js At age 83 Ahmad Jamal has seen many musical styles come and go and has been a part of many of these changes, while also always maintaining his own personal sound. On his latest CD, “Saturday Morning”, Ahmad's piano solos seem to reflect this world of experience with musical quotes from earlier in Jamal’s career mixing with phrases from practically the entire history of music. 60s pop songs, Ellington, Chopin and others all mix with Jamal’s whirlwind of original ideas as each phrase always takes the unexpected turn. What we have on “Saturday” is eleven tunes (title track “Saturday Morning“ is played twice), nine are originals and two are standards given very Jamal makeovers. Two of the originals have appeared on previous albums, but with a totally different sound. The approach on here is typical Ahmad Jamal in that there are no pretentious gimmicks or trendy diversions, just one of the best pianists alive playing with a very responsive rhythm section that has a great feel for fusing modern rhythms with jazz.

Its interesting how things can eventually come full circle. In the mid 50s Jamal was a pioneer in the “less is more” approach to music, an approach that found a place in popular culture with the 50s relaxed hip sounds of cool jazz and exotic lounge music. During the 70s and 80s Jamal got with the more extroverted and extravagant culture and often played in an aggressive post bop/fusion jam band style like many others. Flash forward to the mid-90s and the ‘lounge’ aesthetic has returned via trip-hop and chill room exoticism, and it would seem that this cultural return has not been lost on Jamal. Fortunately “Saturday Morning” is not some overly trendy misguided stab at trip-hop, but percussionist Manolo Badrena and drummer Herlin Riley’s use of laid back hip-hop beats and Caribbean dub grooves mixes well with Jamal’s return to a more relaxed approach to the piano and the end result is a nice blend between a modern chill room vibe and virtuoso piano playing that really gives you something to listen to. Jamal has returned somewhat to his early “lounge” sound in some respects, but the Jamal of today is much busier with wild flourishes and occasional hectic rapid fire sequences. There is a surprise lurking around every corner and when he cuts loose, Ahamd has no problem showing he can hang with the Tyners and Cecil Taylors of physical piano assault. Some tunes, such as “Firefly”, definitely work their way into more high energy territory.

There is no resting on his laurels for Ahamad Jamal, “Saturday Morning” is proof that he remains current and creative to the minute. Its great to hear him and his band incorporate modern approaches and rhythms in subtle ways. When the title cut “Saturday Morning” rolls around the second time, towards the end there is a section where Jamal plays a repeating floating chord over a sparse beat, sounds like he’s imitating a DJ manipulating a sample, either way, Jamal keeps his ear open to the present and the past.

js When Ahmad Jamal hit the jazz scene he represented a whole new fresh approach to the piano. Jamal championed a light style based more on clever nuances and the unexpected, rather than the more virtuoso powerhouse traditions of Art Tatum and his many followers. Critics didn’t take to Ahmad right away as they saw his lighter approach being more akin to lounge and pop pianists rather than a serious jazz musician. Undaunted, Jamal carried forward with his new style and picked up some serious admirers along the way, including Miles Davis who encouraged his pianists to play more like Jamal. After releasing a couple excellent jazz albums, Jamal seemed to almost taunt his critics by veering more into pop territory when he recorded “Jamal at the Penthouse”, with his old friend Joeseph Kennedy supplying string arrangements. String arrangements are usually seen as a death blow to the hardcore jazz fan, consider all the grief Parker received for going that route, and although “Penthouse” may not be a serious jazz album, it is an excellent artsy semi-pop album that should appeal to fans of exotic lounge music and creative ambience.

The first side of “Penthouse” centers around four popular tunes that feature Kennedy’s strings and Jamal’s always witty fills. Kennedy proves to be a good match for Jamal as his arrangements have a similar light-hearted wit and casual nuance. These tunes on side one are nice, but things get more interesting on side two when Jamal opens with a couple originals that display his strengths as a composer. These compositions are unique enough that it is hard to find a comparison except possibly the equally original work of Herbie Nichols. Another possible description would be a combination of Ravel, George Shearing, Martin Denny and the quirkiness of Stravinsky. Two more pop tunes follow these openers and the album closes with another great original, this time composed by Jamal and Kennedy together.

Overall this is a good album for collectors of artsy pop, but the three Jamal originals definitely stand out above the other pop tunes, making this an album that most Jamal fans will want to own after they pick up his more essential releases. Also, like most mood albums from that era, it comes with a beautiful album cover.

js Ahmad Jamal’s first couple records, including “The Ahmad Jamal Trio”, may be some of the oddest of his career, and they certainly got a lot of attention when they first came out, unfortunately a lot of it negative. Jamal’s original trio was not the expected piano/bass/drums arrangement, but instead featured Jamal on piano pared with Ray Crawford on guitar and Israel Crosby on acoustic bass. Its an odd sound combination that is made even odder by their personal and creative approaches to their instruments. Serious jazz fans were initially turned off by Jamal’s light, “loungeish” approach to the piano, and I am sure they were more than a little surprised when they first heard Crawford imitate an electronic bongo machine by tapping his guitar. The combination of Crawford’s proto-Kraftwerk rhythms and Jamal’s quirky lounge piano have made this album highly prized with the exotica collectors, but jazz fans still have mixed opinions about this one.

Throughout this album Jamal’s playing is outstanding. On the album opener, “Perfidia”, Ahmad comes out swinging with odd syncopations of the well-known melody followed by bizarre couterpoints. There is no doubt that he is one of the most original and idiosyncratic voices on the piano, in a similar league with Monk , Ellington and Herbie Nichols. His loungey sound and original chord structures have also been a cross-influence with George Shearing, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock and Martin Denny. Its hard to escape the Jamal influence in modern piano sounds.

Much of side one has a driving Latin jazz groove, which is pushed by Crawford’s faux electro bongos and a guest maraca player on “Rico Pulpa”. On side two the band takes on a more traditional sound as the bongos are pushed to the background or left out entirely. This album is a must have for Ahmad Jamal fans and collectors of odd instrumental sounds.

js Its certainly not hard to find musicians with powerhouse technique in the world of jazz. Going back to jazz’s earliest days, cutting contests established a tradition in which artists would try to blow each other off the stage with overt displays of virtuosity, but what about the artist with something unique to say. If you prefer those who keep their technique in check and favor quirky individualistic approaches to their instrument, then Ahmad Jamal might be your ticket. Jamal belongs in a unique class of piano players that might also include Duke Ellington, Theolonius Monk and Herbie Nichols, players who know how to pace their solos and use quiet space as a tool that can be more effective than streams of notes. Its hard to believe that critics once questioned Jamal’s validity as a jazz artist due to his frequent use of a very light “loungeish” touch on the piano, because Jamal obviously has power to spare when such an approach is called for. Rather than puff up his solos with attempts to prove instrumental power, Jamal instead treats the piano like a small orchestra and provides the shades and colors that fit the moment the best.

“Happy Moments” was recorded when Jamal’s musical vision was at an early peak. Albums he had released just a few years earlier established him as very popular and commercially successful, not an easy feat in the financially troubled world of jazz. Jamal’s rhythm section on here, Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums, was one of his most sympathetic as they effortlessly follow Jamal’s many moods and often abrupt changes in volume. If “Happy Moods” isn’t Jamal’s best, it certainly is very representative of his playing at a time when he was drawing a lot of attention.

I would highly recommend this album for fans of jazz piano who have been curious about the Jamal legacy. Jamal is one of those rare musicians who never seem to fatigue my listening. There is always something unexpected lurking around the corner and so much sly humor as he strings people along with his odd ideas and sometimes almost avant-garde asides that slip by barely noticed.

HURBRET This album is pretty gosh darn freaking good. I mean, it starts with what is probably the best track on the album, a Caribbean-tinted straight-eighths tune with a simple chord progression on which Jamal fills constantly. It's amazing that he can improvise such rhythmic and harmonic complexity, although I guess that's the nature of jazz itself. The rest of the album is also fantastic, highlights including "Cabin in the Sky" and "Devil's in my Den," featuring a lovely tenor player. Ahmad is as always a master of making dissonance consonant. And Othello Monileux's pans give the whole album a Caribbean vibe. This is a great album, and you should buy it.