2023-04-17 11:35:18
The jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal has died this Sunday at the age of 92, due to prostate cancer, at his home in Ashley Falls, in the state of Massachusetts (United States). The musician, with an artistic career of more than eight decades, was recognized by the composer Miles Davis as “his inspiration from him”.
Throughout his career, Jamal has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, the National Award for Jazz Master of the Arts in the United States, and the French Order of Arts and Letters.
Born Frederick Russell Jones, Fritz, in Pittsburgh in July 1930, Ahmad began playing the piano at the age of three and began formal music studies at the age of seven. At the age of 14, he was part of the musicians’ union and was recognized by pianist Art Tatum for having “a promising future.”
At the age of 92, the one and only Ahmad Jamal has passed away. There will never be another. ????#jazzisdead pic.twitter.com/8iAtXZne5h
— Jazz Is Dead (@jazzisdeadco) April 16, 2023
In the 1950s, Fritz moved to Chicago and converted to Islam, changing his name to Jamal Ahmad. There he led various jazz trios and quartets until he settled in with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernel Fournier. Together they released ‘At The Pershing: But Not For Me’, considered one of the most popular and influential recordings in jazz history.
His album ‘The Awakening’, recorded in the late 1960s, achieved wide acclaim for the originality of the work by jazz standards. Ahmad has also composed music for several movie soundtracks and has founded several record labels. He released up to three albums a year in the late 1960s and early 1970s, recording more than 60 in his entire career.
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