(1999) Mal Waldron **1/2

 

With: Mal Waldron (piano)
Record date: from 1995 to 1999

This record really is something. It’s Mal’s last record that was recorded in his beloved Japan. It was his last solo recording. His last effort for 3361*Black. And his last record of another fruitful decade: the 1990’s. As a 30 year old from the Netherlands all that jazz from back in the day tend to feel so far away. But these records were recorded while I was probably playing somewhere out in the yard. And Mal was living just 300 kilometers from my house. He performed even closer. If I knew that back in those days… If I could only turn back time.

One could say this is more of the same stuff as Maturity number 5. To some extend it is. But where that record was pleasant but nothing shocking, this is a little boring. While it contains a pretty interesting set of jazz standards. Mal unfortunately fails to make something interesting out of them. And less than on the last Maturity disc there are creative or inspired moments. It really just sounds like Mal plays a set of standards in a very standard kind of way. Perhaps he was tired or just did not had his day. He was definitely not at his end as an artist for his last three records before his death were superb.

Anyway, one could live without this record. This really is a for completists only and for that kind of stuff it’s rare and probably a little too expensive.

(1982) Kazutoki Umezu/Mal Waldron - Another Step **1/2

 

With: Kazutoki Umezu (alto saxophone), Mal Waldron (piano), Takeharu Hayakawa (bass), Takashi Kikuchi (drums)
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.

(1980) Roy Burrowes Sextet featuring Mal Waldron - Live at the Dreher **1/2

 

With: Roy Burrowes (trumpet), Richard Raux (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone), Mal Waldron (piano), Patrice Caratini (bass), George Brown (drums), Roger Raspall (percussion)
Record date: March 10, 1980

Like he did for so much time of his life, Mal kept on touring in Europe. And when he toured he hardly ever used a real touring band. Most of the times he would appear solo or play with local musicians. Roy Burrowes is one of those musicians. He is probably most well known for his appearances in the Duke Ellington band. Part from that he made a few appearances as a sideman with Archie Shepp and Clifford Jordan and he lived in Paris most of his life. Then there is Richard Raux, a French saxophonist who was mostly known in the local scene. Patrice Caratini who played an excellent bass part on Mal’s ‘Blood and Guts’. And there is George Brown, an American drummer residing in Paris most of his life. He definitely had some experience with the free jazz scene playing with names like Frank Lowe, Archie Shepp, David Murray and later in his career: the great Sonny Simmons.

Now this record is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some nice suprises on it and also some dissapointmens. What stands out the most is the huge gap between some of the more free oriented musicians and the more traditional players. Both Burrowes and Raux sound a bit uncomfortable at times, while Waldron, Caratini an Brown sound as if they play with a foot on the breaking pedal.

The opener ‘Compton Blues’ , which is composed by Burrowes, is very, very boring. Really if someone wants to hear a more exciting peace on Compton one should play NWA’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’. The song is a very simple blues and it sounds like a jam session in a local cafe. Every musician sounds uninspired and it all sounds very, very old fashioned. Fortunately there are some Waldron compositions too. ‘Hard Talk’ is probably one of the more exciting tracks. You could really hear that it asks a lot more from all the players. Both Burrowes and Raux struggle to get by and the contrast with Lacy and Schoof is pretty big. Yet both leave their comfort zones and that is worth something. The whole rhythm section really flourishes here. Mal is great and Caratini shows what he’s worth of. Brown has some more freedom to stretch out and plays an excellent solo.

Except ‘Seagulls of Kristiansund’ all of the compositions are by Burrowes and they all fail to really impress. Mal was on an artistic peak here but doesn’t have any space to show off. 'Jamaica' has a pretty lame Caribbean feel which really feel way too smooth for something Waldron would play.  The version of Seagulls is ok but pretty forgettable in comparison to the other versions with names like Lacy, Woody Shaw or Charlie Rouse. Perhaps it’s not fair to compare but when you know those records you immediately do that.

‘Live at the Dreher’ was issued twice on cd and never on vinyl. The first issue is from 1993 and the second is a digipack version from 2014. I have got that one and it is excellent in sound, but as with all of those Marge digipacks there is no liner notes or whatsoever. That’s a pity as the band is pretty unknown and some more info would be more than welcome. It’s on Bandcamp, Spotify and Amazon Music too. This really is for completists only. The music never is disturbing but it is very, very average.

(1972) Jazz a Confronto 19 **1/2

 

With: Mal Waldron (piano)
Record date: April 4, 1972

In his endless touring trough Europe, Mal made lots of records, for lots of labels. In April, he was in Italy, the country he secondly resided in when he made the journey to the Old Continent. He went into the studios to make a solo record for Aldo Sinesio’s ‘Horo’ label. Sinesio, a jazz afficionado from Italy who recorded plenty of talented Americans who were visiting Italy in the ’70’s. People like Max Roach, George Adams, Lester Bowie, Sun Ra and many more. Mal recorded for the Jazz a Confronto series of the label.

Like the earlier solo effort of this year, ‘Blues for Lady Day’, this is not one of the most interesting Mal sessions. It is full of Mal originals which gives the whole album a little bit more of a creative spark but the compositions were probably written fast on a piece of paper and recorded immediately. And as we know from his time at Prestige: Mal could write 6 compositions a day that all sound a bit different. What is definitely interesting to hear is that there is already a slight hint of ‘One Upmanship’ in the song ‘Breakin’ Trough’. It was not unusual Mal would pick old compositions and change or adjust them a little into something new. All in all the album is a nice view into what Mal was doing in those years, building up nice soloing around repeating bluesy theme’s. But it has mostly a practicing feel in it: like he was testing and practicing, trying out new idea’s. The best and most beautiful song is probably the 'Lullaby'.

Some of the Horo LP’s are pretty rare these days. Mal’s ‘Jazz A Confronto 19’ is not. With 14 copies for sale on Discogs it’s pretty widely available. There’s seven versions available, some with different artwork. I have got the Italian one without a release date. It's more than okay soundwise. Producer Aldo Sinesio was made several offers to reissue on cd but wasn’t interested. He did hold a few copies of certain records which he sold for quite a lot of money…. That is at least what I have been told. That would have been a pretty ugly thing to do. Anyway: there’s definitely more interesting Mal out there. Also more interesting music on the ‘Horo’ Label. Completists only.