Having spent 70 years on stage, the artist started his career at the age of 14 as a virtuoso in the 'Be-bop' process of jazz. The musician, who started his music career under the name Frederick Russell Jones, converted to Islam in 1952 and took the name Ahmad Jamal.
Jazz icon, composer, and trumpet master Miles Davis' companion, pianist Ahmad Jamal, who is considered to be the pioneer of at least one generation in his field, died in April 2023 at the age of 92 due to prostate cancer. The sad news was announced by the artist's daughter, Sumayah Jamal. The artist, who describes jazz as "American Classical Music", made a difference in music with his "infrequent piano playing" method, which he applied by frequently pausing between notes, and broke new ground with his original stage and recording dynamics that met the meaning of "Less is more" by critics.
Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master and won a Lifetime Achievement Grammy for his contributions to music history.
The artist, who has spent 70 years on stage, started his career as a virtuoso in the 'Be-bop' process of jazz at the age of 14. The musician, who started his music career under the name Frederick Russell Jones, converted to Islam in 1952 and took the name Ahmad Jamal. His world recognition was achieved with his 1958 album 'At The Pershing: But Not For Me'.
He always chose to move forward
Miles Davis used the phrase "All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal" for his artist friend in an interview. In his autobiography, Davis spoke of Jamal as "someone who took me away with his notion of emptiness, his lightness of touch, his understatement of things, his pronunciation of notes, transitions and choruses".
Just like Davis, Jamal was followed by artists such as Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett, who have shaped the world of jazz over time. The famous jazzman inspired hip-hop artists Nas and De La Soul with his unique piano riffs until his last years. Jamal, who has numerous awards in his field, including the Artist of the Year award from the National Jazz Foundation in 1994, was honored with the title of Knight of the Arts and Letters of France in 2007 and received a standing ovation for his Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.