Ahmad Jamal Mosaic planned

[kh1958]

The classic Ahmad Jamal Trio and Red Garland's trio recordings--those are the best and most enjoyable jazz trios, to my tastes.

[ASNL77]

Great news! Better though would be to see the £ strengthen or the $ weaken. It is incredible how quickly the British pound has fallen in the last 6 months! Mosaic orders have been put on hold for me partly because of that. And with the risk of having to pay for the dreaded custom charges make things even worse, I am waiting for better times. Only 'Last chance' stuff will be considered here...

[J.A.W.]

This is the kinda thing that Mosaic was made for - complete sets and all - but I have to say that nine discs of this is gonna be a lot to take and pricey to boot. But, damn, getting this all together in one place is gonna be sweet!

Well, you're going to get the "Complete Argo Ahmad Jamal Piano-Bass-Drums Trio Sessions"

Doesn't sound like it...more like the complete Jamal/Crosby/Fournier trio sessions...there's other Argo/Chess/Whatever trio sides made after that trio broke up...they're quite good & break the "formula" more than a little bit.

OK, fair enough

[jazzbo]

I have to say I love this music. . . always have, I still have a copy of "Happy Moods" I bought in 1973 because I couldn't take my dad's copy off to college. That lp was a favorite since 1967.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I find the music infinitely more engrossing than the playing.

I don't understand the distinction you're trying to make. Is it that, with limited technical methods, Jamal is still making interesting/enjoyable music?

I have very little Jamal; the Epic/OkeH collection and the 3 volume set of the Essence from the nineties. I bought them at about the same time and was most interested to see that his approach seemed very similar across forty years, but the drama of the more recent material was gripping - or at least, more overt, because you can hear that drama in the early material too. Jamal's music in the early sides sounds very simple and can be listened to as cocktail music - consequently, he was the first modern jazz musician to have a monster hit album - but it ain't compulsory to hear it that way and it's most rewarding to listen to the spaces, too; as rewarding as listening to the spaces in George Freeman's playing, but with different results (edit: and I should also have said volume, as well as space.)

So this box is welcome to me (I hope), or will be when the exchange rate improves.

MG

[Nate Dorward]

Obviously they made music without playing it...

Perhaps Jim means that Jamal's "concept" interests him more than the actual playing. Fair enough.

[JSngry]

Not just the "concept", but the realization of that concept.

What I mean is that I don't listen to Jamal for the soloing per se nearly as much I do for the arrangements and he "re-imaginings" of the tunes. That's what he's about in those earlier years (and to a large extent still is). He was doing things to standards that were anything but standard... Hardly an original observation on my part, btw, as is noticing that Jamal's technique is anything but "limited".

When you hear a Jamal piece from this time, you are usually hearing anything but the typical head/solo/head that is so often the "official" definition of jazz. Not for nothing was Miles so vocal in his praise, and it had to do with so much me than just the use of space.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Not just the "concept", but the realization of that concept.

What I mean is that I don't listen to Jamal for the soloing per se nearly as much I do for the arrangements and he "re-imaginings" of the tunes. That's what he's about in those earlier years (and to a large extent still is). He was doing things to standards that were anything but standard... Hardly an original observation on my part, btw, as is noticing that Jamal's technique is anything but "limited".

By saying "limited technical methods" I wanted to avoid implying that I thought Jamal had/has a limited technique. I know that doing things in a way that sounds simple is often (usually?) very difficult. What I was trying to imply was that Jamal was consciously eshewing certain (common) kinds of technique in favour of others, less obviously "chopslike".

When you hear a Jamal piece from this time, you are usually hearing anything but the typical head/solo/head that is so often the "official" definition of jazz. Not for nothing was Miles so vocal in his praise, and it had to do with so much me than just the use of space.

Yes, you're quite right. I was trying to get at what I thought you were trying to get at. I think that what you call the reimaginings are the source of what I call the drama of his music.

MG

[kh1958]

I have to say I love this music. . . always have, I still have a copy of "Happy Moods" I bought in 1973 because I couldn't take my dad's copy off to college. That lp was a favorite since 1967.

Happy Moods is the rare Argo where I've found a clean LP copy. It's a fabulous performance and beautiful recording.

[J.A.W.]

Update: the Jamal set is delayed. Scott Wenzel told me they hope to release it by the end of 2009, but nothing's certain yet.

Edited November 24, 2008 by J.A.W.

[Shrdlu]

The "theme" is Jamal's piano-bass-drums trio, that's why Mosaic chose not to include his first piano-guitar-bass Argo album Chamber Music of New Jazz (LP-602).

D'oh! That's Ahmad's main album, from a musical and historical point of view. (It having influenced Miles and Gil so heavily.) Typical of the rather academic type of reasoning that so often puts a fly in the ointment of these sets. I always shudder when I see "We decided to ........"

[Chuck Nessa]

Just buy the current single. Then praise the Lord.

[J.A.W.]

Just buy the current single. Then praise the Lord.

[Daniel A]

Before the dismal releases of the mid-70s, Jamal made some interesting recordings with the Jamil Nasser/Frank Gant trio on Cadet and Impulse, some of which are hard to find now. The only one which seems to be readily available is 'The Awakening', which may also be the best of them.

'Heat Wave' 1966 (Cadet, reissued on CD by GRP)

'Ahmad Jamal at the Top - Poinciana Revisited' 1968 (Impulse, reissued on CD in Japan)

'Tranquility' 1968 (Impulse)

'The Awakening' 1970 (Impulse, reissued on CD)

'Freeflight' 1972 (Impulse, reissued on CD by GRP)

'Outertineinnerspace' 1972 (Impulse)

(I'm excluding two albums with trio+choir since even Dusty Groove describes them as "colorless"; never seen or heard any of them myself)

I once had 'Freeflight' on LP but traded it away many years ago, which I now regret a bit. I tried to listen to the sound clips at Verve's site, but clearly someone has made a mistake: http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist/rele...84&aid=2665

Edited November 30, 2008 by Daniel A

[JSngry]

An very interesting, imo, album is 1965's Extensions, w/Jamil Nasser & a returning Vernell Fournier (Fournier was filling in for Chuck Lampkin, who was Jamal's regular drummer after Fournier, but before Gant). This is the first album, iirc, to showcase Jamal in truly extended improvisational mode.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

It looks like those Impulse recordings would make a decent Mosaic. Never heard any of them.

MG

[Stefan Wood]

Jamal Plays Jamal, one of his mid 70s dates (on 20th Century Records) is worth a listen as well.

[fomafomic65]

(...)

Not for nothing was Miles so vocal in his praise, and it had to do with so much me than just the use of space.

had this in mind all the time, reading those posts .

Jamal is a great stylist. His Digital Works and Rossiter Road -sure not his best recordings- have been the first cds I had, still at college back in 1984, a strong introduction to jazz and jazz piano made me fell in love and look for more. I'll buy this set because I never had any Argo recording. I love his Impulses, though (The Awakening, Freeflight) ; these could fit a beautiful Select, with some new material.

[blind-blake]

Not just the "concept", but the realization of that concept.

What I mean is that I don't listen to Jamal for the soloing per se nearly as much I do for the arrangements and he "re-imaginings" of the tunes. That's what he's about in those earlier years (and to a large extent still is). He was doing things to standards that were anything but standard... Hardly an original observation on my part, btw, as is noticing that Jamal's technique is anything but "limited".

When you hear a Jamal piece from this time, you are usually hearing anything but the typical head/solo/head that is so often the "official" definition of jazz. Not for nothing was Miles so vocal in his praise, and it had to do with so much me than just the use of space.

Why the hell aren't you writing album notes? Your analyses are very insightful.

[blind-blake]

Before the dismal releases of the mid-70s, Jamal made some interesting recordings with the Jamil Nasser/Frank Gant trio on Cadet and Impulse, some of which are hard to find now. The only one which seems to be readily available is 'The Awakening', which may also be the best of them.

'Heat Wave' 1966 (Cadet, reissued on CD by GRP)

'Ahmad Jamal at the Top - Poinciana Revisited' 1968 (Impulse, reissued on CD in Japan)

'Tranquility' 1968 (Impulse)

'The Awakening' 1970 (Impulse, reissued on CD)

'Freeflight' 1972 (Impulse, reissued on CD by GRP)

'Outertineinnerspace' 1972 (Impulse)

(I'm excluding two albums with trio+choir since even Dusty Groove describes them as "colorless"; never seen or heard any of them myself)

I once had 'Freeflight' on LP but traded it away many years ago, which I now regret a bit. I tried to listen to the sound clips at Verve's site, but clearly someone has made a mistake: http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist/rele...84&aid=2665

Dusty Groove gave something a bad review? Unbelievable. I once read one of their descriptions of a play-along record that made it sound like a jazz masterpiece.

[JSngry]

Not just the "concept", but the realization of that concept.

What I mean is that I don't listen to Jamal for the soloing per se nearly as much I do for the arrangements and he "re-imaginings" of the tunes. That's what he's about in those earlier years (and to a large extent still is). He was doing things to standards that were anything but standard... Hardly an original observation on my part, btw, as is noticing that Jamal's technique is anything but "limited".

When you hear a Jamal piece from this time, you are usually hearing anything but the typical head/solo/head that is so often the "official" definition of jazz. Not for nothing was Miles so vocal in his praise, and it had to do with so much me than just the use of space.

Why the hell aren't you writing album notes? Your analyses are very insightful.

Hey, I'm a populist. You ain't gotta buy no album - or anything - to get'em here.

Not sure how truly insightful they really are, though, but thanks for the compliment, glad you get some good out of them. Your appreciation is appreciated!

[mikeweil]

Update: the Jamal set is delayed. Scott Wenzel told me they hope to release it by the end of 2009, but nothing's certain yet.

Please keep us updated!

[J.A.W.]

I've just been told that the Jamal set will not be released until sometime next year (2010).

[tranemonk]

ouch...

I've just been told that the Jamal set will not be released until sometime next year (2010).

[JETman]

Due to the Universal fires, the tapes have yet to be located!