Legendary Pianist Ahmad Jamal Interviewed at AAJ

Ahmad Jamal, possibly the most influential of living jazz pianists, turned 80 years young on July 2, 2010. It is however, business as usual and instead of celebrating at home in his slippers, Jamal was wowing an audience at the Marciac Jazz festival in France.

Jamal is touring now more than ever before, and is in demand all over the world. Judging by his 2010 touring schedule, he does his best to oblige, with concerts in Australia, Brazil, and Canada, as well as a couple of dates in Europe sandwiched between North American performances. The tour is in support of A Quiet Time (Dreyfus Jazz, 2010), another outstanding example of Jamal's craft. His enviable energy and creative drive have seen him produce some of his best recorded work in this last decade, and albums like After Fajr (Dreyfus Jazz, 2004), It's Magic (Dreyfus Jazz, 2008), and, now, A Quiet Time constitute some of the finest piano recordings of modern times.

AAJ Contributor Ian Patterson spoke with Jamal at length, about his long and heralded career, some of his favorite collaborators, and keeping things moving forward, even as Jamal enters his ninth decade on the planet.

Check out Ahmad Jamal: Forward Momentum at AAJ today!