Pianist and composer Ahmed Jamal was born on July 2, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied with pianist Errol Garner in elementary and high school and became a musician at age 14. Jamal joined George Hudson’s orchestra at age 17, settled early in Chicago, and formed his own band in 1951.
Originally called Three Strings, Ahmed Jamal was a piano, guitar and bass trio without drums. In the year They had a long involvement in Chicago’s Blue Note Club in the early 1950s.
In the year In 1957, Jamal formed a house trio at Chicago’s Pershing Hotel, replacing guitarist Vernell Fournier with drummer Vernell. Today Ahmed Jamal performed a version of “Poinciana” from his hit album Pershing But Not For Me: Live. .
Many famous recordings followed, many of which were recorded live, earning the respect of Miles Davis, among others. Kind of blue album.
In the year In 1962, Jamal moved to New York, but disbanded the trio – spending more than two years away from music before meeting bassist Jamil Nasser. The new trio stayed together for ten years, recording successful albums like the 1970s Awakening .
After 20 years His Music gained popularity in the hip-hop world. Gangstar DJ Premier first sampled the music for the title track, followed by Jeru Damaja, Common and Nas covering Jamal’s mid-90s I Love Music hit, “The World Is Yours.”
In the year In 2009, Ahmed Jamal held a special session with longtime bassist James Cammack at KNKX Studios. Jamal tells music producer Nick Morrison that he is not a music producer but a “creator”.
The old saying “there is nothing new under the sun” is very true, “because the atom has been around for years, but we just discovered it, you know?” Jamal said. “We can achieve, but we are not creative. How come. If we agree on things, we can reflect creativity, we can achieve some things,” Jamal said.
Jamal was recognized as a jazz master by the Kennedy Center’s National Endowment for the Arts Living Jazz Legends and received a 2017 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Jamal’s last recordings in 2016 They were. A triple album Marseille And mostly solo balls released in 2019.
Jamal has retired from touring, but his legacy lives on. In the year In 2022, Jamal’s trilogy of recordings was released for the first time at The Penthouse in Seattle. Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1963–1964 And From 1965-1966 . The performances were broadcast live and recorded for posterity by Jim Wilk.
A pianist, composer, conductor and inspiration to all jazz pianists who follow him, Jamal reinvented jazz using unique rhythms and dynamics, bringing the complexity of a well-organized big band to his trios.
