Ahmad Jamal, in paying tribute to Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and Hoagy Carmichael, performs nearly every selection on this CD at a very slow tempo.
Or at least his sidemen do, since the pianist often plays double-time lines, witty quotes from other songs, and occasional violent outbursts.
In general, the music is quite thoughtful and subtle, with plenty of surprising ideas and unusual turns.
Carmichael gets stiffed a bit (just two songs counting the "Stardust"-inspired "I Remember Hoagy") and a couple of numbers are departures from the theme (including "My Flower," "Never Let Me Go," and "Goodbye"), but most of the melodies come from the Ellington/Strayhorn songbook.
Throughout, Ahmad Jamal (with the assistance of bassist Ephriam Wolfolk and drummer Arti Dixson) shows that he can sound relaxed, alert, and swinging at the slowest of paces, making this a set deserving (and perhaps needing) several listens to appreciate fully.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | My FlowerAhmad Jamal | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 02:33 | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| 2 | I Got It BadHoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 05:08 | 11 MB | 20 MB |
| 3 | In A Sentimental MoodDuke Ellington, Manny Kurtz, Irving Mills | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 09:21 | 21 MB | 39 MB |
| 4 | RubyHeinz Roemheld | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 05:57 | 13 MB | 23 MB |
| 5 | Prelude To A KissDuke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 04:22 | 10 MB | 17 MB |
| 6 | Chelsea BridgeBilly Strayhorn | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 04:41 | 10 MB | 17 MB |
| 7 | I Remember HoagyAhmad Jamal | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 04:30 | 10 MB | 14 MB |
| 8 | SkylarkHoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 04:36 | 10 MB | 20 MB |
| 9 | Never Let Me GoRay Evans, Jay Livingston | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 04:35 | 10 MB | 18 MB |
| 10 | GoodbyeGordon Jenkins | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 06:08 | 14 MB | 26 MB |
| 11 | Don't You Know I Care | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 04:45 | 10 MB | 20 MB |
| 12 | Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me | Ahmad Jamal | Play | 05:53 | 13 MB | 26 MB |
| 62 mins | 143 MB | |||||
| 62 mins | 253 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoagy Carmichael | Composer |
| 2 | Mack David | Composer |
| 3 | Duke Ellington | Composer |
| 4 | Ray Evans | Composer |
| 5 | Irving Gordon | Composer |
| 6 | Ahmad Jamal | Composer, Primary Artist |
| 7 | Gordon Jenkins | Composer |
| 8 | Manny Kurtz | Composer |
| 9 | Jay Livingston | Composer |
| 10 | Johnny Mercer | Composer |
| 11 | Irving Mills | Composer |
| 12 | Heinz Roemheld | Composer |
| 13 | Bob Russell | Composer |
| 14 | Billy Strayhorn | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |