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Ahmad Jamal (born Federick Russell Jones, 1930-) is a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and bandleader from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania (United States). Jamal played piano for the first time at age 3, but did not begin formal training until age seven when he became a student of Mary Cardwell Dawson. By age 14, he was playing the piano professionally. After graduating high school, he toured with various groups including The Four Strings and George Hudson's Orchestra. While touring in Detroit in 1950, Jamal converted to Islam and offically changed his name from Federick Russell Jones to Ahmad Jamal. Jamal has been credited with helping create the "cool jazz" movement and in 2003 was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame. More recently, he won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.