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
- Have You Met Miss Jones (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:47
- Poinciana (Buddy Bernier, Nat Simon) – 9:19
- Lament – 8:05
- Call Me (Tony Hatch) – 4:51
- (Theme from) Valley of the Dolls (André Previn, Dory Previn) – 4:23
- Frank’s Tune (Frank Strozier) – 5:50
- How Insensitive (Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes) – 5:52
Personnel
- Ahmad Jamal – piano
- Jamil Sulieman – bass
- Frank Gant – drums
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Frank Rehak was born on July 6, 1926, in New York City and started on piano and cello before switching to trombone. He was a member of the Gil Evans band and worked with Miles Davis, appearing with Davis on the broadcast The Sounds of Miles Davis.
As a leader he recorded Jazzville Vol. 2 on the Dawn label but as a sideman he had a prolific career. He recorded with Tony Bennett, Al Cohn, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Quincy Jones, Gene Krupa, Hugo Montenegro, Cat Anderson, Ernestine Anderson, Charlie Barnet, Big Maybelle, Art Blakey, Bob Brookmeyer, Ruth Brown, Cándido Camero, Chris Connor, Urbie Green, Johnny Hartman, Michel Legrand, Melba Liston, Mundell Lowe, Teo Macero, Carmen McRae, Red Mitchell, Whitey Mitchell, Blue Mitchell, André Previn, Gerry Mulligan, Kai Winding and the list goes on.
Along with a failed marriage to nightclub dancer Jerri Gray, he also had a heroin addiction, which combined with other financial problems led to his withdrawal from music. With that, he lapsed into relative obscurity.
In an effort to deal with these issues he spent time at Synanon, which led to his mention in Art Pepper’s autobiography. Trombonist Frank Rehak passed away on June 22, 1987 in Badger, California.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Dorian Ford was born on July 5, 1967 in London, England and started playing jazz in his early teens when he began attending weekly workshops led by trumpeter, composer, broadcaster, and music writer Ian Carr. Playing alongside many musicians who went on to form the backbone of the London jazz renaissance of the 1980s, he won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, receiving the prestigious Chick Corea Jazz Masters Award. Piano studies were with Donald Brown, a regular in Art Blakey’s band at the time.
Dorian’s performance and recording list are a who’s who of players including but not limited to Julian Joseph, Courtney Pine, Dill Katz, Birelli Lagrene, Jeff Beck, Ingrid Laubrook, Julia Biel, Carol Grimes, Barbara Thompson, Igor Butman, Ian Carr, Colin Lazzarini, Gareth Locraine, Sebastian Rochford, Annie Whitehead, Donny McCaslin, and the list goes on.
Pianist Dorian Ford performs privately as well as publicly as he continues to compose and record.
The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
The Quarantined Jazz Voyager’s next selection for your listening pleasure comes from pianist Kenny Barron who released his Spirit Song. It is an album recorded in Brooklyn, New York at System Two between May 16–17, 1999 and released on the Verve Record label on February 8, 2000. Barron put together a stellar lineup of musicians on this date that was produced by Joanne Klein. All the compositions were composed by Kenny Barron except Billy Strayhorn’s Passion Flower and McCoy Tyner’s Passion Dance.
Track Listing | 64:56
1. The Pelican ~ 4:12 | 2. Spirit Song ~ 5:42 | 3. Um Beijo ~ 7:31 | 4. Passion Flower ~ 9:54 | 5. Passion Dance ~ 6:12 | 6. Sonja Braga ~ 6:25 | 7. The Question Is ~ 5:21 | 8. The Wizard ~ 7:59 | 9. Cook’s Bay ~ 7:05 | 10. And Then Again ~ 4:35 Personnel
- Kenny Barron – piano
- Eddie Henderson – trumpet (tracks 1–4 & 6–9)
- David Sánchez – tenor saxophone (tracks 1–9)
- Regina Carter – violin (tracks 3 & 4)
- Russell Malone – guitar (tracks 2, 8 & 10)
- Rufus Reid – bass (tracks 1–4 & 6–9)
- Billy Hart – drums (tracks 1–4 & 6–9)
- Michael Wall Grigsby – percussion (track 2)
Remain diligent my fellow voyagers in staying healthy, continue practicing social distancing, and don’t be so anxious to rush back to the new normal. It has been said that music soothes the savage beast, so listen to great music. I share that music to give you a little insight into the choices this voyager has made over the years during this sabbatical from jet setting investigations of jazz around the globe.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Robert Naughton was born on June 25, 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied piano from the age of seven through his teens, playing in rock bands and lounge bands.
After serving in the U.S. Army, Naughton started playing organ with a blues band. Following this period he studied painting in art school, then in the 1960s vibraphone became his instrument in the 1960s he was accompanying Sheila Jordan and Perry Robinson.
In 1969 Bobby recorded for the first time, releasing music on his label, Otic, and five more through 2002 as a leader. He composed the score for the silent film Everyday by German artist Hans Richter. In 1972 he played in the Jazz Composers Orchestra. Beginning a year later working with Wadada Leo Smith he recorded several albums through the 1980s. From 1978 to 1982 he toured and recorded with Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, the Creative Music Orchestra, and the Creative Improvisers Orchestra.
Vibraphonist Bobby Naughton, who plays fluently with four sticks, exploits the instrument’s overtones and sometimes controls manually the instrument’s vanes continues to perform and record.
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