AHMAD JAMAL: AHMAD JAMAL '73

Performer: Ahmad Jamal, piano; orchestra arranged and conducted by Richard Evans
Artist: Ahmad Jamal
Number of discs: 1
Barcode: 0199957337489
Label: Verve Vault
Format: LP
Genre: Jazz
Year: 2026

On this album, one of America's finest jazz pianists replaces his signature instrument with an electric piano. The first of seven studio albums recorded for the 20th Century label, it blends jazz traditions with contemporary material. On Ahmad Jamal '73, Jamal is accompanied by an expanded orchestra arranged and conducted by the album's co-producer, Richard Evans. Jamal's playing is set against expansive arrangements featuring strings, vocals and horns, as he interprets soul-funk hits such as Stevie Wonder's “Superstition” and War's “The World Is a Ghetto”. The album also includes spiritual jazz and funk tracks, including “Sustah, Sustah” and “Peace at Last”. “Ahmad Jamal Trips Out” proclaimed an advertising campaign at the time.

The pianist, born in Pittsburgh, passed away in 2023 at the age of 92. His most acclaimed recording was At the Pershing: But Not for Me, released in 1958, which became one of the most successful albums in Chess Records history. It remained at the top of the American jazz charts for months and spent 107 weeks on the Billboard album chart.

“Life has changed and, consequently, it continues to change,” Jamal told uDiscover Music in 2019, discussing the album's impact. “It has been what has allowed me to pay the bills for the last 61 years. And it continues to live on. It's truly incredible.”

In the 1970s, Jamal signed with 20th Century and, during his seven years with the label, produced some of the most diverse recordings of his career. These ranged from conceptual orchestral pieces and instrumental soul covers to original jazz-funk material. He also placed four albums on the American R&B charts, including Jamalca (1974), a spirited blend of electric jazz, soul and funk.

Side A

1. The World Is a Ghetto
2. Children of the Night
3. Superstition

Side B

1. Trilby
2. Sustah, Sustah
3. Soul Girl
4. Peace at Last