Ahmad Jamal ‘73 is getting a new release as part of the Verve Vault Series. Here, one of America’s top jazz pianists, traded in his signature instrument for an electric piano. The first of seven studio works for the 20th Century label, the record merges jazz traditions with contemporary numbers.
The Verve Vault Series is all-analog, cut from the original master tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
On Ahmad Jamal ‘73, Jamal is backed by an expanded orchestra arranged and conducted by album co-producer Richard Evans. Jamal is paired with massive string, vocal, and horn arrangements for renditions of soul-funk hits like Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and War’s “The World is a Ghetto.” The album also includes spiritual jazz and funk numbers, including “Sustah, Sustah” and “Peace At Last.” “Ahmad Jamal Trips Out,” read an advertising campaign at the time.
The Pittsburgh-born pianist passed away in 2023 at the age of 92. His most acclaimed record was 1958’s At The Pershing: But Not For Me, which became one of the biggest records in the history of Chess Records. It topped America’s jazz charts for months and established a 107-week residence in Billboard’s album charts.
“Life changed and it’s constantly changing as a result,” Jamal told uDiscover Music in 2019, speaking to the album’s impact. “It’s been the thing that has paid the bills for the last 61 years. And it still lives on. It’s really amazing.”
In the 1970s, Jamal signed with 20th Century and throughout his seven years with the label, produced some of the most varied music of his career, ranging from conceptual orchestral pieces, to instrumental soul covers, to original jazz-funk material. He also landed four albums in the American R&B charts — including 1974’s Jamalca, a piquant marinade of electric jazz, soul, and funk.
