Influential US jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal died yesterday at the age of 92. Jamal, who began his career as a child, developed a completely different style during the bepop era – dense chords, strong rhythms and working with rests – which influenced Miles Davis in particular. Jamal became a role model for pianists Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett.
Jamal died of complications from prostate cancer in Ashley Falls, according to the New York Times. With his style, which contrasted strongly with bepop, which relied on tempo and virtuosity, the pianist became similarly influential over time.
From an early age, Jamal not only had jazz, which he preferred to call “America’s classical music”, but also classical music of the European variety.
Influence also on hip-hop
Hailed by Art Tatum as a “big thing to come” at the age of 14, he toured with George Hudson’s big band after graduating from high school. In 1950 he moved to Chicago and converted to Islam, renaming himself from Frederick Russell Jones to Ahmad Jamal.
Jamal produced more than 60 albums in total. He was also recognized in hip-hop, where De La Soul, Nas and scores of other rappers sampled Jamal’s signature piano phrases.
