Requisites

Ahmad Jamal at The Top: Poinciana Revisited ~ Ahmad Jamal | By Eddie Carter

I first saw Ahmad Jamal live in 1995 at Spivey Hall on the campus of Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia. I’d been a fan of his since the age of ten after hearing his 1958 album, Ahmad Jamal at The Pershing: But Not For Me.  That night, the trio characterized their creative energy and gracious lyricism into a mesmerizing performance bringing the capacity crowd to its feet.

This morning’s choice from the library is a 1968 live album, Ahmad Jamal at The Top: Poinciana Revisited (Impulse!–ABC Records AS-9176). It’s one of my favorite LP’s by the renowned pianist and his bandmates are Jamil Sulieman on bass and Frank Gant on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1969 Stereo reissue and the set opens with Have You Met Miss Jones? This song by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart is from the 1937 musical comedy, I’d Rather Be Right.  The audience’s applause and a short solo introduction by Ahmad segue into a lively Latin-flavored theme. Jamal gives a vigorous interpretation that’s tremendously rewarding propelled by Jamil and Frank’s lively backing.

The jazz standard Poinciana by Nat Simon and Buddy Bernier was written in 1936 and is based on a Cuban folk tune, La canción del árbol (The Song of The Tree).  The Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band made the first recording in 1943 and it was featured in two films, Dreamboat (1952) and The Bridges of Madison County (1995), performed by Ahmad Jamal. The trio gives an inspired interpretation showcasing the pianist on a lengthy reading running the gamut of his extraordinary range.

Lament, Jamal’s lone contribution begins with a cascading solo introduction by Ahmad that blossoms into a marvelous melody.  As the song’s only soloist, the pianist ascends to a peak of pure pleasure, before descending gradually back for the rousing climax.  Call Me by Tony Hatch starts Side Two and was written for Pop vocalist Petula Clark who featured it as the title tune for her 1965 album.  The ensemble transforms the easy listening song into a torrid scorcher on the melody, and Jamal gives a passionately brisk solo of radiant intensity before the reprise and abrupt stop.

The pace slows down for a beautiful version of Theme From Valley of The Dolls, composed for the 1967 film by André Previn and his wife Dory. Ahmad and Jamil begin with a gentle dialogue that grows into a tender theme. The pianist infuses tender emotion, depth, and beauty into the song’s only solo with exceptional detail leading to a subtle coda. Frank’s Tune by Frank Strozier swings easily to a medium beat on the opening and closing chorus affording Ahmad, Jamil, and Frank each solo space. The 1961 Bossa Nova standard,

How Insensitive (known in Brazil as Insensatez) was written by Antônio Carlos Jobim, and Vinícius de Moraes who penned the Portuguese lyrics, and Norman Gimbel, the English lyrics.  The ensemble begins the melody rapidly setting the mood for Ahmad who opens with an exhilarating reading. Jamil takes the next reading aggressively, and Frank closes with a swift, zealous statement preceding the group’s out-chorus and crowd’s show of appreciation. The sound quality of the album by engineer Carlos Olms captures the spirit of the trio’s performance exceptionally well for maximum enjoyment in your listening room.

At ninety-years young, Ahmad Jamal shows no signs of slowing down.  His most recent release is a 2019 French album titled Ballades. If you’re a fan of piano jazz, or in the mood for a live album possessing an elegant and infectious groove, I submit for your consideration Ahmad Jamal at The Top: Poinciana Revisited. It’s a great introduction to his music for newcomers and an impressive showcase for seasoned fans that handsomely repays the effort to seek it out for your library!

~ Ahmad Jamal at The Pershing: But Not For Me (Argo LP-628); Ballades (Jazz Village–Jazzbook Records JV3357015758); Call Me (Pye Records NEP 24237); – Source: Discogs.com

~ Have You Met Miss Jones? – Source: JazzStandards.com

~Call Me, How Insensitive, Poinciana, Theme From The Valley of The Dolls – Source: Wikipedia.org

~© 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter

Synopsis

Ahmad Jamal at the Top: Poinciana Revisited is a live album by pianist Ahmad Jamal featuring performances recorded at The Village Gate in 1968 and released on the Impulse! label.

Track List | 42:04

  1. Have You Met Miss Jones (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:47
  2. Poinciana (Buddy Bernier, Nat Simon) – 9:19
  3. Lament – 8:05
  4. Call Me (Tony Hatch) – 4:51
  5. (Theme from) Valley of the Dolls (André Previn, Dory Previn) – 4:23
  6. Frank’s Tune (Frank Strozier) – 5:50
  7. How Insensitive (Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes) – 5:52

Personnel

  • Ahmad Jamal – piano
  • Jamil Sulieman – bass
  • Frank Gant – drums

 

 

 

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