It’s often noted that Miles Davis told pianist Wynton Kelly to “sound more like Ahmad Jamal” when recording “Freddie Freeloader” for Kind of Blue. When it comes to the under-appreciated, this kind of story gets tossed around quite a bit. But this one is worth noting for why Miles wanted Kelly to sound like Jamal. It wasn’t about sound or tone per se, but about space and dynamics. In other words, he wanted the notes he didn’t play to be as important as the ones he did. Ahmad Jamal was only 25 when his landmark Chamber Music of the New Jazz appeared in 1955, but already he had proven what a confident voice he had amidst the “new thing” craze. Jamal was the rare case of a player at complete ease with his relative softness. The way he tickled notes out of his piano was joyful, romantic, and light as a fairy. Listening to his interpretation of Gershwin’s “A Foggy Day,” one is reminded of how dramatic a pause can be. It seems that each time Jamal plays nothing is more intense than when he plays something. He’ll plunk out a few notes pause (leaving a wide open gap for guitarist Ray Crawford to scratch out a little lick) then play a few more notes before pausing again. One can’t help but think of Dylans rumination on how “sometimes the silence can be like thunder.”
Thu., Aug. 7, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 8, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 9, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m., 2008
