Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones, July 2, 1930) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist, composer, bandleader and educator. For six decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz.

Biography

Early life

Jamal was born Frederick Russell Jones in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, on July 2, 1930. He began playing piano at the age of three, when his uncle Lawrence challenged him to duplicate what he was doing on the piano. Jamal began formal piano training at the age of seven with Mary Cardwell Dawson, whom he describes as greatly influencing him. His Pittsburgh roots have remained an important part of his identity ("Pittsburgh meant everything to me and it still does," he said in 2001) and it was there that he was immersed in the influence of jazz artists such as

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include " Take ...

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, an ...

, and

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

. Jamal also studied with pianist James Miller and began playing piano professionally at the age of fourteen, at which point he was recognized as a "coming great" by the pianist

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

. When asked about his practice habits by a critic from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', Jamal commented that, "I used to practice and practice with the door open, hoping someone would come by and discover me. I was never the practitioner in the sense of twelve hours a day, but I always thought about music. I think about music all the time."Waltzer, p. A27.

Beginnings

Jamal began touring with George Hudson's Orchestra after graduating from George Westinghouse High School in 1948.Wang and Kernfeld, p. 1. He joined another touring group known as The Four Strings, which disbanded when violinist Joe Kennedy Jr. left. In 1950 he moved to Chicago and performed intermittently with local musicians

Von Freeman Earle Lavon "Von" Freeman Sr. (October 3, 1923 – August 11, 2012) was an American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Freeman as a young child was exposed to jazz. His father, George, a city policeman, was a ...

and

Claude McLin Claude McLin (December 27, 1925 – July 21, 1995)
was an American

, and solo at the Palm Tavern, occasionally joined by drummer Ike Day. Born to Baptist parents, Jamal discovered Islam in his early 20s. While touring in Detroit, where there was a sizable Muslim community in the 1940s and 1950s, he became interested in Islam and Islamic culture. He converted to Islam and changed his name to Ahmad Jamal in 1950. In an interview with ''The New York Times'' a few years later, he said his decision to change his name stemmed from a desire to "re-establish my original name." Shortly after his conversion to Islam, he explained to ''The New York Times'' that he "says Muslim prayers five times a day and arises in time to say his first prayers at 5 am. He says them in Arabic in keeping with the Muslim tradition." He made his first records in 1951 for the

Okeh Okeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name was spelled "OkeH" from the initials of Ott ...

label with The Three Strings (which would later also be called the Ahmad Jamal Trio, although Jamal himself prefers not to use the term "trio"): the other members were guitarist Ray Crawford and a bassist, at different times Eddie Calhoun (1950–52), Richard Davis (1953–54), and Israel Crosby (from 1954). The Three Strings arranged an extended engagement at Chicago's Blue Note, but leapt to fame after performing at the Embers in New York City where John Hammond saw the band play and signed them to Okeh Records. Hammond, a record producer who discovered the talents and enhanced the fame of musicians like

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

, and

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

, also helped Jamal's trio attract critical acclaim. Jamal subsequently recorded for

Parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...

(1953–55) and Epic (1955) using the piano-guitar-bass lineup.

''At the Pershing: But Not For Me''

Ahmad Jamal in Nashville, October 18, 2019

The trio's sound changed significantly when Crawford was replaced with drummer

Vernel Fournier Vernel Anthony Fournier (July 30, 1928 – November 4, 2000) and, from 1975, known as Amir Rushdan, was an American jazz drummer probably best known for his work with Ahmad Jamal from 1956 to 1962. Biography Fournier was born in New Orleans, ...

in 1957, and the group worked as the "House Trio" at Chicago's Pershing Hotel. The trio released the live album, '' At the Pershing: But Not for Me'', which stayed on the Ten Best-selling charts for 108 weeks. Jamal's recording of the well known song " Poinciana" was first released on this album. Perhaps Jamal's most famous recording, '' At the Pershing'', was recorded at the Pershing Hotel in Chicago in 1958; it brought him popularity in the late 1950s and into the 1960s jazz age. Jamal played the set with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer

. The set list expressed a diverse collection of tunes, including "

The Surrey with the Fringe on Top "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" is a show tune from the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''Oklahoma!''. The piece was recorded in 1952 by jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, which influenced trumpeter Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, ...

" from the musical ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'' and Jamal's arrangement of the jazz standard " Poinciana". Jazz musicians and listeners alike found inspiration in the ''At the Pershing'' recording, and Jamal's trio was recognized as an integral new building block in the history of jazz. Evident were his unusually

minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post– World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Do ...

style and his extended vamps, according to reviewer John Morthland. "If you're looking for an argument that pleasurable mainstream art can assume radical status at the same time, Jamal is your guide," said ''The New York Times'' contributor Ben Ratliff in a review of the album. After the recording of the best-selling album ''But Not For Me'', Jamal's music grew in popularity throughout the 1950s, and he attracted media coverage for his investment decisions pertaining to his "rising fortune".Walz, p. 14. In 1959, he took a tour of North Africa to explore investment options in Africa. Jamal, who was twenty-nine at the time, said he had a curiosity about the homeland of his ancestors, highly influenced by his conversion to the Muslim faith. He also said his religion had brought him peace of mind about his race, which accounted for his "growth in the field of music that has proved very lucrative for me." Upon his return to the U.S. after a tour of North Africa, the financial success of ''Live at the Pershing: But Not For Me'' allowed Jamal to open a restaurant and club called The Alhambra in Chicago. In 1962, The Three Strings disbanded and Jamal moved to New York City, where, at the age of 32, he took a three-year hiatus from his musical career.

Return to music and ''The Awakening''

In 1964, Jamal resumed touring and recording, this time with the bassist

Jamil Nasser Jamil Nasser (born George Joyner, June 21, 1932 – February 13, 2010)Obituary
at

and recorded a new album, ''Extensions'', in 1965. Jamal and Nasser continued to play and record together from 1964 to 1972. He also joined forces with Fournier (again, but only for about a year) and drummer

Frank Gant Frank Gant (born May 26, 1931- July 19, 2021) was an american jazz drummer. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Gant recorded with Donald Byrd, Sonny Stitt, and extensively with Yusef Lateef in the late 1950s and then Red Garland before becoming a membe ...

(1966–76), among others. Until 1970, he played acoustic piano exclusively. The final album on which he played acoustic piano in the regular sequence was '' The Awakening''. In the 1970s, he played electric piano as well; one such recording was an instrumental recording of "

Suicide is Painless "Suicide Is Painless" (or "Song from M*A*S*H") is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Michael Altman (lyrics) for the 1970 film ''M*A*S*H''. In addition to being performed by characters in the film, it plays during the title sequence as ...

," the theme song from the 1970 film '' MASH'', which was released on a 1973 reissue of the film's soundtrack album, replacing the original vocal version of the song by The Mash. It was rumored that the Rhodes piano was a gift from someone in Switzerland. He continued to play throughout the 1970s and 1980s, mostly in trios with piano, bass and drums, but he occasionally expanded the group to include guitar. One of his most long-standing gigs was as the band for the New Year's Eve celebrations at

Blues Alley Blues Alley, founded in 1965, is a jazz nightclub in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Musicians who have performed at Blues Alley include John Abercrombie, Monty Alexander, Mose Allison, Tony Bennett, Rory Block, Ruby Braff, G ...

in Washington, D.C., from 1979 through the 1990s.

Later career

In 1986, Jamal sued critic Leonard Feather for using his former name in a publication.

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...

featured two recordings from Jamal's ''But Not For Me'' album — "Music, Music, Music" and "Poinciana" — in the 1995 movie ''

The Bridges of Madison County ''The Bridges of Madison County'' (also published as ''Love in Black and White'') is a 1992 best-selling romance novel by American writer Robert James Waller that tells the story of a married Italian-American woman (WWII war bride) living on a ...

''. In his eighties, Jamal continued to make numerous tours and recordings, including albums such as ''Saturday Morning'' (2013),Ahmad Jamal Official Website the CD/DVD release ''Ahmad Jamal Featuring Yusef Lateef Live at L'Olympia'' (2014), and ''Marseille'' (2017), which features vocals in French. Jamal is the main mentor of jazz piano virtuosa Hiromi Uehara, known as Hiromi.

Style and influence

Trained in both traditional jazz ("American classical music", as he prefers to call it) and European classical style, Ahmad Jamal has been praised as one of the greatest jazz innovators over his exceptionally long career. Following

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

greats like

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

and

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

, Jamal entered the world of jazz at a time when speed and virtuosic improvisation were central to the success of jazz musicians as artists. Jamal, however, took steps in the direction of a new movement, later coined "

cool jazz Cool jazz is a style of modern jazz music that arose in the United States after World War II. It is characterized by relaxed tempos and lighter tone, in contrast to the fast and complex bebop style. Cool jazz often employs formal arrangements an ...

" – an effort to move jazz in the direction of popular music. He emphasized space and time in his musical compositions and interpretations instead of focusing on the blinding speed of bebop. Because of this style, Jamal was "often dismissed by jazz writers as no more than a cocktail pianist, a player so given to fluff that his work shouldn't be considered seriously in any artistic sense". Stanley Crouch, author of ''Considering Genius'', offers a very different reaction to Jamal's music, claiming that, like the highly influential

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

, Jamal was a true innovator of the jazz tradition and is second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 only to Parker. His unique musical style stemmed from many individual characteristics, including his use of orchestral effects and his ability to control the beat of songs. These stylistic choices resulted in a unique and new sound for the piano trio: "Through the use of space and changes of rhythm and tempo", writes Crouch, "Jamal invented a group sound that had all the surprise and dynamic variation of an imaginatively ordered

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

." Jamal explored the texture of riffs,

timbres In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musica ...

, and phrases rather than the quantity or speed of notes in any given improvisation. Speaking about Jamal,

A. B. Spellman Alfred Bennett Spellman (born 1935) is a poet, music critic, and arts administrator. Considered a part of the Black Arts movement, he first received attention for his book of poems entitled ''The Beautiful Days'' (1965). In 1966, he published a b ...

of the

National Endowment of the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

said: "Nobody except Thelonious Monk used space better, and nobody ever applied the artistic device of tension and release better." These (at the time) unconventional techniques that Jamal gleaned from both traditional classical and contemporary jazz musicians helped pave the way for later jazz greats like

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he hel ...

, and

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...

. Though Jamal is often overlooked by jazz critics and historians, he is frequently credited with having a great influence on

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

. Davis is quoted as saying that he was impressed by Jamal's rhythmic sense and his "concept of space, his lightness of touch, his understatement".Early, p. 79. Jamal characterizes what he thought Davis admired about his music as: "my discipline as opposed to my space." Jamal and Davis became friends in the 1950s, and Davis continued to support Jamal as a fellow musician, often playing versions of Jamal's own songs ("Ahmad's Blues", "New Rhumba") until he died in 1991. Jamal, speaking about his own work, says, "I like doing ballads. They're hard to play. It takes years of living, really, to read them properly." From an early age, Jamal developed an appreciation for the lyrics of the songs he learned: "I once heard

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

playing his heart out on a ballad. All of a sudden he stopped. I asked him, 'Why did you stop, Ben?' He said, 'I forgot the lyrics.'" Jamal attributes the variety in his musical taste to the fact that he grew up in several eras: the big band era, the bebop years, and the electronic age. He says his style evolved from drawing on the techniques and music produced in these three eras. In 1985, Jamal agreed to do an interview and recording session with his fellow jazz pianist,

Marian McPartland Margaret Marian McPartland OBE ( Turner;Hasson, Claire"Marian McPartland: Jazz Pianist: An Overview of a Career" PhD Thesis. Retrieved 12 August 2008. 20 March 1918 – 20 August 2013), was an English–American jazz pianist, composer, and wri ...

on her

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

show ''Piano Jazz''. Jamal, who said he rarely plays " But Not For Me" due to its popularity since his 1958 recording, played an improvised version of the tune – though only after noting that he has moved on to making ninety percent of his repertoire his own compositions. He said that when he grew in popularity from the ''Live at the Pershing'' album, he was severely criticized afterwards for not playing any of his own compositions."Ahmad Jamal On Piano Jazz 1985". ''Piano Jazz''. NPR. August 29, 2008. Radio. Jamal Ahmad at Bozar, Brussels

In more recent years, Jamal has embraced the electronic influences affecting the genre of jazz. He has also occasionally expanded his usual small ensemble of three to include a tenor saxophone ( George Coleman) and a violin. A jazz fan interviewed by '' Down Beat'' magazine about Jamal in 2010 described his development as "more aggressive and improvisational these days. The word I used to use is avant garde; that might not be right. Whatever you call it, the way he plays is the essence of what jazz is." Saxophonist Ted Nash described his experience with Jamal's style in an interview with ''Down Beat'' magazine: "The way he comped wasn't the generic way that lots of pianists play with chords in the middle of the keyboard, just filling things up. He gave lots of single line responses. He'd come back and throw things out at you, directly from what you played. It was really interesting because it made you stop, and allowed him to respond, and then you felt like playing something else – that's something I don't feel with a lot of piano players. It's really quite engaging. I guess that's another reason people focus in on him. He makes them hone in ic"Macnie, p. 31. Jamal has recorded with the voices of the Howard A. Roberts Chorale on ''The Bright, the Blue and the Beautiful'' and ''Cry Young''; with vibraphonist

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be h ...

on ''In Concert''; with brass, reeds, and strings celebrating his hometown of ''Pittsburgh''; with ''The Assai Quartet''; and with saxophonist George Coleman on the album ''The Essence''.

Awards and honors

* 1959: Entertainment Award, Pittsburgh Junior Chamber of Commerce * 1980: Distinguished Service Award, City of Washington D.C., Anacostia Neighborhood Museum,

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...

* 1981: Nomination, Best R&B Instrumental Performance ("You're Welcome", "Stop on By"), NARAS * 1986: Mellon Jazz Festival Salutes Ahmad Jamal, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * 1987: Honorary Membership, Philippines Jazz Foundation * 1994: American Jazz Masters award,

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

* 2001: Arts & Culture Recognition Award,

National Coalition of 100 Black Women The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) is a non-profit volunteer organization for African American women. Its members address common issues in their communities, families and personal lives, promoting gender and racial equity. Hi ...

* 2001: Kelly-Strayhorn Gallery of Stars, for Achievements as Pianist and Composer, East Liberty Quarter Chamber of Commerce * 2003: American Jazz Hall of Fame, New Jersey Jazz Society * 2003: Gold Medallion, Steinway & Sons 150 Years Celebration (1853–2003) * 2007: Living Jazz Legend,

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

* 2007:

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

, French government * 2011: ''Down Beat'' Hall of Fame, 76th Readers Poll * 2015: Honorary Doctorate of Music, The New England Conservatory * 2017: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award,

The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...

* 2018: Leopolis Jazz Music Awards Leopolis Jazz Fest,

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

Discography

As leader

Compilations

*1967: '' Standard Eyes'' (Cadet) *1972: ''Inspiration'' (Cadet) *1974: ''Re-evaluations: The Impulse! Years'' (Impulse!) *1980: ''The Best of Ahmad Jamal'' (20th Century) *1998: ''Ahmad Jamal 1956–66 Recordings'' *1998: ''Cross Country Tour 1958–1961'' (GRP/Chess) *2005: ''The Legendary Okeh & Epic Recordings (1951–1955)'' (Columbia Legacy) *2007: '' Complete Live at the Pershing Lounge 1958'' (Gambit) *2007: '' Complete Live at the Spotlite Club 1958'' (Gambit) *2014: '' Complete Live at the Blackhawk'' (Essential Jazz Classics)

As sideman

With Ray Brown * '' Some of My Best Friends Are...The Piano Players'' (Telarc, 1994) With

Shirley Horn Shirley Valerie Horn (May 1, 1934 – October 20, 2005) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and othe ...

* '' May the Music Never End'' (Verve, 2003)

Notes

References

* "Ahmad Jamal: 'Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But Not For Me'". ''Basic Jazz Record Library''. NPR. August 1, 2001. Radio. * "Ahmad Jamal On Piano Jazz 1985." ''Piano Jazz''. NPR. August 29, 2008. Radio. * Crouch, Stanley. ''Considering Genius: Writings on Jazz''. Cambridge: Basic Civitas Books, 2006. Print. * Early, Gerald (ed.). ''Miles Davis and American Culture''. St. Louis: Missouri Historical Society Press, 2001. Print. * Holsey, Steve. "Sepia on the Record". ''Sepia'' (Fort Worth, TX), April 1, 1980: 14. Print. * "Jamal, Ahmad – Ahmad's Blues." Colin Larkin (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of Music'', 4th edition. Oxford Music Online. Web. April 17, 2012. * "Jamal, Ahmad." Colin Larkin (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', 4th edition. Oxford Music Online. Web. April 17, 2012. * Macnie, Jim. "Intricacy & Groove: At Home with Ahmad Jamal". ''Downbeat'', March 2010, Vol. 77, Issue 3: 26–31. Microfilm. * Norris, Michele. "1,000 Essential Recordings You Must Hear". ''All Things Considered''. By Tom Moon. August 22, 2008. Radio. * Walz, Jay. "Pianist-Investor Is A Hit in Cairo: Jazz Musician Ahmad Jamal Finds Moslem Faith Aids Him on African Visit". ''The New York Times'', November 20, 1959: 14. Print. * Waltzer, Ben. "Always Making Jazz Seem New: The Pianist Ahmad Jamal is an Innovator Who Finds Originality by Taking a Long at the Tradition of Small-Group Jazz". ''The New York Times'', November 11, 2001: A27. Print * Wang, Richard and Barry Kernfeld. "Jamal, Ahmad". Barry Kernfeld (ed.), ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2nd edition. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Web. April 17, 2012. * Wright, Todd and John Higby. "Appalachian Jazz: Some Preliminary Notes". ''Black Music Research Journal'' 23, 1/2 (2003): 58, 59. Print.

External links

Official site

A Fireside Chat with Ahmad Jamal

"Poinciana" Turns Fifty"
by Ted Gioia
www.jazz.com

Ahmad Jamal at NPR
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jamal, Ahmad 1930 births African-American pianists African-American Muslims American jazz pianists American male pianists Argo Records artists Atlantic Records artists Cadet Records artists Converts to Islam Cool jazz pianists Impulse! Records artists American jazz composers American male jazz composers Living people Musicians from Pittsburgh Verve Records artists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians American Ahmadis African-American jazz pianists Okeh Records artists Parrot Records artists Epic Records artists Telarc Records artists ABC Records artists