US Legendary Jazz Pianist Ahmad Jamal Dies At 92
The United States legendary jazz pianist, Ahmad Jamal, has died on Sunday at the age of 92 after a battle with prostate cancer.
His death was confirmed by his daughter, Sumayah, who revealed that he died in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, according to DailyMail on Monday.
Ahmad, a renowned composer and bandleader, was admired by jazz greats such as Miles Davis for his contributions over a six-decade career.
Jamal’s tune I Love Music was prominently sampled on the classic rap song by Nas, The World Is Yours, in 1994.
The Kennedy Center named him a “Living Jazz Legend” in 2007, and he received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2017 for his contributions to music history.
He began his professional training four years later, under the tutelage of his mentor, opera director Mary Cardwell Dawson. Following that, he became immersed in the music of many jazz greats, including Earl Hines and Erroll Garner.
The Jazz great, however, detested the moniker “Jazz” and later came up with the phrase “American classical music” to characterise his preferred genre.
