Record date: April 21-22, 1982
In 1982 it was 7 years ago Mal made his last record in Japan. That was the quartet with Jackie McLean and Billy Higgins for Victor. Now 7 years later he was back to make another series of albums in the Land of the Rising Sun for the coming years. All for different labels. The first one was as a co-leader with Japanese jazz alto-saxophonist Kazutoki Umezu. There’s two standards, two originals by the alto saxophonist and one Waldron composition to be played. Bass is played by Hayakawa and drums by Kikuchi.
Most of these guys mostly played within the Japanese jazz scene. Umezu is a saxophone player… well it really has to be your style. To me it lacks originality and character at times but I also seriously sometimes doubt if he could actually really play changes that well. And on one hand you’ve got the feeling it’s changes he wants to play, but he also sometimes sound like he wants to go ‘out there’. But when he does, it does not come natural and sound nice. The opening standard ‘I Should Care’ is played in a very decent manner. There’s no chance for the rhythm section to stretch out and they really do not do anything more than accompany Mal and Umezu. That really goes for most of the album. Umezu sounds like he’s searching for something but just cannot find it, just missing the notes he actually wanted to play. ‘Lonely Nights’ is probably the best piece. Umezu plays a nice and subdued solo, Mal’s solo is beautiful.
Hole in Stomach Woman starts like a free jazz piece but returns back to structure quite rapidly. It all sounds a bit humorous. Umezu’s solo is a bit more inspired by Oliver Lake and Eric Dolphy this time but he does not reach that level of technical skill. The repetitiveness of some of his licks sounds a bit annoying at times. Finally there is some more space for the bassist and drummer but they both fail to impress. Closing up is the ok but bit boring waltz and the classic ‘Round Midnight. That composition could make or break the record of course. It’s definitely the composition where most of the band sounds a bit more inspired. Some nice moments there.
This record is still pretty well available on vinyl. The cd version, that I own myself, is pretty rare. Perhaps there is something in Umezu’s playing that I just don’t hear and I am giving the guy a hard time. Or perhaps I am making an unjust comparison to those other ’80’s quartets with Joe Henderson and Clifford Jordan. But in my opinion, this is a pretty forgettable session. Mal’s solo’s make up a little bit but this album could be skipped easily.
Hole in Stomach Woman starts like a free jazz piece but returns back to structure quite rapidly. It all sounds a bit humorous. Umezu’s solo is a bit more inspired by Oliver Lake and Eric Dolphy this time but he does not reach that level of technical skill. The repetitiveness of some of his licks sounds a bit annoying at times. Finally there is some more space for the bassist and drummer but they both fail to impress. Closing up is the ok but bit boring waltz and the classic ‘Round Midnight. That composition could make or break the record of course. It’s definitely the composition where most of the band sounds a bit more inspired. Some nice moments there.
This record is still pretty well available on vinyl. The cd version, that I own myself, is pretty rare. Perhaps there is something in Umezu’s playing that I just don’t hear and I am giving the guy a hard time. Or perhaps I am making an unjust comparison to those other ’80’s quartets with Joe Henderson and Clifford Jordan. But in my opinion, this is a pretty forgettable session. Mal’s solo’s make up a little bit but this album could be skipped easily.
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