Ahmad Jamal '73

On Ahmad Jamal’73, one of jazz’s most acclaimed small-group pianists swaps his usual setup for electric piano and opens the door to a different kind of groove. It was the first of seven studio albums he made for the 20th Century label, and it captures a clear shift in sound without losing his touch.

Co-produced with arranger and conductor Richard Evans, the record pairs Jamal’s leads with expanded string, vocal, and horn arrangements. The result blends familiar jazz traditions with early 70s soul-funk, moving through versions of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, War’s The World is a Ghetto, plus spiritual jazz and funk pieces like Sustah, Sustah and Peace At Last.

This Verve Vault edition is all-analog, cut from the original master tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.