Ahmad Jamal makes a much-anticipated return to Atlanta headlining the 2014 Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park Sunday night, May 25. His most recent release Saturday Morning shows him to be as relevant, rhythmic and melodic as ever over the course of a career that goes back five decades.
Jamal spoke with Jay Edwards on Jazz Tones Saturday afternoon to catch up with Atlanta and talk about his upcoming Memorial Day Weekend performance.
Jay's biographical notes on Ahmad Jamal go as follows:
Jamal was born in Pittsburgh, a child prodigy who began to play the piano at age three. He began formal studies at seven and while in high school he completed the equivalent of a masters under noted African American Concert Singer Mary Caldwell Dawson and Pianist James Miller. In 1958 he released the album But Not For Me featuring Israel Crosby on Bass and Vernell Fournier on Drums. The album stayed on the charts for over two years(108 weeks).
In 1994 Mr. Jamal received American Jazz Masters Fellowship from The National Endowment of The Arts. In 2007, France inducted him into the prestigous Order of the Arts. In 2011 he was honored with a place in Downbeat Magazine's 76th Readers Hall of Fame.
His most recent release is Saturday Morning, which features Reginald Veal on double bass, Herlin Riley on drums and Manolo Badrena on percussion.
Find out more about Ahmad Jamal by clicking here.
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