(1977) Middelheim Jazz Festival 1977 *****

 

With: Steve Lacy (soprano saxophone), Manfred Schoof (trumpet), Mal Waldron (piano), Isla Eckinger (bass), Makaya Ntshoko (drums)
Record date: August 15, 1977

On August 15, 1977 Mal gave a concert at the Belgian Middelheim Jazz Festival with almost the same group as he recorded One-Upmanship with. The only change in personnel was the great Jimmy Woode that was replaced by the also great Isla Eckinger. The concert was recorded and released by the Japanese Jazztime label and issued on a cd-r. I am pretty sure it’s legit so that is the reason I will review it here. I will not review bootlegs.

Now this group was stunning in the studio recording Mal’s classic One-Upmanship. But they definitely proof they were worth every penny on this live occasion. The repertoire played here is well known territory for every Mal fan. But where the musicians probably felt restricted by the LP time capacity in those days on studio recordings, here there are no boundaries at all. And I must say, this recording always felt a bit like Mal Waldron’s Live in Japan, referring to Coltrane’s live albums which is one of my favorites. Just like that album, the tracks are long, the solos extensive, the music is very intense and while you are listening to it you almost get into some kind of trance.

The concert starts with Mal’s ‘One-Upmanship’ (not Seagulls as the album information states). It’s a very long version that eventually will fade into Seagulls of Kristiansund. On the studio album there was space but probably not enough for the bassist and drummer to really show what they were capable of. Without any boundaries in times, this is a better chance to hear the whole band in full swing. Part from the great solo’s by both Last and Schoof there is some more time for both Eckinger (which still reminds me a bit of Garrison) and the great South African drummer Makaya Ntshoko. Ntshoko played with Abdullah Ibrahim, who is a completely different player from Mal but also compares pretty well. Emotion and feeling are both key ingredients in their playing. Nthsoko plays a great solo on this first song.

The remaining songs: it’s all classic Mal with some of his best known compositions. But all in another unique form with plenty of space for all the soloists to play that what they are feeling. It’s one of Mal’s best group live performances with music that is loud and exciting from the first to the last (78th!) minute. On 'Hurray for Herbie' there's Eckinger's excellent bass solo, jamming on his bass showing knowledge of eastern scales. 'Snake Out' is partly a trio effort and it's a highly intense one. Mal play's one of his best solo's I have heard. Than halfway Lacy and Schoof fall in. The energy really bears something special here, something that is hard to describe. It really must have been a hell of a performance to attend. 

This is one of Mal’s rarest efforts on cd. It was released on CD-R only, no date of release known. It’s pretty hard to get but there is a chance obtaining it trough sites like Buyee or Kupiku. That’s how I got mine anyway. And yes, this is worth it every penny. Though the sound quality isn’t optimal, this was one of Mal’s prime groups and the music is astonishing. And the sound quality is definitely acceptable. All of the musicians are clear in the mic. So if you ever be able to get it, do not hesitate!