StLJN Saturday at the Movies: Ahmad Jamal, then and now

This week's Saturday video feature shines the spotlight on veteran pianist Ahmad Jamal, who will be in St. Louis to perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall on Saturday, January 26.

Up top is a clip from a 1959 television performance that shows Jamal playing his composition "Ahmad's Blues," accompanied by Israel Crosby on bass and Vernel Fournier on drums. This configuration of his trio was the group that helped Jamal make his initial reputation in the jazz world, and if you look at the gentlemen standing in the background and listening, you may recognize some famous faces digging the sounds.

The second video is from a 2005 performance at a jazz festival in Vienne, France, and features Jamal playing another one of his own tunes, "Topsy Turvy," backed by his current compatriots James Cammack on bass and the great Idris Muhammad on drums.