Ahmad Jamal: Live at the Penthouse, 1966-1968

November 20, 2023

Ahmad Jamal: Live at the Penthouse, 1966-1968

Last November, I posted on two albums of previously unreleased material that the Ahmad Jamal Trio recorded at Seattle's Penthouse club between 1963 and 1966. The albums, issued by Zev Feldman's Jazz Detective Records, were Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1963-1964 and Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1965-1966. Now, Zev and Jazz Detective is releasing a third volume: Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 on December 1 in multiple formats. The vinyl LP will be released on November 24, Record Store Day, at record stores nationwide. It's a fascinating listen. [Photo above of Ahmad Jamal in 1967 by (c) Raymond Ross/CTSImages]

The trio on the new album features Ahmad Jamal (p), Jamil Nasser (b) and Frank Gant (d). During this two year period, Jamal was recording in the studio for Cadet Records and his sound on the keyboard was evolving. The delicate, chamber-jazz approach that he pioneered in the 1950s and early 1960s gave way to an earthier, more percussive keyboard attack and a greater willingness to turn familiar songs inside out.

The shift was in keeping with the stormy times and changing temperament of musicians touched by the roiling civil rights and anti-war movements and the rise of electric instruments. The jazz piano also was undergoing a transformation, as evidenced by pianists such as McCoy Tyner and Oscar Peterson, whose piano playing styles had become increasingly more pronounced.

Between 1966 and 1968, Jamal in the studio recorded Heat Wave (drummer Gant, who played with a provocative style, had just joined the trio, replacing the more delicate Vernel Fournier); Cry Young, which included voices; and The Bright, the Blue and the Beautiful, which also featured a vocal choir. All three albums showcased a new, more liberated Jamal who, on Cadet, had more creative freedom. This extended to his club appearances.

The new live recording at the Penthouse sounds as clear and as vibrant as the previous two volumes. The piano here, however, is a stronger cup of fortissimo coffee. Gone is the polite lounge sound, replaced by a more assertive and bombastic style. Which isn't a knock on Jamal, given how many years he played in a hushed, delicate style. [Photo above of the street-level Penthouse club in Seattle, Wash.]

In some ways, his new approach was more daring and exciting, as on Gloria and Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars, which weren't exactly executed as delicate ballads but more as springboards for keyboard gymnastics. In some cases, songs sound impatiently played as they're taken at a quickened pace or hit hard, like a heavy bag. But these executions afford their own spectacular moments, such as Jamal on Gloria and others in which he reaches up to run his fingers or a pick across the piano's strings like a guitar. [Photo above of Ahmad Jamal by Chuck Stewart, courtesy of Jazz Detective Records]

In other places, Jamal goes a bit overboard. On Misty, which is almost unrecognizable, he hits the same two chords over and over again while Gant takes a drum solo. At first, I thought the record was skipping until I realized that Gant's solo was changing, even if Jamal wasn't.

There are many high points, including Where is Love, on which Jamal is relatively restrained; the glorious Naked City Theme (also known more formally as Somewhere in the Night), on which Jamal plays with enormous dexterity and skill; Emily, which is played solo; and Alfie, which Jamal plays firmly but surfaces shades of his earlier touch. All exhibit structured complexity and are deeply moving. [Photo above of Ahmad Jamal]

If you enjoyed the first two volumes of Jamal's live performances at the Penthouse, this third one is a must. It allows you to hear the pianist's evolution over a critical three-year period in his career and how he adapted and remained relevant to audiences during the years when soul jazz, modal jazz and jazz fusion were beginning to surge.