Jamal At The Penthouse

 

Ivy

Jamal At The Penthouse

Ahmad Jamal

Arranger and Conductor: Joseph Kennedy

Recorded at Nola Penthouse Studios, New York, Feb. 27 and 28, 1959

Cover: Don Bronstein

Recording Engineer: Tommy Nola

Engineering Supervisor: Malcolm Chisholm

Mastering Engineer: Douglas Brand

Producer: Dave Usher

Argo LP 646S

From the back cover: About The Artist

If you have been lost in the Amazonian jungles for several years or have endured a similar disassociation with civilization, it's just possible that you may be hearing of Ahmad Jamal for the first time. It's not likely, of course, what with the rapid strides in communications, the increased efficiency in the distribution of records, and the phenomenal world wide enthusiasm for jazz.

The first time I heard a Jamal recording must have been, roughly, eight years ago. I was having a bite to eat before starting my nightly shift, when suddenly I was intrigued by some exciting sounds emanating from the restaurant's sound system, hooked to a juke box in the manager's office. It was a fervid, Latin treatment of a well-known standard and I lost no time in finding someone who was familiar with the juke box so that I could learn who was playing and thereby acquire a copy of the record for my show.

There began, then, a period of frustration, as Ahmad Jamal was on a comparatively new label with undeveloped distribution, and I experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining any of his records. Since that time, I'm happy to say, Ahmad's records are more readily available and Ahmad is not – which is a back handed way of saying that his rapid growth in popularity has resulted in steady bookings in the better jazz rooms, colleges, concerts, and the like.

Although he was born and educated in Pittsburg, Pa., Chicago was actually the springboard that launched his career. Such discerning entrepreneurs as Frank Holzfiend and Miller Brown several years ago first presented the Ahmad Jamal trio in their respected rooms – The Blue Note and The Pershing Lounge.

Ahmad Jamal once was a member of a group known as the Four Strings, of which the director was Joseph J. Kennedy, Jr. Ever since the group disbanded in 1949 it has been Ahmad's hope that someday he might utilize the services of Joe Kennedy as arranger and conductor of a session for the trio with strings. This album is the culmination of that idea.

Kennedy comes from a musical family, having had ancestors who performed before the crowned heads of Europe. He and Ahmad literally grew up together, their families being closely associated, and Ahmad's faith in him as one of the foremost arrangers and composers of this era is unwavering.

The price Joe won in a high school music contest was the privilege of studying violin under the late Theodore Renz, former professor of violin at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. It's not surprising, then, that Ahmad speaks of Joe Kennedy's knowledge of the violin as "extraordinary", and possessing "a wealth of musical talent." This is evident in the extraordinary "full" sound he obtains in his use of strings in this album, as well as his strategic use of them. Never intrusive, never overpowering, the becoming restraint in their use serves to point up the trio just as seasoned dressings do your favorite mixed green salad. – Dick Martin

Comme Ci, Comme Ca

Ivy

Never, Never Land

Tangerine

Ahmad's Blues

I Like To Recognize The Tune

I'm Alone With You

Sophisticated Gentleman