Ahmad Jamal: "Marseille" (Jazz Village/JazzBook Records JV570136)
Rating: ***** (musical performance & sonic quality)
CD Release Date: July 07, 2017
Produced by Ahmad Jamal, Catherine Vallon-Barry & Seydou Barry
Recorded & Mixed by Vincent Mahey @ Studio Sextan (Malakoff, France) in 2016
Featuring: Ahmad Jamal (acoustic piano), James Cammack (acoustic bass), Herlin Riley (drums), Manolo Badrena (percussion), Mina Agossi and Abd Al Malik (vocals)
A new album by legendary pianist and composer Ahmad Jamal is always a hotly anticipated event. But "Marseille" has an additional glow of excitement as it is a very personal expression of the sincere and long-standing mutual admiration that has existed between the American artist and French audiences for over six decades.
The title track of the record is a love letter to the iconic Southern city whose magnificent port and dazzling light have inspired numerous artists and filmmakers over the years. In a daring departure for Jamal, it features a striking performance by French rapper Abd Al Malik. "Marseille" is the work of a master musician who never says more than he has to but always says enough to make the world sit up and listen.
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