Though there are and have been pianists similarly
influenced by Ahmad Jamal and Bud Powell – for
starters, McCoy Tyner – without Jamal alone, there
might not also have been a Keith Jarrett or Matthew
Shipp. Why Jamal's "out there" tendencies has gone
underappreciated by both straightahead and avant
garde camps, is beyond comprehension.
Of the ten tracks on In Search Of, six are originals, with the CD
freshly starting off with five. In typical Jamal fashion,
percussive syncopated placements of block chords
suggest an extension of drummer Idris Muhammad.
The mounting tension of changing time signatures
invariably relents as Jamal temporarily withdraws into
a more subdued pressing of keys. Muhammad settles
into grooves of swinging ride cymbal figures while
James Cammack's resonant bass lines intensify to the
fore of the mix, as heard on the opener, "In Search Of."
Jamal captures the spontaneous essence of a
quaint club atmosphere on "Should I." You can
envision his shoulders approvingly grooving up and
down with each unpredictable embellishment. The
syrupy baritone vocals of the late O.C. Smith, heard on
"Whisperings," proves awkward in its placement as
the sole vocal number, disturbing the flow of the
recording, if only momentarily.
The pianist's tender
ballad rendition of "I've Never Been in Love Before" is
an ongoing tide of currents breaking along the
shoreline, quoting Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments,"
returning them to calmer waters. "Island Fever," unlike
stereotypical island-flavored tunes, refuses to fall in a rhythmic
rut. The ballad "Where Are You Now" has an
insinuating sense of swing that reveals Jamal's
utilization of space as an essential element, carrying
his music into a highly personal stratosphere.
As one of the most consistent performers in the
history of jazz, Jamal continues a tradition along a
road of recordings and live dates which has had few
bumps, and this is a gem of a recording that sticks out
with the 73-year old's best.
This review originally appeared in
All About Jazz-New York.
~ Laurence Donohue-Greene
