Ahmad Jamal talks about Miles Davis

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Ahmad Jamal discusses religion

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Ahmad Jamal discusses personality in musicianship

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Q: “You’re one of the first musicians that I’m aware of, to embrace and publicly acknowledge your interest in the Mohammeden religion and the world of Islam. How much of that principles your life to this day?”

A: “Well, let me put it this way. I certainly know about more about philosophy than most people. I've studied all the isms. I've been in Africa on sociological expedition. I was in the Sudan. I was in Khartoum, the famous Kitchener setting, looking at where the Blue and White Nile meet as early 1959. So that's a part of my life that was going to take me completely out of music at one time. Sometimes I wonder whether it was the smart idea to stay in music as opposed to philosophy. But I stayed in music and so that's it. But it certainly has been, I think, and with everyone I think once philosophy is the greatest influence in their life, whether he's an atheist or whether his Jewish or whether he’s a Buddhist or whatever.”