Name: The Awakening
Brand: Ahmad Jamal

Tax rate EU

Default:19

Supplier EU

Universal Music GmbH

Total Cap

Format detail

Colour details

Discogs ID

Limited edition

Colour

Format Music EU

Extended format

Extended format: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Download code

Download code: No

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Release date

1997-03-10

Format multiplier

Catalogue number

512262

UPC / Barcode

11105122627

Verve By Request

2023-04-14

60244847611

602448476111

Artist

Ahmad Jamal

Label EU

Impulse!

Genre EU

Ahmad Jamal was an influential American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. Born on July 2, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he later changed his name to Ahmad Jamal in the early 1950s. With a career spanning several decades, Jamal made significant contributions to the world of jazz music.
Known for his innovative style and unique approach to improvisation, Ahmad Jamal's music captivated audiences around the globe. His compositions showcased a blend of traditional jazz elements with modern influences, creating a distinct sound that set him apart from his contemporaries.
In addition to his musical talents, Ahmad Jamal was also an accomplished bandleader and educator. He led various ensembles throughout his career and mentored numerous aspiring musicians. His dedication to sharing his knowledge and passion for jazz helped shape the next generation of artists.

US label.
Label Code: LC 0236 / LC LC 00236.
For unofficial releases/counterfeit/bootlegs, please [l132473].
[b]1960[/b] The Impulse! label was started as a jazz subsidiary of [l=Am-Par Record Corp.] under the direction of [a=Creed Taylor] and soon after the label's creation, [a=Bob Thiele].
In the 60s the Canadian versions of the label were manufactured by [l=Sparton Of Canada Ltd.] and wear the [l=Sparton Impulse! Records] label.
[b]1962[/b] The company names changed to [l=ABC-Paramount Records, Inc.] - The [l=Sparton Impulse! Records] remains to mention [l=Am-Par Record Corp.] after the company name changed.
[b]1967[/b] A new change to [l=ABC Records, Inc.] In this period sometimes a second [l=ABC Records] brand appears on the label.
[b]1974[/b] Versions on the concentric label design from the 70s commonly display the [l=ABC Impulse!] label brand.
It operated until 1979, though new recordings had stopped by 1977; it survived on with reissues.
[b]1979[/b] ABC was bought by [l=MCA Records] and Impulse! shut down along with all of the other ABC-affiliated labels.

Impulse is known as [i]The House That Trane Built[/i] because of [a=John Coltrane]'s 1961-67 association with the label.

MCA revived the label mainly as a reissue imprint with a few new releases in the 1980s. It was reactivated as part of MCA-owned [l1071] with new artist signings including [a=Diana Krall] in the 1990s. Following a series of major label buy-outs and mergers, Impulse! is now part of the [l=The Verve Music Group] unit of the larger multi-national [l=Universal Music Group].

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Ahmad Jamal is a jazz giant and The Awakening is his iconic masterpiece. The landmark deep trio session - recorded in NYC and released on Impulse! in 1970 - is an essential album and perennially sought-after on vinyl, so Be With Records are delighted to make it available again. As a "Zen master of jazz piano" and one of its greatest innovators, Jamal evolved his elegant sound with this adventurous record. The Awakening showcased his fast, richly melodic chops in remarkable variation. A consummate orchestrator of his own complex arrangements, Jamal was emboldened here by his potent sidemen. Backed by the exquisite timing of bassist Jamil Nasser and the precision of Frank Gant's drumming, he was liberated by the reliability of the trio setup. Free to juggle rhythmic dexterity with harmonic intricacy, Jamal brilliantly performed groove-oriented compositions written by himself, alongside wonderful renditions of tracks by Herbie Hancock, Oliver Nelson and Antonio Carlos Jobim. It is impossible to discuss The Awakening without acknowledging its indelible mark on golden age rap. A defining album of hip-hop culture, producers of the highest calibre have famously sampled elements of this timeless record to lace all-timers with a foundation for their most legendary tracks. Indeed, both the experimental "DJ Premier In Deep Concentration" and Shadez Of Brooklyn's seminal "Change" utilised Jamal's sparse title-track to stunning effect. A melancholy motif from "I Love Music" was employed by Pete Rock for Nas's crucial "The World Is Yours" whilst, over a more abstract refrain from the same track, Jeru memorably delivered his "Me Or The Papes" ultimatum. Over in Chicago, No I.D. elevated Common's peerless "Resurrection" by lifting a precise riff from Jamal's plaintive rendition of "Dolphin Dance" whilst the head-nod quality of All Natural's hypnotic "Renaissance" owes it all to the looped keys of Jamal's take on "You're My Everything". With bold beauty and unhurried grace, Ahmad Jamal plays piano differently from everyone else. He was a huge inspiration to Miles Davis and influential to how Wynton Kelly performed across Kind of Blue. In his autobiography, Miles describes being blown away by Jamal's dynamic "concept of space, his lightness of touch [and] his understatement". It's why The Awakening will always be so revered. In line with the quality of all Be With reissues, the record is presented in a luxurious gatefold sleeve and comes adorned with the original eye-catching artwork throughout, along with the original sleeve notes. Simon Francis' sensitive mastering ensures the sonics are majestic throughout and, for the first time, it has been pressed at a reassuringly weighty 180g.

The Awakening

Music EU

Discover The Awakening by Ahmad Jamal on Impulse! Available in CD and LP formats. A jazz masterpiece reissued by Be With Records with original artwork and exquisite sound quality.