(1969) Ursula ***1/2

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Patrice Caratini (bass), Franco Manzecchi (drums) 

Record date: 3th of June, 1969

1969 would become a turning point in Mal’s career. It was the year of his first real masterpiece since 1964: ‘Free at Last’. But before recording that album late 1969 in Germany he was to record two more albums. The first of those was ‘Ursula’, which was released on the sparsely documented French ‘Musica’ label.

Mal plays with a European trio here, just like on the other records from that same year. French bassist Patrice Caratini would join him later on the great ‘Blood and Guts’ live recording one year later. The theme song from that very record makes it’s first appearance here. Caratini resided in Paris where he played mostly with French musicians but also sometimes visiting Americans like Mal, Dizzy Reece and Steve Grossman. Manzecchi is an Italian born drummer who lived in Paris and was a much in demand jazz drummer for live gigs. He also made records with Chet Baker and Eric Dolphy.

Ursula starts a bit like a very standard jazz recording. Mal plays a bit, Caratini and Manzecchi follow... The ballad Ursula is nice and gentle, but the real kick off comes with Mal’s classic Blood and Guts. This is such a great composition. The hunting and nervous theme, with Mal’s right hand hunting down the keys and the tight breaks: it’s Mal at his best. Both Caratini and Manzecchi have a first chance to stretch out here and they do greatly. Manzecchi goes wild in his solo at the end! Flipping over to side B the band holds on to that energy and there seems to be more interaction between the three. Again there’s some nice soloing by Caratini. Then there are also some flirtations with free jazz on the track ‘Les Parents Terribles’ (great title), but the other guys don’t sound at ease doing this kinda stuff. As a whole side B is a bit stronger and more exciting than A but ‘Blood and Guts’ remain the outstanding track.

All in all this is a good record but not essential. But it does give the ‘shape to come’ later that year recording his classic Free at Last. On Ursula Mal is stretching out more than on the earlier sides and he’s clearly more inspired by the ‘new music’ or free jazz movement. The extensive use of dissonant notes is also more prominent here. This is the first record where you can here him actually including those ingredients in his own music. So it is an essential record following Mal’s developments through the years.