mikeweil Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) Ahamd Jamal's latest features Reginal Veal, Herlin Riley, and Manolo Bradrena - almost the band of his legendary comeback album on Atlantic, Rossiter Road. I have to admit I find it a bit lame compared to the earlier album, the grooves a bit too heavy-handed, and Jamal's playing seems to have lost one of its outstanding characteristics, rhythmic accuracy. The ideas are all there, but he sounds as if his age is finally showing - I won't blame him, and have lots of respect for him, but it's not quite the same ... Has anbody here heard this`What do you think? Edited May 25, 2012 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted June 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Up - anybody listened to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Up again .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stryker Posted November 24, 2012 Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 (edited) Been listening over and over for a couple days and have to say I'm getting a lot out of it -- just about everthing I've ever gotten out of Ahmad's later work, more in some ways. A lot of drama, surprise, hitting of emotional buttons. The lack of rhythmic accuracy you perceive I mostly hear as an intentional looseness, a way of rolling over the keys to create a textural/rhythmic contrast with the groove in the bass and drums. Tension and release. Ahmad has always done this, but these days he'll stay outside the pulse for a l-o-n-g time, My biggest complaint is nothing everfalls into 4/4 swing (though it's kind of implied in the fast 6/8 on Woody N You and there is some swing feel in waltz time and hints on the ballads here and there). The grooves are heavier than in the early days but I'm not sure they're any heavier than other more recent work. Do you have a fave you're comparing this too? For me a VERY strong record, while the lack of linear invention in the improvising is a weakness for me (always has been in a way with Ahmad), I've come to really appreciate the later work a lot more in the last couple years. Edited November 24, 2012 by Mark Stryker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted November 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 Well, the trio with Israel Crosby and Vernel Fournier is hard to top, but I love the Atlantic LPs of the 1980's with Herlin Riley, too - Rossiter Road in particular. Riley plays rather heavily on Blue Moon, maybe he was requested to do so? I dunno. When I saw Jamal a few years ago with Idris Muhammad, he was more precise and focussed than on this new album. I may be picky, but that's only due to the level Jamal himself has set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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