AHMAD JAMAL

A Quiet Time

[Dreyfus Jazz]

One of the most criminally overlooked masters in jazz is pianist Ahmad Jamal, who scored a best-selling album in 1958 (But Not for Me: Ahmad Jamal At the Pershing) and has weathered every seismic shift in the music since without giving up his ideals or succumbing to trends. Longevity is only meaningful if an artist still has the goods, though, and Jamal certainly does. Coming from an 80-year-old who could easily get by with coasting, A Quiet Time is a remarkably multitextured work with a wide array of moods. Jamal places enough trust in longtime bassist James Cammack, percussionist Manolo Badrena and drummer Kenny Washington to take frequent dares, tossing in an off-kilter run before sneaking back to the melody just as unexpectedly. His touch is gentle but quick, his voicings comfortable yet never predictable. Miles Davis once called Jamal his favorite pianist—and A Quiet Time demonstrates why. –JT