Mr. Ahmad Jamal
JMood Records is saddened by the loss of Mr. Ahmad Jamal.
I was privileged to know and meet him on a personal level and on several occasions. First, many years ago, Mr. Jamal visited Kansas City, Missouri and performed at the Signboard Jazz Club in the Crown Center Hotel. I was present when people began talking and making some distractions during the performance.
Mr. Jamal abruptly stopped the performance and suddenly there was a hush over the crowd. Mr. Jamal left the bandstand and would not return until the crowd who had paid for their entry agreed to stop talking and listen to the music.
This was not to me rude on his part because the crowd had gotten loud, I believe unintentionally. However, Mr. Jamal required the audience to pay attention to his music otherwise he would cash out and move on to the next gig.
This was a time when I was growing in my appreciation for jazz and to have Ahmad Jamal in Kansas City, Missouri up close and personal was a real treat for me and my wife. It was during this time that I was studying piano and piano music.
I stuck around after the concert and engaged Mr. Jamal in conversation and asked if he had any sheet music with which I could practice my piano. At that time, he gave me an original score of his music which I have to this day. He told me it would possibly be released in the future, however, there where somethings he did not like about the composition. It did not matter to me. I was so excited to receive this kind gesture.
Fast forward many years later, Mr. Jamal was performing once again in Kansas City, this time at the Gem Theater with soon to be friend and fellow JMood Jazz Trekker, Idris Muhammad.
Idris was very nice on this occasion and as I worked as the stage manager, he asked if there was a place nearby that he could purchase some fish. At the time there was, and as the saying goes, “I buy and you fly” … That is what I did! We became quick friends, and I told him about what I was doing in the music business and wondered if he would some day work with me and my fledgling jazz label. He said sure!
I discovered Mr. Jamal and Idris once again at the Detroit International Jazz Festival where I was working as a volunteer escorting talent back and forth to and from the bandstand. I was amazed by Idris Muhammad and the way he captivated the audience as he assembled his drum kit piece by piece before this crowd. As I observed this phenomenon, I was mesmerized, and the audience was not far behind me. He was out there on his own with the spotlight on him putting every piece of the set together. The crowd was absolutely quiet!!! As everyone stared in amazement as he assembled the kit piece by, piece…
Fast forward to when this leads to the infamous conversation with Idris, as my wife and I travelled to St. Louis Missouri to hear Mr. Jamal but to reconnect with Idris. That is when I was ready for his services, only to find that he and Mr. Jamal were headed on a European tour and the dates I selected for my recording with he and Dr. Art Davis fell into confusion and frustration for me. Still so green in this business, I had no idea of prior commitments. I was just focused on me and my project.
My wife cried knowing this would never come together with the infamous bassist Dr. Art Davis and Idris Muhammad. He kindly reassured her; “Baby, don’t worry I will work with you all and we will get this done!”
That is when time ran out on Dr. Art, and we lost him before we could ever record again with Idris Muhammad.
We did, however, arrange a performance and recording with Idris and Roberto Magris in Hollywood, California at the Jazz Bakery. All this to say that it all started with my conversation and acquaintance with Ahmad Jamal!
What an amazing human being. He was so nice to me and very humble in his approach to such a young person just starting out in the music business. God bless Ahmad Jamal and rest his soul!