Ahmad Jamal – Jamal Plays Jamal

Still available for sale on their website, just purchased today https://boutique.jazzmagazine.com/products/ahmad-jamal-une-vie-au-piano-le-hors-serie-cd-inedit

Mine was signed by Ahmad himself and drummer Frank Gant, the last two personnel alive at the time of purchase (2017 or 2018.) Not sure if they signed all of them - it was totally unexpected, but much appreciated for one of my absolute favorites.

This recording deserves a huge remaster and reissue. Incredible album.

Amazing pressing, the mastering and soundstage is phenomenal. Orchestration is tasteful and leaves the trio to flourish. Nasser's Bass is on another level.

Masterclass piano work. This and The Awakening are just brilliant!

Ahmad Jamal was listed by the New York Times as an artist whose masters were affected by the 2008 Universal Studios warehouse fire- given that his 20th Century Records output has never been properly reissued it seems likely to me that the masters for this album as well as his others for the label were destroyed in the fire, along with any chance of a proper digital or analog reissue. Here's to hoping I'm wrong. The music is obviously incredible

All one could possibly ask for from an album pressing. A damn near flawless noise floor and no sibilance or hiss. Jamal’s first (I feel like it’s his first) foray into funk territory is well-served here. Every note sounds so crisp and clean. I literally got chills listening to it.

Thank you Ahmad for all your beautiful piano playing. Keep playing the space.

So grateful for Jazz Magazine to have released this on CD (limited as the release is) after 41 long years of hiding behind the $$$ curtain of collectors' market. One of Jamal's finest sessions, with Jamil Nasser on a throbbing bass, Frank Grant on drums, Azzedin Weston on irreplaceable congas, against the backdrop of a stellar orchestration effort by Richard Evans, all while Jamal shifts between a grand Steinway and a Fender Rhodes, owning both - and us - the moment you hit 'play'. You'd think you know where this might be going, but you really don't until the first few bars from 'Eclipse' are behind you.

The writing, the playing, the arranging and the producing are nothing short of superb. Two tracks in particular stood out for me: 'Death and Resurrection" and "Pasteures". Both ooze with emotion and great melodies rendered simultaneously nuanced and dynamic thanks to the seamless interplay between the trio against Evans' horns and strings.

The ten-minute magnum opus 'Swahililand' begins with a sweet three-minute prelude on a tamed Steinway before it takes a wild turn where Jamal's Rhodes and Weston's congas play off each other like a Roland Garros final. A perfect track to wrap this album in grand fashion.

An unjustly unknown recording that I hope will one day get the release it deserves. Till then, I will wear out my limited copy with Jamal's untidy signature on its paper sleeve to the bone.

juste pour prévenir qu'il existe maintenant une version CD de cet album via le hors série n° 11de la revue Jazz magazine :

https://www.muziq.fr/jamal-plays-jamal-la-reedition-collector/
( en vente dans les maisons de la presse et lors de son concert parisien le 14 novembre 2017 )