Live at Marciac - August 5, 2015

Picture Marciac, during a sultry evening in early August, 2014. Like every year, this little town in the Gers region has been turned into the worldwide capital of jazz for a month and under the marquee Ahmad Jamal is stepping out onto the stage with his three fellow musicians. This time, it's the double bass player Reginald Veal's turn to set the tempo with a marvellous new track, Sunday Afternoon, which prolongs the magic of the albums Blue Moon and Saturday Morning. The band is in great shape and seems more than ever to function by telepathy. Majestically, Ahmad Jamal bestows upon us a wonderful, intense shot of groove; aside his own compositions, which fill the playlist for most of his set, he gives a nod to Cole Porter and Horace Silver, who has just died and to whom he makes a double tribute, both playing his famous track Strollin' and dedicating a new piece, Silver, to him. The group sounds better than ever, and their pianist has reached the highest echelons of genius. The audience drinks it all in, as we all can today, thanks to this unmissable double album which is a feast both for our ears and our eyes.