Here are the basic facts: 1) There are only a handful of artists that are still alive that actually started and perfected a musical style in jazz 2) Ahmad Jamal is the only one who is still active. Therefore, we better appreciate every release that still comes from the venerable hands of the man who’s style influenced Miles Davis’ approach to trumpet.
This latest album finds him in either solo mood or in sublime duets with bassist James Cammack. In the latter format, Jamal is Chopinesque on his romantic “Marseille,” heavy of heart for “Spring Is Here/Your Story” and guiding and prodding for “So Rare.” On his own, you feel like he’s using paint brushes with the ivories as a canvas, creating soft ripples for a return to “Poinciana” delicate dots and dashes for “I Should Care” and exploring with wonder “What’s New.” He is old enough to have grown up with songs like “Whispering” and “Emily,” so he doesn’t need a college education to learn their importance; these tunes are in his dna, and they flow out with a surfeit of experience, gracefully lyrical and spaciously serene. This is music to imbibe slowly and appreciate in quietude.