Michael Cuscuna on "Ahmad Jamal: The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions"

Source: MICHAEL RICCI
July 14, 2010
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The mid fifties was a fertile time for jazz; fresh, original ensembles were taking shape all over the country. The Modern Jazz Quartet, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, The Jazz Messengers and the Ahmad Jamal Trio immediately come to mind. Among musicians, each group had its imitators and its creative disciples who took its innovations one step further.

But no group in this era was as pervasive in the 1957 incarnation of Jamal's trio with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernel Fournier. Like the Nat King Cole Trio of the previous decade, its influence penetrated so many different aspects of music.

Jamal is first and foremost a pianist with a natural gift for the instrument. His technique, dynamics and control are something to behold, but the mind that manipulates what comes out of the piano is extraordinary. Like only the greatest of improvising artists, Jamal is a master architect, realizing what his mind conceives with seeming ease.

He certainly exercised a profound influence on pianists and his trio set a new standard for what the piano trio in jazz would aim for and achieve. His knack for finding obscure but viable material which lent itself to a jazz treatment was equal to that of Sonny Rollins and Jimmy Rowles. But when Ahmad put an overlooked tune into circulation, it often stayed in the jazz repertoire forever thereafter. And with songs like “Poinciana" and “Billy Boy," it was Jamal's unique and imaginative re-arrangement of the tune which would become the standard form with which to play the piece.

Much like Miles Davis (who incidentally was greatly influenced by him), his influence is felt in music that attempts to replicate his and in great music that sounds nothing like his. But unlike musicians of similar or even lesser impact, the music of the 1957-62 Ahmad Jamal Trio has been mysteriously and distressingly hard to come by, even in the “reissue everything" era of the Compact Disc.

Literally years in the making, this set introduces 23 previously unreleased gems approved by the artist himself. It was delayed by problems finding much of the original Jamal trio LP masters and our search to reconstruct the music on the set from a variety on analog and digital sources sitting in vaults around the world.

It's been a hell of a long time coming and we hope you enjoy The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions.

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Audio Samples

Let's Fall In Love | We Kiss In A Shadow

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Track Listing

1. Volga Boatman (A) 3:50 (arr. by Ahmad Jamal) 2. On Green Dolphin Street (A) 3:17 (B. Kaper-N. Washington) 3. How About You (A) 5:27 (R. Freed-B. Lane) 4. I Just Can't See For Lookin' (A) 2:01 (A. Stanford-N. Robinson) 5. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year (A) 2:32 (Frank Loesser) 6. Beat Out One (A) 5:25 (Ahmad Jamal) 7. Maryam (A) 3:36 (Ahmad Jamal) 8. Easy To Remember (A) 5:38 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 9. Jim Loves Sue (A) 2:48 (Ahmad Jamal) 10. Secret Love (C) 2:39 (S. Fein-P. Webster) 11. Taking A Chance On Love (C) 1:46 (Duke-Fetter-Latouche) 12. Cheek To Cheek (C) 5:14 (Irving Berlin) 13. It's You Or No One (C) 2:11 (J. Styne-S. Cahn) 14. Soft Wind (C) 3:17 (Fletcher Henderson) 15. Love (C) 3:03 (H. Martin-R. Blane) 16. Aki And Ukthay (C) 3:14 (Ahmad Jamal) 17. Love For Sale (C) 3:58 (Cole Porter) 18. That's All (C) 1:43 (A. Brandt-B. Haymes) DISC TWO 1. But Not For Me (B) 3:32 (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin) 2. Surrey With The Fringe On Top (B) 2:36 (R. Rodgers- O. Hammerstein) 3. Moonlight In Vermont (B) 3:10 (J. Blackburn-K. Seussdorf) 4. (Put Another Nickel In) Music! Music! Music! (B) 2:57 (B. Baum-S. Weiss) 5. There Is No Greater Love (B) 3:23 (I. Jones-M. Symes) 6. Poinciana (B) 8:08 (B. Bernier-N. Simon) 7. Woody 'N' You (B) 3:41 (Dizzy Gillespie) 8. What's New? (B) 4:06 (B. Haggart-J. Burke) 9. Too Late Now (B) 2:31 (A. J. Lerner-B. Lane) 10. All The Things You Are (B) 3:13 (J. Kern-O. Hammerstein) 11. Cherokee (B) 3:43 (Ray Noble) 12. It Might As Well Be Spring (B) 3:27 (R. Rodgers-O. Hammerstein) 13. I'll Remember April (B) 2:41 (Raye-DePaul-Johnston) 14. My Funny Valentine (B) 3:27 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 15. Gone With The Wind (B) 3:25 (H. Magidson-A. Wrubel) 16. Billy Boy (B) 3:03 (arr. by Ahmad Jamal) 17. It's You Or No One (B) 3:34 (J. Styne-S. Cahn) 18. They Can't Take That Away From Me (B) 4:45 (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin) 19. Poor Butterfly (B) 3:37 (R. Hubbell-J. Golden) DISC THREE 1. Taboo (D) 4:06 (Margarita Lecuona) 2. Should I (D) 3:43 (H. Brown-A. Freed) 3. Stompin' At The Savoy (D) 4:15 (Sampson-Webb-Goodman-Razaf) 4. The Girl Next Door (D) 3:29 (H. Martin-R. Blaine) 5. I Wish I Knew (D) 3:43 (M. Gordon-H. Warren) 6. Cheek To Cheek (D) 4:51 (Irving Berlin) 7. Autumn In New York (D) 3:22 (Vernon Duke) 8. Secret Love (D) 3:53 (S. Fein-P. Webster) 9. Squatty Roo (D) 2:19 (Johnny Hodges) 10. That's All (D) 2:38 (A. Brandt-B. Haymes) 11. This Can't Be Love (D) 5:00 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 12. Autumn Leaves (D) 7:45 (Prevert-Mercer-Kozma) 13. Ahmad's Blues (D) 3:55 (Ahmad Jamal) 14. Old Devil Moon (D) 3:56 (E. Y. Harburg-B. Lane) 15. Seleritus (D) 3:08 (Ahmad Jamal) 16. It Could Happen To You (D) 4:14 (J. Burke-J. Van Heusen) 17. Ivy (D) 2:56 (Hoagy Carmichael) 18. Tater Pie (D) 3:04 (Irving Ashby) DISC FOUR 1. Let's Fall In Love (D) 4:59 (T. Koehler-H. Arlen) 2. Aki And Urkthay (Brother And Sister) (D) 3:16 (Ahmad Jamal) 3. You Don't Know What Love Is (D) 3:30 (D. Raye-G. DePaul) 4. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (D) 4:36 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 5. So Beats My Heart For You (D) 3:40 (Ballard-Henderson-Waring) 6. Gal In Calico (D) 4:46 (L. Robin-A. Schwartz) 7. Our Delight (D) 2:58 (Tadd Dameron) 8. Too Late Now (D) 4:14 (B. Lane-A.J. Lerner) 9. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (D) 3:31 (B. Bernier-J. Brainin) 10. Little Old Lady (F) 5:14 (H. Carmichael-S. Adams) 11. For All We Know (F) 2:45 (J. F. Coots-M.Lewis) 12. Pavanne (F) 5:45 (Morton Gould) 13. Excerpts From The Blues (F) 3:01 (Ahmad Jamal) 14. Easy To Love (F) 3:18 (Cole Porter) 15. Time On My Hands (F) 1:34 (Adamson-Youmans-Gordon) 16. Raincheck (F) 4:41 (Billy Strayhorn) 17. I'll Never Stop Loving You (F) 3:00 (S. Cahn-N. Brodszky) 18. Speak Low (F) 4:50 (K. Weill-O. Nash) 19. Rhumba No. 2 (F) 2:37 (Ahmad Jamal) DISC FIVE 1. Comme Ci, Comme Ca (E) 2:09 (Coquatrix-Dudan-Whitney-Kramer) 2. Ivy (E) 3:56 (Hoagy Carmichael) 3. Never Never Land (E) 3:06 (Styne-Comden-Green) 4. Tangerine (E) 2:40 (V. Schertzinger-J. Mercer) 5. Ahmad's Blues (E) 4:18 (Ahmad Jamal) 6. Seleritus (E) 2:59 (Ahmad Jamal) 7. I Like To Recognize The Tune (E) 1:40 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 8. I'm Alone With You (E) 3:08 (Lewis Estes) 9. Sophisticated Gentleman (E) 4:10 (J. Kennedy-T. Bennett) 10. Ahmad's Waltz (G) 4:42 (Joe Kennedy) 11. Valentina (G) 2:19 (Christine Reynolds) 12. Yesterdays (G) 2:54 (J. Kern-O. Harbach) 13. Tempo For Two (G) 3:25 (Joe Kennedy) 14. Hallelujah (G) 2:05 (Youmans-Robin-Grey) 15. It's A Wonderful World (G) 2:49 (Adamson-Savitt-Watson) 16. Baia (G) 3:58 (Ary Barroso) 17. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis (G) 3:36 (J. B. Brooks-S. Russell) 18. Lover Man (G) 4:04 (Davis-Ramirez-Sherman) 19. Who Cares (G) 3:10 (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin) DISC SIX 1. I'm Old Fashioned (H) 5:02 (J. Kern-J. Mercer) 2. We Kiss In A Shadow (H) 8:15 (R. Rodgers-O. Hammerstein) 3. Chi-town (aka Gem) (H) 2:14 (Bill Lee) 4. We Kiss In A Shadow (I) 5:00 (R. Rodgers-O. Hammerstein) 5. Sweet And Lovely (I) 4:00 (Arnheim-Daniels-Tobias) 6. The Party's Over (I) 3:59 (Styne-Conden-Green) 7. Love For Sale (I) 4:02 (Cole Porter) 8. Snowfall (I) 2:30 (Claude Thornhill) 9. Broadway (I) 7:41 (Woode-McRae-Bird) 10. Willow Weep For Me (I) 3:59 (Ann Ronell) 11. Autumn Leaves (I) 3:52 (Prevert-Kosma-Mercer) 12. Isn't It Romantic (I) 4:28 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 13. The Breeze And I (I) 2:19 (E. Lecuona-A. Stillman) DISC SEVEN 1. Time On My Hands (I) 6:20 (Adamson-Youmans-Gordon) 2. Angel Eyes (I) 4:15 (M. Dennis-E. Brent) 3. You Go To My Head (I) 10:58 (J.F. Coots-H. Gillespie) 4. Star Eyes (I) 5:57 (D. Raye G. DePaul) 5. All Of You (I) 4:59 (Cole Porter) 6. You're Blasé (I) 3:30 (B. Sivier-O. Hamilton) 7. What Is This Thing Called Love (I) 6:12 (Cole Porter) 8. Poinciana (I) 9:33 (B. Bernier-N. Simon) 9. We Kiss In The Shadow (alternate take) (I) 5:08 (R. Rodgers-O. Hammerstein) 10. Stella By Starlight (I) 5:33 (V. Young-N. Washington) 11. The Lady Is A Tramp (I) 3:09 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) DISC EIGHT 1. Medley: (J) 6:13 a. I'll Take Romance (B. Oakland-O. Hammerstein) b. My Funny Valentine (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 2. Like Someone In Love (J) 5:14 (J. Burke-J. Van Heusen) 3. Falling In Love With Love (J) 4:20 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 4. The Best Thing For You (J) 4:36 (Irving Berlin) 5. April In Paris (J) 6:14 (E. Y . Harburg-V. Duke) 6. The Second Time Around (J) 4:13 (J. Van Heusen-G. Kahn) 7. We Live In Two Different Worlds (J) 5:08 (Fred Rose) 8. Night Mist Blues (J) 6:59 (Ahmad Jamal) 9. Darn That Dream (J) 4:32 (E. DeLange-J. Van Heusen) 10. On Green Dolphin Street (J) 4:02 (B. Kaper-N. Washington) DISC NINE 1. Like Someone In Love (first alternate take) (J) 6:53 (J. Burke-J. Van Heusen) 2. The Second Time Around (first alternate take) (J) 5:31 (J. Van Heusen-G. Kahn) 3. Angel Eyes (J) 6:51 (M. Dennis-E. Brent) 4. Medley: (J) 6:42 a. Alone Together (H. Deitz-A. Schwartz) b. Love Walked In (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin) 5. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (J) 3:36 (O. Harbach-J. Kern) 6. I'm Old Fashioned (J) 3:49 (J. Kern-J. Mercer) 7. We Kiss In The Shadows (J) 10:32 (R. Rodgers-O. Hammerstein) 8. The Second Time Around (second alternate take) (J) 4:51 (J. Van Heusen-G. Kahn) 9. Like Someone In Love (second alternate take) (J) 7:26 (J. Burke-J. Van Heusen)