Awakening [Original recording remastered]

Frank Gant, Ahmad Jamal | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 25, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Grp Records
• ASIN: B000003N9U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,275 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

This CD can be considered somewhat rare now.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Awakening - Ahmad Jamal, May 31, 2005

By 

Cameron Rochette (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awakening (Audio CD)

Ahmad Jamal's 1970 release of The Awakening is perhaps one of the most innovative West Coast jazz albums ever made by this man. Jamal is one of the most influential jazz pianists of the second half of the twentieth century, and has made his mark on both young and old people alike. He is, in many ways, like Keith Jarrett in his use of the entire range of the keyboard, which is clearly heard in all of the songs in this album. Featuring Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums, the trio really does work as a trio, each part being treat equally as opposed to a piano with a bass-drums accompaniment. The pieces on this album all have the Jamal feel, and yet, in a magical way, still retain the original style from Jobim's bossa nova tune, "Wave" or Hancock's standard, "Dolphin Dance". All the tracks on this album are beautifully written, and are a very thorough and accurate representation of Ahmad Jamal as we know him.

THE AWAKENING - The title track is a very upbeat, moderately-paced tune with a modern feel, written by Jamal himself. It is built off of a four-note phrase that changes constantly throughout the piece with wonderful blues type interludes. There are several times when Jamal uses some very clever scales and arpeggios that cover the entire keyboard within a second, and this piece left me astounded.

I LOVE MUSIC - This, in my opinion, is the best track no this CD, simply for its utter harmonic beauty. It has brought a tear to my eye more than once, and is very reminiscent of some of Ellington's later works. This song is basically a piano solo with a small interlude featuring the bass and drums, and has some of the most heart-wrenching chord changes I've ever heard. It is a sad, yet powerful song that can completely change one's mood, and is am excellent example of Jamal's ability to play with such commanding grace.

PATTERNS - A faster paced tune, this is a true Jamal song, and is very typical of Jamal's unique style. The bass and drums in this piece are particularly commendable, and keep the vibrant beat of the song moving throughout the entire piece.

DOLPHIN DANCE - One of Herbie Hancock's more romantically lyrical pieces, Jamal plays a sped up version as compared to the original. This is one of the better tracks on the album, and, once again, Jamal combines his own technique with that of Hancock's.

YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING - As the liner notes state, "The only old standard of the set, a 1931 ballad, introduced in a long forgotten revue called `The Laugh Parade', this became the title song for a 1949 movie in which Dan Dailey sang it. Jamal moves straight into the Harry Warren melody, playing it in a long meter. Despite the many ingenious melodic and rhythmic shifts with which he invests it, the original theme is never too far out of earshot" (Feather 8).

STOLEN MOMENTS - Oliver Nelson's classic is once again brought to life in a faster-paced version of this 1960's tune. Jamal grabs the essence of the spirit of the piece, drawing in the listener to listen even more carefully, as he uses dramatic chromatic chord changes, and once again coming back to the lovely primary theme at the end of the track.

WAVE - One of Antonio Carlos Jobim's more obscure works, Jamal, brings this piece out into the open with the definitive bossa nova feel "without any of the obvious Brazilian clichés" (Feather 8). The beckoning and delightful mood of this piece is rather catchy and is well appreciated by Latin and jazz fan alike.

Cannonball Adderley once said, "Ahmad's not like the average jazz musician who uses the pop tune as a vehicle. He approaches each number as a composition in itself, and tries to work out something particular for each tune that will fit it." This is a very true statement, and is obviously exemplified by the stunning work Jamal has created with these sole seven songs. I would highly recommend this music to all jazz fans of all kinds. His voluntary and authoritative use of combining the bass and drums (Nasser and Gant, I might add, are two musicians that are highly worthy of praise for their skills) provide the listener with a different feel to the music after listening. This album represents a specific feel and approach towards jazz, and is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. Ahmad Jamal is one of the greatest pianists of all time, and his unique approach should be exposed to the world to grasp a better understanding of what it means to be a great jazz musician.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Awakening to the Art of Trio playing at it's quinetessenc, August 18, 2000

By 

NDBx "NDBx" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awakening (Audio CD)

A masterful recording. A trio of the highest caliber. Each piece is jazz in it's highest form. They stay within the framework but with great dedication and subtlety, they improvise wonderfully, like a prism they turn each piece this way and that, to reveal a different shade or color. "Stolen Moments" alone is worth the price of this recording. The soloing is first rate, the trio interplay sensitive. This is a lost treasure and a must for jazz collectors as well as fans of jazz trio recordings. Sophisticated, soulful, rhythmic and very very inventive!!!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Piano Trio, February 17, 2005

By 

Tut (Geneseo, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awakening (Audio CD)

I was nearing home late one night 35 years ago, driving my father's big Oldsmobile and listening to Bill Ardis' great jazz program (Ardis Against The Night)on WHAM from Rochester,NY. The station's 50,000 watts carried well to my hometown near the Pennsylvania border. I was 20 yrs. old and had been listening to jazz for less than two years. I was also somewhat stoned. As I drove down my parent's street, Ardis said he had something special for his listeners -- Ahmad Jamal's just released new album "The Awakening", which he would play without interuption. It was some of the most incredible, subtle, and interesting music I had ever heard! I sat in the car in the driveway and listened, totally captivated, until it finished. It took a few weeks to finally locate a copy to buy, but I had to own that record. To this day it remains one of my top ten albums from all genres. The music is timeless. If you haven't heard it, buy it without delay.It will bring joy to your ears.