Sunday, November 22, 2009

Ahmad JAMAL - Live! at Blues Alley 1991


Ahmad JAMAL - Live! at Blues Alley 1991

Jazz

Ahmad Jamal is heard during a well-recorded 1991 live set at Blues Alley. He's accompanied by electric bassist James Cammack and drummer David Bowler, while percussionist Selden Newton is added on selected tracks. Starting with a furious take of "Effendi," Jamal detours into two pieces from Miles Davis' repertoire, "So What" and "Milestones," while keeping the tension at a high level. Bill Evans' lovely ballad "Your Story" was still not widely known at the time Jamal recorded it, as it had mostly appeared on a few bootlegs. His interpretation is a little too rushed in places, though the overall feeling is enjoyable. The one original of the date is the pianist's "The Quest for Light," a funky strutting work. Sometimes Jamal's tendency to insert quotes becomes a bit distracting, such as his sudden ill-fitting insertion of a lick from Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" into Johnny Mandel's "A Time for Love." He romps through the Latin-flavored "Serenata" with ease. Jamal has always been a ballad master and his medley of "You're My Everything" and "A Certain Smile" reinforces that claim. Curtis Mayfield's "Pusher Man" adds a more poppish touch to the set, but it works. Jamal wraps the evening with a treatment of "Dreamsville" that is both lush and tense. Although it is unclear what the release date is of this CD, it is a limited edition of just 2,500 copies, available exclusively through www.bluesalleymusicsociety.org.
By Ken Dryden, All Music Guide.
**
Ahmad Jamal- Piano
James Cammack- Bass
David Bowler- Drums
Selden Newton- Percussion
**
1. Effendi 8:00
2. Your Story 6:16
3. The Quest For Light 8:32
4. A Time For Love 5:09
5. Serenata 5:05
6. You're My Everything - A Certain Smile 9:12
7. Pusher Man 5:40
8. Dreamsville 6:35
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

No comments:

Post a Comment