Ahmad Jamal - The Awakening

Ah, the sweet sound of the piano. Perhaps the best way to start this year is with a classic. Released in 1970 and completely free of then current musically popular styles this album shines with old school bebop played by people who were already quite experienced with it. The tone of the album is very relaxed, there's very little adventurous exploring of dissonance, yeah a few solos on the songs are a bit chaotic but mainly this album has a very calm tone. Perhaps the biggest flaw for me on this album is that sometimes it gets a little too accessible, the melodies sometimes sound a bit to cheesy for my taste. Other than that this is an excellent album if you're looking for more piano centered jazz and a great starting point in Jamal's music.

Download.