A L'Olympia (feat. George Coleman, Idris Muhammad & James Cammack) (Live)
by David R. AdlerRecorded at L'Olympia in Paris shortly after Jamal's 70th birthday, Olympia 2000 features the pianist with his trio mates: James Cammack (bass) and Idris Muhammad (drums). They're joined by tenor saxophonist George Coleman on the first four tracks, which are fairly lengthy readings of standards: "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," "How Deep Is the Ocean," "Autumn Leaves," and "My Foolish Heart." The last two tracks -- Johnny Pate's mid-tempo swing tune "Appreciation" and Jamal's own funky, involved "Aftermath" -- feature the trio without the horn. Fans of Jamal won't be disappointed; Coleman's beefy, substantial ruminations add a great deal to the session.

