Forgotten series: Ahmad Jamal, "Ahmad's Blues" (1994)

NICK DERISO:Jamal, a pianist who Miles Davis was crazy about, originally recorded this concert at The Spotlite Club, in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 6, 1958.

Featured is the same terrific trio that had that Top 40 hit with "Poinciana" -- Jamal, bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernel Fournier. The results were initially released as two LPs, but then combined on disc by GRP in the early 1990s.

Throughout, the tunes seem to seize up, then release, in the most brilliant ways -- leading Davis to not only borrow from Ahmad Jamal's repertoire but insist, it's said, that Red Garland try to sound like him.

Nick's Pick: The wonderful "Let's Fall in Love." Like the whole album, there's so much space, but yet the tune is always swinging. Jamal was one of the few pianists in the 1950s who did not sound like another Bud Powell.