Ahmad Jamal “Jamal at the Penthouse”

If it came down to only listening to jazz records, I’d be happy with that. I mean, no TV, no rock’n’roll, no podcasts, no sports. I’d still be able to read books (let’s not go nuts) and go to movies and the theatre. I’d be sad about some of the music I’d be missing, but jazz records are an endless journey. In this fantasy, of course, I’ve got a good local store where I can buy records for a reasonable price, and a real job—so I wouldn’t be limiting myself to $3 records. Whenever I find something like this in the cheap bins I inhabit, it feels like a bonus, even if it is scratchier than a cat. I’m not going to simply list tracks and credits—assuming the reader can simply ask the virtual assistant—or, if you’re ambitious, there are extensive back cover liner notes by Dick Martin—mini bios of both Ahmad Jamal and Joe Kennedy, and interesting song-by-song observations. We hear pianist Ahmad Jamal and his trio, along with strings—the orchestra conducted by Joe Kennedy. It’s a too brief record—short versions of only nine songs (three of which are Jamal compositions) but every second is delightful—there are little surprises (little being sometimes better—often better than big surprises). I really do wish the record was longer—like way longer—you put it on in the morning and take it off before bed. The “Penthouse” in the title is the “Nola Penthouse Studios” in New York—where it was recorded, February 1959—on the 17th floor of the old Steinway Building. Now, there, is one of those moronic, super-tall-thin apartment buildings that give me the willies. Personally, the last earthquake I experienced was in NYC—even mild ones aren’t funny. But these new buildings are “earthquake-proof”—ha, someone send a memo to Irwin Allen! I’m assuming the cover photo is the old Steinway—it’d be weird if it wasn’t—and I really like it, taken at dusk—it gives me the feeling both of the big city, and also, loneliness, melancholy. It doesn’t exactly match the music, which is, for the most part, exuberant—but I’ll take it—they really knew how to throw together an album cover back then.

12.12.25