Ahmad Jamal
45 844 fans
Artist's top tracks
| Ahmad's Blues | Ahmad Jamal | 02:54 | |
| I'm In The Mood For Love | Ahmad Jamal | 06:37 | |
| Poinciana | Ahmad Jamal | 08:07 | |
| It Ain't Necessarily So | Ahmad Jamal | 03:00 | |
| I Love Music | Ahmad Jamal | 07:22 | |
| Dolphin Dance | Ahmad Jamal | 05:09 | |
| The Awakening | Ahmad Jamal | 06:21 | |
| New Rhumba | Ahmad Jamal | 04:39 | |
| Easy To Love | Ahmad Jamal | 03:20 | |
| Saturday Morning (Reprise) | Ahmad Jamal | 03:41 |
Most popular release
| The Awakening | |
| I Love Music | |
| Patterns | |
| Dolphin Dance |
Popular albums
Similar artists
Playlists
Featured in
For every mood
Biography
Revered by critics as an influential pianist and composer, Ahmad Jamal's trademark sparse, tense, dramatic style inspired Miles Davis and helped shape America's post-war "cool jazz" scene. Born as Frederick Russell Jones in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he started playing at three, was classically trained before he reached his teenage years, and cut his teeth with George Hudson's Orchestra and violinist Joe Kennedy's group The Four Strings. In his twenties he converted to Islam and changed his name to Ahmad Jamal before forming his own trio. After being discovered by legendary producer and talent scout John Hammond, they went on to receive great critical acclaim for key early tracks Ahmad's Blues and Pavanne. In contrast to the upbeat, fast paced, be-bop of the 1940s and early 1950s, Jamal's Chamber Music Of The New Jazz (1955) ushered in an era of moody, atmospheric grooves. A lengthy residency in Chicago led to the classic live album At The Pershing: But Not For Me (1958) and signature hit Poinciana, before Jamal opened his own club and restaurant and recorded prolifically for Argo Records throughout the early 1960s. Standard Eyes (1967) and Cry Young (1968) brought more crossover success, but Jamal experimented with large orchestras, R&B music and Motown in the 1970s and 1980s, before ending up in France, where he returned to his musical roots with The Essence Pt.1 (1994) and Big Byrd (1997). Continuing to record and perform into his 80s, recognition and respect for Jamal's work has continued to endure. Clint Eastwood featured two of his songs on the soundtrack to his film Bridges of Madison County in 1995 and Jamal continued to tour after celebrating his 80th birthday with a show at the 2011 Montreal Jazz Festival.