Jul Ils M’ont Fait Mal

Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy - Live at Dreher, Paris 1981 - Vol. 1 & 2 (2003) {4CD Set hatOLOGY 4-596}
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© 1981, 2003 hatOLOGY / HAT HUT Records | 4-596
Jazz / Post Bop / Progressive Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Piano / Saxophone

The equality, the almost perfect balance in complement and contrast, of the musical collaboration between Steve Lacy and Mal Waldron was palpable in both its internal and external workings … These four CDs, captured live in Paris in 1981, are notable as the first documentation of their performances as a duo, a particularly felicitous exploration of common interests and uncommon talents, initiating an intermittent series of duo recordings that would span thirteen years, varying repertoire, and several labels, but never venture far from the groundwork that was established here.

Mal Waldron - Up Popped The Devil (1973) {Enja CD 9147-2 rel 2003}
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© 1973, 2003 Enja Records | Enja CD 9147-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Modal Music / Modern Creative / Hard Bop / Piano Trio

Pianist Mal Waldron's music is characterized by a heavily-brooding rhythmic quality, with the left hand usually carrying the theme at one repetitious tempo while the right hammers away in juxtaposition with a counter tempo (usually faster). Such was the case with "Up Popped the Devil," "Snake Out" and "Changachangachang," three very Waldronian pieces in both structure and execution, the latter deriving its melody from the whole-tone scale. Aside from Waldron, the record's strongest points were bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins, their work being sensitive and supportive throughout.

Mal Waldron and Christian Burchard - Into The Light (1990) {Materiali Sonori MASOCD90116 rel 1999}
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© 1989-90, 1999 Materiali Sonori | MASO CD 90116 / 12957.0116.2
Jazz / Post Bop / Contemporary Jazz / Piano / Vibes

The collaborations between pianist Mal Waldron and vibist Christian Burchard are typically brooding and slow to get going, but once they pick up steam, they have all of the energy of Waldron's best releases of the 1960s and 1970s. The two men co-wrote four of the nine compositions on these 1989-1990 studio sessions, including the slowly evolving and rather long "From Darkness Into the Light," the tense miniature "Waters From the Waters," and the quartet piece "Gan Gan," which is named for the exotic hand percussion instrument (the gangan) played by Dieter Serfas on this somewhat whimsical work.

When Mal Waldron died in 2002, he was known to most jazz fans as Billie Holiday's final accompanist, and the composer of the standards "Soul Eyes," "Left Alone," and "Straight Ahead," the latter with Abbey Lincoln. His most significant leader date was 1961's The Quest, with Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin on Prestige, where he served as house pianist. After suffering a total breakdown following a near-fatal heroin overdose in 1963, he was forced to relearn the piano. He left for Europe in early 1966, and his "second life" began. Waldron's many solo recordings, beginning with 1966's All Alone, are tantamount to the creation of a different jazz language. Its traits were angular, quizzical repetitive left-hand vamps and chords, underscored and appended by inquisitive harmonic inquiries on the right, drawn chiefly from the blues but also the jazz tradition and classical music from Chopin to Schoenberg…

Steve Lacy and Mal Waldron - Communique (1994) {Soul Note–Jazzit JCD06 rel 2004}
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© 1994, 2004 Soul Note / Jazzit | JCD06
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Soprano Saxophone / Piano

Steve Lacy and Mal Waldron had played together over several decades by the time this CD was recorded, one of many duo dates they've done. "Who Knows" is not one of Thelonious Monk's better-known works, but their aggressive and very playful approach to it should invite other musicians to explore it as well. On the other hand, "Blue Monk" is more reserved, with Lacy testing the limits of his instrument and Waldron's bluesy solo.

Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - Hot House (1991) {Novus–BMG 3098-2-N rec 1990}
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© 1991 Novus / RCA / BMG Music | 3098-2-N
Jazz / Post Bop / Saxophone / Piano

Jazz pianist Mal Waldron and soprano sax player Steve Lacy did a lot of playing in France(so,I guess the French deserve some credit) put together this very easy listening cd composed of standards that haven't been played to death.Both men were heavily influenced by the off beat pianist Thelonious Monk and play a Monk composition 'Friday the 13th' beautifully.Lacy,who won a MacArthur grant was credited with bringing the soprano sax back into use,which Sidney Bechet popularized-and include a great Bechet composition 'Petite Fleurs'.And, the Tadd Dameron classic 'Hot House' alone is worth the price of the cd.

A leaderless sextet jams on four of pianist Mal Waldron's originals; the performances range from eight to 12 minutes apiece. The all-star lineup (trumpeter Thad Jones, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, guitarist Kenny Burrell, Waldron, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor) is in fine form on the straightahead material and bop fans will want to pick up this reissue CD.