Ahmad Jamal - 3 Original Album Classics (2003)

One of the most individualistic pianists, composers, and arrangers of his generation, Ahmad Jamal's disciplined technique and minimalist style had a huge impact on trumpeter Miles Davis, and Jamal was often cited as contributing to the development of cool jazz throughout the 1950s. Though he was an excellent, technically proficient player well-versed in the gymnastic idioms of swing and bebop, he chose to play in a pared-down and nuanced style. Influenced by pianists Errol Garner, Art Tatum, and Nat King Cole, as well as big-band and orchestral music, Jamal developed his own boundary-pushing approach to modern jazz that incorporated an abundance of space, an adept use of tension and release, and unexpected rhythmic phrasing and dynamics. His highly melodic compositional style was evidenced beautifully on the best-selling 1958 offering At the Pershing: But Not for Me. His style and depth only increased in the ensuing decades, displaying themselves on standard-setting trio albums including 1965's Extensions, charting crossover sets like 1979's Intervals, and 1986's Rossiter Road. In the 21st century, Jamal continued carving his own path with a series of live and studio albums that juxtaposed standards with his own compositions including 2003's In Search of Momentum, Blue Moon: The New York Session/The Paris Concert in 2012, and the following year's Saturday Morning: La Buissone Studio Sessions. Even as he neared his nineties, his skills remained as sharp as ever, as evidenced on 2019's solo and duets set Ballades.

Tracklist
01. Bellows (Live) 14:08
02. Patches (Live) 11:02
03. Autumn Leaves (Live) 12:05
04. Devil's in My Den (Live) 12:23
05. There's Lull in My Life (Live) 9:56
06. In Search Of 6:22
07. Should I 5:29
08. Excerpts from I'll Take the 20 3:10
09. Island Fever 4:40
10. I've Never Been in Love Before 6:15
11. Where Are You 7:03
12. Where Are You Now 6:58
13. You Can See 6:49
14. Perfidia 3:42
15. I'll Always Be with You 5:03
16. Dynamo 4:06
17. Swahililand 3:59
18. Back to the Island 5:53
19. It's Magic 4:58
20. Wild Is the Wind / Sing 9:12
21. The Way You Look Tonight 3:17
22. Arabesque 7:30
23. Papillon 6:28
24. Fitnah 8:33
25. Fantastic Vehicle 2:35
26. Our Delight 3:15
27. Poor Pierrot 3:18