(1993) My Dear Family ****

With: Grover Washington Jr. (soprano saxophone on #1, 2 and 5), Eddie Henderson (trumpet, flugelhorn on #1,3,4 6-8), Mal Waldron (piano), Reggie Workman (bass), Pheeroan Aklaff (drums)
Record date: September 23 & 24, 1993

Like so many other jazz musicians, as the aging progressed, the sound of Mal became milder and milder. Especially the Alfa records are very accessible an mostly very much subdued. But with Mal it did not mean he was becoming a boring pianist that was sticking to standards or something like that. The innovative part of his playing was still there but more between the boundaries of straight ahead jazz. But as Mal stated himself: you always have to look forwards, because if you keep looking backwards you might stumble. This last session for Alfa Jazz Japan, recorded in the States is far from boring. But it is a very gentle Mal one hears here. Lots of ballads with only a few exceptions.

Mal was becoming so mild he even decided to work with…. Grover Washington Jr. Respecting every musician in his own way, I am not going to make offensive statements about the guy. But I really, really dislike his sound that reminds me mostly of ahum….. Kenny G. There… I said it. Smooth jazz is for me the anti jazz that freejazz was to so many conservative listeners back in the day (and also still nowadays). I just don’t like it at all. So seeing Washington’s name on the back cover did not make my heart beat faster as one might understand. But I have to say: he’s ok here.

In fact on ‘Footprints’ he actually gets a little triggered by the rest of the band to leave his safe grounds. And then it’s immediately hearable the guy could really play and has an excellent technique. Yes even some soul probably. The rest of the band hardly need an introduction. After Woody Shaw, Henderson is another trumpet giant from the States who experimented with fusion, free forms and of course mostly hard swinging postbop. A guy with fabulous technique and timing. I probably have already said enough about Workman on my blog. That leaves Pheeroan Aklaff who I personally really see as one of the top drummers of jazz today. He mostly made fame in Wadada Leo Smith’s Golden Quartet/Quintet but played with so many legends. On this record he is mostly in the background unfortunately and I really pity the fact that he did not play on more occasions with Mal. Like Andrew Cyrille or Ed Blackwell, he would have been a perfect fit. Would love to hear him with the more fiery pieces by Mal like Snake Out or Hooray for Herbie.

Mal’s classic Left Alone puts Washington back in his safe zone which is really unfortunate. His overly smooth sound with it’s predictable licks really not sound sincere. And that really spoils this oh so beautiful ballad and turns it into some honey sweet song that lacks the feeling like on the version with Archie Shepp for example. ‘Sassy’ is a laidback waltz written by Mal with some nice muted trumpet by Henderson. His playing is even better (and more beautiful) on the impressive Japanese folk song ‘Sakura Sakura’. With it’s dark and very moody atmosphere it could easily have been written by Mal himself. But it mostly showcases how Mal’s style really blend with eastern oriented music. That has always been an influence on his own work. When he’s soloing on it, conversing with Workman, constantly playing those dark low chords, that is him on his best.

The rest of the album consists mostly of slow ballads that are all equally beautiful. Again Washington’s tone on the only jazz standard here is a bit too smooth for my taste. Big exception in laid backness is Miles Davis’ funky Jean Pierre that goes surprisingly well in this setting with an all acoustic band. The version Mal recorded later on his album with David Murray was even more exciting. Mal met Miles Davis only once and Miles wasn't very nice to Mal. Miles told Mal: 'you know, you remind me of my brother' on which Mal replied 'oh yeah Miles?'. 'Yeah', Miles said. 'And he's a faggot and I hate him'. Not very friendly but Mal loved him anyway, even after that encounter.

Like most of the Alfa Jazz releases, most of the music here is very accessible. This is not the wild, funky and hard grooving Mal with some loud out there playing or something like that. It is a very pleasant record to listen to with some very, very good musicians and it does contain some beautiful tracks. Music does not always have to be fast or loud. The Alfa cd is a little bit rare. Most sellers dare to ask ridiculous prices for it like they always do with OOP Japanese releases. I do have it and is sounds great but of course as always I am not able to read any liner notes. So maybe the American Evidence release, with different cover art, is the better choice? One could pick up that one easily on Ebay or Discogs. This is Mal Waldron for when you come home after a very busy day. Or when you just want to relax.

(1992) Charlie Mariano/Mal Waldron - New Horizon (Dedicated To A Changing Europe) ****

 

With: Charlie Mariano (alto saxohpone), Mal Waldron (piano), Paulo Carduso (bass), John Betsch (drums)
Record date: August 24, 25 and 26, 1992

In the summer of 1992 it was time for the second record date with Mariano and Waldron. Just like Mal, Charlie wasn’t retiring from the scene at all. He was still alive and very active in those years releasing his own work and appearing with all kinds of musicians (including a fascinating album with Rabih Abou-Khalil). Like Mal Waldron, Charlie Mariano was open to all kinds of styles. He was also living in Germany like Mal (though the latter had just moved to Belgium) and played with the same Krautrock and psychedelic rock groups in that country. In 1992 the New Europe was really getting shape with fresh democracies and newly formed states. But a part of that New Europe was still burning. Just like ‘Autumn Dreams’ it’s this revolutionary period that is the main theme trough the music.

Also like that first album it’s a mix of compositions by Waldron, Mariano and some jazz standards. The three jazz standards are played in a very decent way with some great soloing by both guys that are really in the spotlight. That means the rest of the group is just playing their part in the background mostly. But the overall playing is just very good. This was one very solid group. Mariano’s original has a bluesy and very sweet melody that keeps coming back like a loop. His soloing is again excellent but a little subdued. He loses some of that on Mal’s ‘Monkish Witticism’ that has this almost uneasy break that suddenly takes a move into some hard swinging territory. It’s a pretty cool composition with lots of unexpected turns and twists just like Monk’s own compositions had. There’s also another relatively short version of Mal’s Seagull’s composition. It’s treated with much elegance and passion by Mariano’s warm alto playing. Another wonderful execution of this Mal classic. 

The most interesting part of the album is the almost 20 minutes long suite. Both Mariano and Waldron dare to leave the more usual conventions of jazz and start of dueling together without the rest of the band. It’s a very intimate kind of dueling with both musicians constantly responding to each other. In the ‘Discussions’ part it’s up to Carduso to interact with Mal. He does in a very thoughtful way, making it actually sound like he’s discussing stuff with Mal. Then up comes the anger in the ‘Confrontation’ part which is a nice opportunity for John Betsch to show off his drumming skills (that are very, very good). Mal fires off hard and dark clusters in this haunting duet with the drummer. Concluding the album is the whole quartet with some very intimate interplay between the four of them. Mariano’s passionate saxophone playing runs over beautiful lines that are provided by Mal and Carduso. A great conclusion of a pretty good record.

Where ‘Autumn Dreams’ was a very decent but pretty standard outing, I found this one to be a little more exciting. There’s a little bit more tension in the overall playing and both of the musicians are a little more adventurous. But most of all this is some very comfortable jazz to listen to. Quality music by four quality musicians.

This record was released only once on Alfa Jazz Japan. No reissues on labels like Timeless or Evidence. That makes it a little harder to find yourself a copy and if you do find one it’s probably not cheap for a CD. If you’re a fan of Mariano or the more gentle side of Mal this record will probably not disappoint you.

(1991) Charlie Mariano/Mal Waldron - Autumn Dreams ***1/2

 

With: Charlie Mariano (alto saxophone), Mal Waldron (piano), Paulo Carduso (bass), John Betsch (drums)
Record date: August, 7,8 & 9, 1991

Charlie Mariano and Mal Waldron have quite a lot of things in common: they both played with Mingus, they both recorded with German krautrock band Embryo, they both flirted with rock music and they both resided in Germany. So playing together wasn’t really a shocking idea. They recorded their first album in 1991 called ‘Autumn Dream’s for the Japanese jazz label ‘Alfa Jazz’. As a rhtythm section they used Mal’s regular trio with John Betsch and Paulo Carduso.

The album starts with a high energy original by Mal Waldron. It’s here where most things are happening. Mariano plays some nice fiery solo’s and Mal is playing his ass off. The interpreation of the traditional ‘Greensleeves’ is another creative engagement without any predictable dullness. The band sounds inspired and there’s some nice soloing by Carduso. But after that it all collapses a little. The following standards are all played in a beautiful way and there’s lot’s of chemistry between the guys. But the tension is gone and the music just goes on without really telling something. It’s beautiful music when reading a book, but these guys would have been capable of more than that. Their choice for standards that have been played over and over again by so many others wasn’t the best choice.

These Alfa releases from Japan are pretty expensive. Always a few copies for sale on Discogs but never for less than 30 euros. This is some beautiful music but you must be prepared to pay some money for it. And both guys definitely have made more exciting work.

(1991) Smoke Gets In Your Eyes ***

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Paulo Carduso (bass 1-4, 6-8), Stafford James (bass #5), John Betsch (drums 1-4, 6-8), Eddie Moore (drums #5), Barney Wilen (tenor saxophone #5), Beat Kiffsteiner (flute #6)

Short review for this one as it’s mostly a combination of two other record. This Alfa Jazz cd is a compilation with some tracks taken from ‘No More Tears for Lady Day’ (#3, 4, 8), ‘Spring in Prague’ (#1, 7) and ‘Movie Theme’s From France’ (#5). That means it contains 2 new tracks: Lonely One and A Dream of Love. The first is a pretty straightforward almost dull short jazz standard. The second is an interpretation of a Liszt composition that isn’t really a success. Beat Kiffsteiner’s flute gives it a silly sound. So yes, of course there are some great songs on this disc but you should probably want the original releases that were all three very good. Buy this one only if you really want to complete you’re Mal collection like I did. Unnecessary release.

(1990) Spring in Prague ****

 

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Paulo Carduso (bass), John Betsch (drums)
Record date: February 19 & 20, 1990

At the end of ’80’s, Europe was on fire. Literally. Mal lived for 25 years in a Europe that was strictly divided in a capitalist Western Europe and a communist Eastern Bloc. Mal had played plenty of times on the other side, playing in the DDR, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. He was confronted with the Iron Curtain throughout his whole European career. The events in 1989 and 1990: the fall communism and ultimately the breakdown of the Iron Curtain made a deep impression on him. This trio album was dedicated to that new Europe as was his encounter 2 years later with alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano called: New Horizon - Dedicated to a Changing Europe. Of course the title of this trio album remembers of the Prague Spring in 1968 which unfortunately turned into a bitter cold winter for 20 more years. But this time, that spring was for good. All of the song titles refer in some way to the revolutions in Eastern Europe or the Cold War.

Mal plays with the same trio as he played with on the classic ‘No More Tears for Lady Day’. That album consisted exclusively of standards, this one contains more compositions written by Mal himself. The opening ‘Revolution’ is loosely based on Chopin’s Eturde op10-12. It swings pretty hard Mal soloing in the lower registers of the piano and Carduso walking trough the changes on his bass. The song has something of the feel of a revolution with it’s dark tones. Then comes the first standard ‘East of the Sun’ which is played in a bit of a dull way. The following ‘Let us Live’ which is dedicated to the DDR is better. It’s starts with some fiery free playing with an exceptional role for John Betsch, representing some of the anger that lived in the country those days. Then it merges smoothly in a theme that sounds a little like ‘Con Alma’. It’s something that Mal has done before: creating a new piece that is based on a jazz standard. 

The title song is just plain beautiful. A ballad with some space for Carduso to interact with Mal. Carduso really plays excellent on this recording. He’s not a very well known bassist but on every single record with Mal he really shines. The two standards are like a small breath pause for the more political motivated song ‘We Demand’ which is the most intense and free on the album. Don’t expect pure chaos but the meaning of the song is well shown trough the loud playing by the band. Mal plays some Tayloresque clusters. Betsch is all over the place yet still keeping a tight rhythm in the music while Mal is dueling with Carduso. Great ending of a pretty good album. Sad thing that 31 years after this record, countries like Hungary and Poland are on their way back to becoming an authoritarian state. It would have broken Mal's heart, I am pretty sure about that. Right now on this moment there is a Polish writer who might be imprisoned for calling the president a moron. Three years in prison for telling the truth!

The session was recorded in Germany but released in Japan by Alfa Jazz. This one was not brought out in Europe on Timeless. Like with most Japanese cd’s one has to be prepared to pay a little more (in the range of 20-30 euros). Also like with most of them Japanese releases the sound quality is sublime and the liner’s are extensive but in Japanese. This is some very fine trio music by Mal with a great trio. It does not reach the level of ‘No More Tears’ but comes pretty close here and there. If you do have the opportunity to pick one up, do not hesitate.

(1989) Barney Wilen/Mal Waldron - French Story ****

 

With: Barney Wilen (tenor & soprano saxophone), Mal Waldron (piano), Stafford James (bass), Eddie Moore (drums)
Record date: October 2,3 1989

Another encounter with a French saxophone player…. and it’s the great Barney Wilen. To get one misunderstanding out of the air here: French Story on Alfa Jazz, Pony Canyon and M&I and Movie Themes From France on Timeless are really one and the same session. What makes it so confusing is the different title, the different song titles for some of the compositions and the fact that one of the Timeless releases mistakenly notes 1990 as the year of record. But really: it’s the same music. I know it for a fact as I own both releases (the Timeless and the M&I) because I mistakenly thought there were two records to get.

On the music now. This is some of Mal’s most atmospheric playing. Wilen is of course known for his excellent contributions to Miles’ ‘Ascenceur Pour l’Echafaud record but also for being one of Europe’s most solid tenor players. It’s that indescribable ‘film noir’, smoky jazz bar, Paris grey skies mood that dominates this session. Just like Miles’ soundtrack. And both Mal and Wilen are very capable for creating such an atmosphere. The music is pretty laidback with Wilen playing very smooth and fine solo’s and Mal being solid as a rock in the background. But it’s also the simplicity of Mal’s own solo’s that strike. They have that very same feeling as on his trio effort for Timeless. Just a huge joy listening to it. And it’s not only the beautiful ballads that are having the right vibe. The more swinging efforts like Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 are just as great with a hard swinging Stafford James in the background. And Mal, he just swing’s equally as hard on it. My favorite track is ‘Quiet Temples’ which really is the alternative title for Mal’s classic ‘All Alone’. In fact it was released first under that name on the 1964 Powertree release. This one is one of the few versions I know that are not played solo piano. Wilen know’s exactly how to handle this very moody Waldron original.

With almost 70 minutes of playing time, this really is worth every single penny of your money. There are quite a few versions one could choose from: the Dutch releases on Timeless that contain some nice session photography. And there’s the Japanese original on Alfa Jazz, the reissue on M&I. I have the Dutch Timeless and Japanese M&I which are both great. But I think the latest UHQCD from Japan on Pony Canyon is the best choice sound wise. Not sure as I don’t own it. The vinyl looks tempting but it’s not only expensive: you miss 2 full songs two including the beautiful ‘Quiet Temples’. To add more to all the confusion in all the different releases: there are 5 different kinds of artworks. What a mess. And there’s the song title disagreement for track 4, 5 and 6. But don’t let is scare you off, When it’s a foggy Sunday morning or a rainy autumn afternoon: it’s this record you want to put on.

(1988) No More Tears (For Lady Day) ****1/2

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Paulo Carduso (bass), John Betsch (drums)
Record date: November 1,2 & 3, 1988

For his first Alfa release (I think Alfa Japan was the first to release it, as the Timeless versions are licensed from them) Mal went into the studios to record with one of his finest trio’s. It’s his third album that’s made in honor of Lady Day. On bass is Paulo Carduso, a Brazilian bassist that is fairly unknown. And he should be better known as his bass playing with Mal is always superb. John Betsch is better known, yet he remains very much underrated in comparison to other jazz drummers from the ’70’s spiritual jazz scene. On this trio both play subdued as the music is very straight-ahead. But the details they bring into the music are formidable.

As I mentioned: this is a very straightforward piano trio session and definitely one of Mal’s more accessible one’s. Quite a difference from albums like Black Glory for example. I dare to state that this one of Mal’s albums you could easily give a spin at dinner with your parents in law. You could also read the Saturday morning paper with it. But the music is never dull and definitely not in the category of background music. It has a beautiful simplicity over it. The way Carduso dances around Mal’s simple yet so effective statements on the piano is so nice to listen to. Mal’s solos are shining excellence, piece by piece, no exceptions. When he plays standards solo it gets a bit too much of the same but in trio form he sounds more creative. The little details Betsch provide in the background, giving solid support, is quite a contrast with his more free drumming. But it shows just what a versatile drummer he is.

This really is one of my all time favorite Waldron records. Not groundbreaking or exciting like some of his other works but I could listen to this for hours without getting bored for a second. Mal made a couple of albums for Alfa Jazz in trio form, with Charlie Mariano and a bigger group. I think this release was also originally released on Alfa Jazz but can’t find that one Discogs. I think the info there is not correct. I myself got the Timeless release which sounds great, with Carduso nice up front in the mix to give it an extra swinging feel. The liner notes are nothing special by the way. Solid Japan released a budget version this year. This is highly recommended music and a nice look into the gentle side of Mal Waldron. A side that became more and more visible in his later years.