Ahmad Jamal - The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions 1956-62 [9 CD, 2010] [FLAC + 24-44 + 320]

 

In 2007, this set was well on its way with Ahmad Jamal’s blessing. He listened to and approved a multitude of previously unissued material, expanding the legacy of this extraordinary trio. A tape search proved problematic and we spent the next two years scouring various Ahmad Jamal Argo masters scouring Europe and Japan as well as the US.

As you can hear, this legacy has been reconstructed although almost half of it has comes from digital sources. Both analog and digital sources have minor problems here and there such as the small frying sound on disc 4, track 5. The only major problem is the “Count “Em 88” album (disc 1, tracks 1-9) which for years was available only in electronically-rechanneled stereo. The only existing source in 2010 is a Japanese CD master that seems to have been dubbed from an LP. It has wow and flutter and occasional electronic static as on track 5. Every effort has been made to bring all of this music to you in the best possible fidelity.

Ahmad Jamal - The Classic 1958-1962 Recordings [5 CD, 2013/FLAC]

 

The 2013 four-disc Ahmad Jamal anthology The Classic 1958-1962 Recordings brings together all of the albums made by Jamal and his trio at the height of their initial success. This includes his seminal 1958 live album, Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But Not for Me. Also included are such albums as Happy Moods, Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra, All of You, Ahmad Jamal at the Blackhawk, Portfolio of Ahmad Jamal, and others. For fans looking for a consolidated overview of the influential pianist's early years, The Classic 1958-1962 Recordings is a superb option.