Ahmad Jamal Plays

Ahmad Jamal Plays is an album by American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal featuring performances recorded in 1955 and originally released on the short-lived Parrot label in 1955.^[2] The album was rereleased as Chamber Music of the New Jazz on the Argo label after Chess Records purchased the master tapes in 1956.^[3]

Ahmad Jamal Plays
Studio album by Ahmad Jamal
Released	1955
Recorded	May 23, 1955 Chicago
Genre	Jazz
Length	36:04
Label	Parrot[1] Argo LPS-602
Producer	Dave Usher
Ahmad Jamal chronology
Ahmad Jamal Plays (1955) The Ahmad Jamal Trio (1956)
Chamber Music of the New Jazz Cover

The cover was credited to Eric Anderson, Jr.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]

Scott Yanow, in his review for AllMusic, says Jamal's "communication with Crawford and Crosby was often magical."^[4]

A reviewer for Dusty Groove wrote: "Beautiful work from Jamal's early Chicago years...that really gets at the differences he made in modern jazz! The tunes are wonderfully fluid, soulful, and swinging... in a lightly modern style that features almost equal interplay between Jamal's piano, the bass of Israel Crosby, and the guitar of the wonderful Ray Crawford, who adds an amazing touch to the record."^[5]

Track listing

1. "New Rhumba" (Ahmad Jamal) – 4:42
2. "A Foggy Day" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:26
3. "All of You" (Cole Porter) – 3:19
4. "It Ain't Necessarily So" (Gershwin, Gershwin) – 3:04
5. "I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)" (Jack Elliot, Harold Spina) – 3:29
6. "I Get a Kick Out of You" (Porter) – 4:53
7. "Jeff" (Ray Crawford) – 4:56
8. "Darn That Dream" (Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 3:14
9. "Spring Is Here" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 4:01

Personnel

• Ahmad Jamal – piano
• Ray Crawford – guitar
• Israel Crosby – bass