Master jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, idol of Miles Davis and sampled by Nas, dies of prostate cancer at 92
- Jamal died of prostate cancer on Sunday at the age of 92
- The death of the legendary musician was confirmed by his daughter Sumayah
- Ahmad’s six decades in music made him a mainstay of the jazz community
Master jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal died on Sunday at the age of 92 after a battle with prostate cancer.
The death of the legendary musician was confirmed by his daughter Sumayah, which revealed that Jamal died in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts.
A legendary composer and bandleader, Ahmad’s six decades in music made him a mainstay of the jazz community, earning him the adoration of genre icons like Miles Davis.
Jamal’s tune I Love Music was prominently sampled on Nas’ classic rap song, The World Is Yours, in 1994.
The maestro earned a 2017 Lifetime Achievement Grammy for his contributions to music history and was honored as a “Living Jazz Legend” by the Kennedy Center in 2007.
A great loss: master jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal passed away on Sunday at the age of 92 after a battle with prostate cancer; pictured in 2014
RIP: A legendary composer and bandleader, Ahmad’s six decades in music made him a pillar of the jazz community, earning him the adoration of genre icons such as Miles Davis; pictured in 1954
Born on July 2, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Jamal Ahmad became apparent at the age of three when he began taking piano lessons.
Four years later, he began professional training with his mentor, opera director Mary Cardwell Dawson, and then immersed himself in the work of several jazz phenoms, from Earl Hines to Erroll Garner.
But the jazz legend disdained the name ‘Jazz’ itself and would come to use the term ‘American classical music’ to describe his beloved genre.
Pianist Art Tatum considered Jamal a “coming great” at the age of 14, and he began touring professionally with George Hudson’s orchestra after graduating from high school in 1948.
Originally raised as a Baptist – and named Frederick Russell Jones by his parents – the maestro changed his name to Jamal Ahmad in 1950 after becoming a devout Muslim.
Widespread success came in the 1950s when Jamal joined a trio act called The Three Strings and signed a record deal with the Okeh label. His famous 1958 recording, At the Pershing: But Not For Me, became one of the most influential albums in jazz history.
Jamal performed and recorded throughout the ensuing decades, becoming a mentor to jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara and contributing music to films such as The Bridges of Madison County and television shows such as M*A*S*H.
Miles Davis praised the pianist in his 1989 autobiography, writing, “All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal.”
Born in Pittsburgh on July 2, 1930, Jamal Ahmad’s lost talent became apparent at the age of three when he began taking piano lessons; pictured in 2009
The jazz legend disdained the name ‘Jazz’ itself and would come to use the term ‘American classical music’ to describe his beloved genre; pictured in 1982
Jamal’s famous 1958 recording, At the Pershing: But Not For Me, became one of the most influential albums in jazz history; pictured in 2014
Miles Davis praised the pianist in his 1989 autobiography, writing, ‘All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal’; pictured in 1987
The famed trumpeter added that Jamal “knocked me out with his concept of space, his light touch, his understatement and the way he phrases notes, chords and passages.”
Speak against The protector in 2013, Jamal said, ‘The repertoire I learned as a child is huge. I listened to music from Tatum and Erroll Garner to Mozart.
‘I’ve been composing since I was 10 years old – I used to do 20% my own pieces and 80% others’; now it has gone the other way. Over time you discover the Mozart in you, the Duke Ellington or Billy Strayhorn in you.
“It takes time to discover yourself. You also need to find and keep players who know what you’re doing; you have that empathy, the quality of breathing together.”
