Ahmad Jamal: Blue Moon – review

These days, there is less of the spare, meticulously placed simplicity that made Jamal a major influence on Miles Davis, although his piano style remains notably clear and direct. He still does extraordinary and fascinating things to old standards, too. There's a really weird treatment of "The Gipsy" here, which I just can't get out of my head. But it's as an impressionist composer that the latterday Ahmad Jamal really excels. Two of these pieces in particular, "Autumn Rain" and "Morning Mist", are quite exquisite. He has a way of creating slow-moving harmony that exudes gentle calm.