Jamal first played for a group called Cosmic Forces during the later part of the 1960s.[1] He also played with The Sun Ra Arkestra. After leaving the group, he teamed up with several other of its former members to play with Sunny Murray's group Untouchable Factor.[2][4]
Jamal later co-founded Sounds of Liberation with Byard Lancaster in 1970.[1][2] Its members included Monnette Sudler (guitar), Billy Mills (bass), Dwight James (drums), and Omar Hill and Rashid Salim (percussion). The band released its only album, titled New Horizons, two years later on its own record label Dogtown.[2][4] However, it gained little impact outside Philadelphia at the time.[2] The album was eventually reissued on Porter Records in 2010. This gave the group a new lease on life, culminating in the re-emergence of a recording made at Columbia University in 1973. It was ultimately issued in 2019 as Unreleased on Dogtown/Brewerytown.[2][4]
Jamal's style connected the two contrasting forms of free jazz and jazz fusion.[2][4] He was also known for his skill of shifting modes and moods, as well as his versatile way towards music. He was a frequent performer at the Vision Festival.[2]
Personal life
Jamal had two sons: Khan II and Tahir.[2] He died on January 10, 2022, at the Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia. He was 75, and suffered kidney failure prior to his death.[2][4]