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AHMAD JAMAL Saturday Morning Jazz Village JV 570027

1. Back to the Future

2. I’ll Always Be With You

3. Saturday Morning

4. Edith’s Cake

5. The Line

6. I’m in the Mood for Love

7. Firefly

8. Silver

9. I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good

10. One

11. Saturday Morning

 

Ahmad Jamal – Piano

Reginald Veal - Double bass

Herlin Riley - Drums

Manolo Badrena - Percussion

 

Ahmad Jamal’s previous album, Blue Moon, left me somewhat puzzled, as you can see from my review. In this album, once again, he seems to depend rather too much on repeated phrases: ostinati which can become tiresome.

Nonetheless, these riffs serve as a base for Jamal to weave his embroidery on. This is certainly the case with the third and fourth tracks, which have prominent riffs over which Ahmad improvises with his usual dynamic surprises – switching unexpectedly between assertive and allusive. This CD, recorded in France, proves that this 80-something still has his commanding technique as well as an ability to leave spaces which other musicians might try to fill.

The opening Back to the Future has a repetitive theme with a thump from the bass drum on the first beat of every bar. By contrast, I’ll Always Be With You is a tender ballad. The Line has a reggae feel, with the added percussion emphasizing the exotic sense. It might almost be something by Monty Alexander.

I’m in the Mood for Love is treated by Jamal like some of the songs on his previous album, where the melody only makes occasional appearances – more referred to than played. I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good is more clearly recognizable as Duke Ellington’s classic tune. And it is good to hear the hypnotic One again: a Jamal favourite which shows just what you can do with a riff of a mere three notes. The album ends with a shortened version of the title-track.

Ahmad’s accompanists follow his every move sympathetically, and they often give shape to Jamal’s roaming tendencies. This album may leave listeners bewildered or even exasperated but, as I said before, pensioners should be allowed their foibles.

Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk

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