(1972) The Whirling Dervish ***1/2

 

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Peter Warren or Kent Carter (bass), Noel McGhie (drums)
Record date: May, 1972

Still in Paris, and still recording for the ‘America’ label, Mal made his second and last appearance for that label. He went into the studios and recorded what was probably his most free oriented trio recording he has recorded. ‘The Whirling Dervish’ is another unique record in Mal’s catalogue for it’s definitely Mal one can hear playing, yet he again sounds different. He always has been more of a rhythmic player than a virtuoso but on this album that percussive style is really in the spotlights. And again, just like on the other Paris records of 1972 there is a hint of Cecil Taylor in his playing. Especially on the long title track he uses lots of clusters and repeating vamps constantly seeking interplay with both the bassist as with Noel McGhie. And not in the form of melody but more in a rhythmic kind of way. McGhie is in excellent form here by the way. He’s hitting the drums like a maniac yet he still holds a tight rhythm and keeps pushing the music in new directions.

Another great session with some very intense and pretty free music. Yet I miss again some sort of direction the guys are heading. I miss that thick layer of emotion where Mal’s music is mostly build on. The compositions are okay but pretty forgettable. Mal did not fall back on one of them later in his career. Also the level of repeating vamps is sometimes a bit too much here. One might want to hear some more diversion in his playing. But this album definitely is another fascinating sight in how Mal became the pianist he was. There is another influence highlighted here: C.T. It’s another piece of the puzzle that makes up Mal Waldron.

It might already caught your attention but there is something weird going on with this album. There’s a bit of confusion about who’s playing bass. Both the liner notes as the information on the album state it’s Peter Warren. Warren was playing in and around Paris, recording for the ‘America’ label also so that would not be very strange. On the other hand there are a few sources on the web that say that Kent Carter claimed he played on this session. Now, I don’t know why Carter would lie about something like that and that story also is plausible as Carter had played bass on the other Paris sessions with Mal too. Anyway, I do not know either of the bassists well enough to pick out who it is. I’ll give both the benefit of the doubt and honestly do not really care. The one who is playing bass is doing a fine job, that is one thing I know for sure.

There are two versions available of this record. The 1972 LP is probably the easiest to obtain with multiple copies for sale on the internet. It was also released as a limited edition on cd in 2006. And tough I’m a true vinyl head myself, I really recommend that cd version. Great sound quality, some beautiful color photographs and some nice liner notes in both English and French. Unfortunately it’s pretty rare. If you do find one for a small price, do not hesitate, especially not if you’re interested in the more free side of Mal.