Ahmad Jamal - Poinciana (Song of the Trees) Argo Records 1958
"Poinciana" is a song to music by Nat Simon and lyrics by Buddy Bernier written in 1936. The tune is based on a Cuban folk tune La canción del árbol ("The song of the tree"). The poinciana tree itself, delonix regia, is a tree introduced to Cuba from Madagascar. Glenn Miller performed it in the late 1930s. Benny Carter and Bing Crosby both issued versions in 1944.
It was widely popularized in the 1952 film Dreamboat and subsequently became a standard covered by artists including Johnny Mathis, Vic Damone, Percy Faith, The Four Freshmen and of course Ahmad Jamal (as the first track on an eponymous album), and which featured again in the 1995 film The Bridges of Madison County. In 1978 disco duo Paradise Express recorded a version which made the top 20 on the disco charts.
"Poinciana" became "standard dance music" at parties, and, abridged, appeared on jukeboxes, because "Jamal lets the bass and drums establish a Latin groove that's very appealing. He floats lightly on top of it in a spare, tightly constructed series of embellishments that's full of what the popular music people call 'hooks.' There's a lot of repetition but no redundancy, if you know what I mean."
Ahmad Jamal (born Fritz Russell Jones, July 2, 1930) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. According to American music critic Stanley Crouch, Jamal is second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 only to Charlie Parker. For five decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz.
At the Pershing: But Not for Me is a 1958 jazz album by pianist Ahmad Jamal. The recordings took place on January 16, 1958, at the Pershing Lounge of Chicago's Pershing Hotel and each set played that night was recorded, a total of 43 tracks, of which 8 were selected by Jamal for the album. The LP was released as Argo Records LP-628. Jamal's previous releases on Argo had been from previously made masters; this was his first release recorded for Argo, and his first album recorded live.
Ahmad's accompanied by Ahmad Jamal on (piano), Israel Crosby (bass) & Vernel Fournier (drums).
Blow tropic wind, sing a song through the tree
Tree sigh to me, soon my love I will see
Poinciana, your branches speak to me of love
Pale moon is casting shadows from above
Poinciana, somehow I feel the jungle beat
Within me, there grows a rhythmic, savage beast
Love is everywhere, it's magic perfume fills the air
To and fro you sway, my heart's in time, I've learned to care
Poinciana, those skies may turn from blue to gray
My love will live forever and a day
Blow tropic wind, sing a song through the tree
Tree sigh to me, soon my love I will see
Poinciana
