Record date: June 15, 1984
One year after the release of the great Bimhuis encounter, another duet was released posthumously. One might think you could have enough Waldron/Lacy duets or having one is having them all but it really is quite the contrary. This ‘Jazzwerkstatt’ is another highly recommended recording by this golden duo. It was released 5 years after Waldron died and only three years after Lacy’s death. It’s in a suite form with beautiful transitions from one composition into the other.
The opening ‘Improvisation’ is hearing two master musicians creating something fascinating on the spot. Sometimes Lacy leads and Mal follows. Then Mal takes over and Lacy follows. Sometimes they both lead and sometimes no one really does. Mal’s improvisation is very intense on this one. It flows over in ‘Blinks’. Which is a typical Lacy composition: a complex original with lots of suprises and floating within and without structures. It’s where Mal actually stops playing chords but playing the piano more at the service of Lacy’s improvisation. Lacy play’s the most incredible sounds: sometimes he sounds angry, then happy again, sometimes sad and then jumpy again. ‘A Flower is A Lonesome Thing’ is beautiful way of getting to hear what was to come on ‘Sempre Amore’: the Billy Strayhorn tribute. And as much as their interpretations of Monk work, so does their interpretation of that great composer. Lacy’s tune is full of beauty and compassion, his solo is mild and tender. So is Mal’s solo that just contain a few notes but say more than a thousand words. The closing Monk tunes are standard repertoire by the duo and as always: they nail it.
A record that Is widely available and highly recommended. It’s one of the few albums that is actually still in print. If you’re a fan of this duo, this is essential stuff. Jazzwerkstatt did a great job releasing this beautiful music.
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