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MAL WALDRON
ONE MORE TIME
Mal Waldron - piano
Jean-Jacques Avenel - double bass
Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone
Recorded January 29 & 30, 2002. Studio La Buissonne, Pernes
les Fontaines.
 SKETCH SKE 333023
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1. All Alone
2. Rites Of Initiation
3. You
4. Blues For JJ's Bass
5. The Seagulls Of Kristiansund
6. Waltz For Marianne
7. In The Land Of Clusters
8. Soul Eyes
If there were such a category as "Pure Jazz" then this disc
would surely be a shining example of it. This is music stripped to
the bones with no frills or attempt at commercial appeal and because
of this there are some of the most beautiful and intense performances
that it has been my privilege to hear for a long time. There is nothing
forced or contrived about any of the pieces here and for the most
part the mood is relaxed and at the same time cerebral. This is not
to say that the music is too "clever", it is highly approachable
and enjoyable at the same time as it reflects all of the above mentioned
qualities.
Mal Waldron has played on a regular basis and arranged and produced
pieces for such notables as Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy,
Max Roach and Art Farmer. He was the accompanist to Billie Holiday
for the last two and a half years of her life, but it is as a composer
that he is probably most renowned. His tune "Soul Eyes "
has become one of the most popular and recorded of modern Jazz ballads
and there is an excellent rendition on this release. From the 1960's
onwards Waldron has been resident in Europe where he has established
a long term artistic relationship with the soprano saxophonist Steve
Lacy who is to be heard on two of the pieces featured here.
Waldron has possibly missed out on universal recognition because of
his decision to live and work abroad, but the standards and development
of his music have certainly not suffered through lack of direct exposure
and proximity to Stateside influences. His playing was originally
described as Monk style be-bop piano and he has continued to build
on the quirkiness of this genre until he has come up with a highly
personal approach. He possesses great lyricism and seems to have an
endless fount of melodic invention. His compositions are outstanding
- he surely deserves much wider appreciation for this aspect of his
work alone.
I am unfamiliar with Jean-Jacques Avenel on string bass but he is
more than equal to the task of playing in such stellar company and
manages to make telling and original contributions on the pieces he
performs on, which is all except for two piano solos. There is great
interplay between the bass and the piano and it is pleasant to here
Avenel forgoing the traditional roles of tempo-keeper and harmonic
framework for much of the time to participate on a more significant
level.
It is easy to see why Steve Lacy has been a consistent poll winner
on his chosen instrument over many years. He only plays on two numbers,
"Soul Eyes" and the delightful waltz "You ", but
it is obvious that one is listening to a master by the strength and
beauty of his tone alone. He is one of a very few who have chosen
to make this awkward instrument the mainstay of their career. He is
one of even fewer to have had any degree of real success in terms
of artistry and recognition.
This is an absolute must for the discerning listener, especially if
attracted to top flight composition, improvisation and performance.
It is time Mal Waldron became a household name amongst Jazz fans,
to be mentioned in the same breath and on the same level as McCoy
Tyner, Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans.
Dick Stafford
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