It’s a small tragedy that most jazz aficionados only know jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal as some cat who Miles Davis really dug.

Jamal is one of the most distinctive and artistically genuine jazz musicians.
If fans know him as a Miles influence, then non-jazz fans may know him for his 1958 crossover hit, “Poinciana,” from the classic album, “Live at the Pershing: But Not for Me.”

Jamal’s version of the old standard was that great rarity in the jazz industry: An extended instrumental improvisation that made its way to the top of the pop charts – No. 3 on Billboard, to be exact. The tune clocks in at just more than eight minutes and remained on the chart for 108 weeks.

So what makes this track so great? The simple answer is drummer Vernel Fournier’s relentless beat.

Fournier, a native of the Crescent City, lays down a curiously funky pseudo-second-line beat that oscillates between the snare drum and floor tom. The beat has since become required listening for aspiring jazz drummers.

Jamal’s typically artful improvisational style is in full force on this track. Every single note, every riff, every interpretation and permutation of the melody is deeply considered and processed before his fingers ever touch the keys.

His extensive classical training informs his deliberate use of melody on this track. Instead of blowing through a big back of bebop licks, Jamal reiterates clear melodies and grooves that are singable by the even casual listeners.

Bassist Israel Crosby’s contributions should not go unnoticed. His ostinato fits in with Fournier’s groove like a glove. The two make up one of the greatest and most unique bass-and-drum teams in jazz history.

And with Jamal at the helm, they make up one of the greatest piano trios of jazz.

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