and "Poinciana," Jamal concentrated increasingly on original compositions.

Jamal has continued to record and perform. Now in his seventies, he still plays with the same enthusiasm and brilliancy of a young man. You can't separate the man and the music. There are always tunes floating in my head. I'm always planning for the next performance If it's possible, I'm drawn to my music more deeply than ever before.