Ahmad Jamal Archives - JAZZ IMPRESSIONS

Routes: A Jazz Impressions Podcast – Episode 1

Welcome to the first episode of Routes: A Jazz Impressions Podcast, where we connect two of our favourite tracks via a selection of musical stepping stones. Today marks Blue Note Records’ 83rd birthday so what better place to start than a swinging classic from the legendary label, plus an auspicious debut from a pioneering pianist.

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Tracklists below (SPOILERS!)

Idris Muhammad – Piece Of Mind

After a couple of months in hibernation, we’re back! In our last post, Dan chose Freddie Hubbard’s fusion classic ‘Red Clay’, released on CTI Records in 1970. A year after this album was released, CTI founded Kudu Records, a sub-label intended to showcase artists with a more commercial appeal to their CTI counterparts. Consisting of mainly black musicians, Kudu’s releases were often rooted in the soul jazz sound that was popular at the time. Drummer Idris Muhammad’s defining masterpiece Power Of Soul, released on the label in 1974 is one of the standout albums of the Kudu catalogue.

The Ahmad Jamal Trio – Bogota

Immediately following The Awakening, the great Ahmad Jamal moves to Rhodes -as in the electric piano, not the place. The location is the Montreux Jazz Festival, and the 1972 release Outertimeinnerspace is another perfect album; arguably an easier achievement with only two tracks (further performances from this date appear on Freeflight, also on Impulse!), each comprising an entire side of the LP.

The Ahmad Jamal Trio – Dolphin Dance

Five years after Herbie Hancock set sail with his 1965 masterpiece Maiden Voyage, another great pianist released a masterpiece of his own. That pianist was the influential Ahmad Jamal and the album is The Awakening, released in 1970 on Impulse!, which contains a beautiful version of Hancock’s track ‘Dolphin Dance’.

Yusef Lateef – Love Theme From Spartacus

Our last post focussed on the cool ‘La Nevada’ by The Gil Evans Orchestra. The focus of today’s post will be on Yusef Lateef’s ‘Love Theme From Spartacus’ which like ‘La Nevada’, was also released in 1961.