Blue Moon: The New York Session/The Paris Concert [Digipak]

Performer: Ahmad Jamal
Engineer: Todd Winmill...
Producer: Ahmad Jamal...
Distributor: Harmonia

Notes: Personnel: Ahmad Jamal (piano); Reginald Veal (double bass); Herlin Riley (drums); Manolo Badrena (percussion). Audio Mixer: Todd Winmill. Liner Note Author: Catherine Vallon-Barry. Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY (10/2011). Still going strong at the age of 81, legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal's love letter to his favorite Broadway, Hollywood, and Great American Songbook classics, Blue Moon, is arguably one of his most accomplished efforts since his Chess/Impulse! heyday. The Pittsburgh virtuoso, once credited by Miles Davis as a major influence on his career, shows that age is no barrier to invention with six exquisite reworkings of postwar standards, from a romantic orchestral take on the title track to Otto Preminger's 1944 film Laura to a delicately whimsical interpretation of Charlie Parker's "Gypsy." Jamal's improvised cluster of chords remains as expressive and sprightly as ever, but it's when drummer Herlin Riley, who along with bassist Reginald Veal (Wynton Marsalis) and percussionist Manolo Badrena (Weather Report) form the backbone of the record, is allowed to let loose that they really spring to life, from the syncopated grooves of the epic 13-minute adaptation of A Life of Her Own's "Invitation," to the Latin rhythms on the title track and Dizzy Gillespie's "Woody'n You," to the surprisingly contemporary R&B beats of Golden Boy show tune "This Is the Life." The simmering lounge pop of "Autumn Rain," the delicate "Morning Mist," and the tender solo "I Remember Italy," a Debussy-esque number inspired by his many travels, all of which are original compositions, are equally majestic. But it's his interpretative skills that ensure Blue Moon will go down as one of Jamal's modern greats. ~ Jon O'Brien

With his spare, subtle swing, pianist Ahmad Jamal is an important figure in both mainstream and post-bop jazz. The commercial success of his 1950s trio recordings made important inroads for jazz. His influence on Miles Davis was acknowledged by the trumpeter himself, who recorded many tunes from Jamal's repertoire. Incredibly, Jamal maintained his verve and artistic relevance all the way into the 21st century, long after many of his contemporaries had passed on.

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