I love all kinds of jazz and have listened to many, many forms, but the jazz that I love more than any is the jazz that comes in the form of a trio. One such combo was one of Ahmad Jamal‘s very best trios.
His trio, at The Pershing Lounge, in Chicago was rounded out by Israel Cosby on double bass, and Vernel Fournier on drums. A previous trio consisted of piano, guitar, and bass and was making waves in the early 1950s. But, by the time the piano/bass/drum trio emerged, we were gifted with a well-structured trio that reached best-seller status in 1958. And that status came with a recording entitled Ahmad Jamal At The Pershing: But Not For Me. Not a surprising feat, considering the talent involved. What did surprise me was that his trio in 1958, at the time of the recording, was apparently the house band . . . at the Pershing. I have heard many great renditions of Poinciana (kind of hard to not succeed with a song of that caliber), but none as spectacular as that of Jamal’s versions.
Sadly, Ahmad Jamal passed away just a few days prior to this posting, on April 16, 2023, in Sheffield, MA. He was 92 years old. His music lives on, and our ears are ever so grateful to have partaken of such wonderful sounds.
Jazz, jazz, and nothing but jazz. Mostly.
Listen on SPOTIFY:
Listen on TIDAL:
https://tidal.com/browse/album/100443423
copyright 2023 jblackstarr for SMOOTHE
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