On January 16, 1958, the Ahmad Jamal Trio recorded a landmark album at the Pershing Lounge at the Pershing Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Titled At the Pershing-But Not For Me, it featured Chicago bassist Israel Crosby and New Orleans drummer Vernel Fournier. The album was on Billboard’s Hot 100 album chart for more than 2 years, and included the crossover dance hit “Poinciana." Keith Hall is our guide to the many treasures found in this recording, on this episode of Jazz Currents.
Musical excerpts used in this episode were all taken from Live At The Pershing - But Not For Me, by the Ahmad Jamal Trio. They include:
1. “No Greater Love" (Isham Jones/Marty Symes)
2. “Woody‘n You” (Dizzy Gillespie)
3. "But Not For Me" (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin)
4. “Moonlight in Vermont” (John Blackburn/Karl Suessdorf)
5. "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II)
6. "Poinciana" (Buddy Bernier/Nat Simon)
7. “(Put Another Nickel In) Music, Music, Music" (Bernie Baum/Stephen Weiss)