Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ahmad Jamal: Blue Moon

Ahmad Jamal: Blue Moon

By Larry Taylor
March 21, 2012
View read count

In 1958 Pianist Ahmad Jamal burst on the scene with At the Pershing: But Not for Me (Argo Records), which contained the runaway hit "Poinciana." The song's impact was such that it remains Jamal's signature tune to this day. As sometimes comes with popular success, some jazz critics pulled back, but his championing by other musicians, such as trumpeter

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis in 1955—citing the pianist as one of his big influences—subdued their effect. Over the decades, Jamal has made many recordings, and his career has prospered internationally.

Blue Moon displays that the octegenarian is still going strong. In recent years, he has surrounded himself with drums and bass, close at hand for spirited give-and-takes. Here, however, he has his now-regular retinue which includes two percussionists.

The playlist is a mix of six standards and three originals. A signature demonstrated with "Poinciana" is a repetitive, Bolero-like rhythm, increasing in intensity throughout the number, with Jamal and others playing against it. This pattern is still apparent, with variations, but the approach is mostly impressionistic, creating often surprising results.

On the Rodgers and Hart acorn, "Blue Moon," drummer

Herlin Riley

drums
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Herlin Riley establish the familiar rhythmic pattern with Jamal's piano playing, an intriguing cat-and-mouse game with the theme. With "Gypsy," Billy Reed's forties hit, Jamal lets his imagination run free, throwing out

Art Tatum

piano
1909 - 1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Tatum-like flourishes, alternately twisting, then unwinding the tune.

David Rose's classic theme to the classic 1944 film Laura is a lovely chance for Jamal to show his taste and skill with ballads. On Jamal's original, "I Remember Italy," on the other hand,

Reginald Veal

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Reginald Veal's throbbing bass stands out, but everyone stretches, taking advantage of its 13-plus minute duration.

Closing out, the quartet takes an abstract look at

Dizzy Gillespie

trumpet
1917 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Dizzy Gillespie's "Woody'n You." Like everything on this CD, uniqueness is the keyword on this rendition. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Master Jamal reigns with Blue Moon.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Autumn Rain; Blue Moon; Gypsy; Invitation; I Remember Italy; Laura; Morning Mist; This Is the Life; Woody'n You.

Personnel

Ahmad Jamal

piano

Ahmad Jamal: piano; Reginald Veal: double bass; Herlin Riley: drums; Manolo Badrena: percussion.

Album information

Title: Blue Moon | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Jazz Village

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Heartmony
< Previous

Stan Getz: I'm Gonna Blow the Walls ...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.