(1994) Jeanne Lee/Mal Waldron - After Hours ***1/2

 

With: Jeanne Lee (vocals), Mal Waldron (piano)
Record date: May 25 & 26, 1994

Mal and Jeanne have worked together plenty of times: in the studios, at live concerts and mostly as a duo or at least in a small group setting. ‘After Hours’ was the first to be put on record. Now I have said enough about my dislike of vocal jazz but Jeanne Lee really is something else. She has a voice so sweet and tender, that it’s hard not to like her. Jeanne has sung in so many settings and is one of the prime examples of female singers in the free jazz scenes. She is of course much known for her appearance with Ran Blake. Yes I still prefer other line-ups and settings but I could listen to Jeanne Lee with appreciation. For this intimate duo setting, she and Mal selected 8 standards that are mostly in a ballad style.

All of them are treated with respect to the originals but it’s not like you have heard them a thousand times before. Lee is one of the more creative singers and very much open to new ideas en perspectives. The warmth and deepness of her voice on Goodbye Pork Pie Hat is beautiful. Her technique is incredible: she could go very high yet so low without showing any sign of struggle. And then there’s here timing focussed beautifully on the chords played by Mal. Which brings us to the big downside of these kind of records: Mal has very, very limited solo space. It’s hard for me to hear such a great pianist turn into a background player. Of course: what he plays is great. There’s nobody who could accompany a singer like Mal but one wishes he would have played a little more than those deep chordings in the background. Also I still have trouble getting at ease with scatting vocals like on ‘Fire Waltz’. Jeanne does a great job, it really is something personal by myself.

This music is widely available on the internet for very low prices. Be careful, because there’s an unofficial Russian release out there too. For every lover of vocal jazz this is essential stuff. It’s definitely one of Mal’s better records with a singer.