Ahmad Jamal Trio / Chamber Music of the New Jazz (1955)

With just a piano, guitar and bass, the lineup on this record is somewhat unconventional for a jazz piano trio, which usually consists of piano, bass, and drums. But Jamal has all the freedom he wants for interpretation, thus satisfying the purpose of playing with a trio instead of a larger group. At the same time, his work does not overshadow the proceedings to the point where other members cannot make contributions. Quite the contrary, all lights are equally bright here. The music, a combination of standards and originals by Jamal, is thoroughly enjoyable and the sound of the Argo CD is excellent. There is much eloquent phrasing from Jamal and Crawford on guitar. Jamal employs diverse techniques like walking colorfully voiced block chords, letting the left hand lay out, making playfully creative runs with the right hand, and percussive forays into the dusty end of the keyboard. Without a drummer he's also doing double duty with Crosby, keeping time and adding lift with electric stabs at chords, a bit like Duke would do. Crawford likes to alternate comping with delicious slides and arpeggiated runs or percussive plucking of the strings -- a technique later copied by scores of players. Israel Crosby, a great talent gone too soon from this Earth, provides almost supernatural rhythm with the bass and superb interplay with Jamal. The group chemistry is very positive so the recording stays fresh no matter how many times I've heard it. If you like Miles Davis then you'll want to pay special attention, because Miles was a big fan of Jamal's repertoire and arrangements. And so was Gil Evans, for that matter, who, you'll recall, is credited with arrangements on 'Miles Ahead' that were duly influenced by Mr. Jamal's trio. It doesn't matter if you're a seasoned jazz listener, are new to jazz, or don't care and just want something different to listen to: this recording is an essential.