(1971) Number Nineteen *****

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Dick van der Capellen (bass), Martin van Duynhoven (drums)
Record date: 30 May 1971

Back in Europe Mal did what he did most time of the year when he was there: touring. Mal has recorded a lot in Germany, Belgium, France, Italy and also: the Netherlands. Number Nineteen was the first record he made in Holland and just like on so many of his other records he used local musicians to join him both live as in the studios. For this session he was joined by Dick van der Capellen on bass and Martin van Duynhoven on drums. And just as with all those other relatively unknown musicians: again it’s a pretty big success. Both van der Capellen as van Duynhoven really know how to play. It makes you wonder why such musicians are not better known. Perhaps they peaked in a period that popularity of jazz music was really declining. It leaves much up to imagination of what they could have been if jazz musicians were still the most in demand musicians. Both van der Capellen en van Duynhoven mostly appeared with Dutch musicians with a few exceptions. Especially the drummer’s discography is pretty big.

‘Number Nineteen’ starts of on side A with the title song. A long 22 minute song which is one of the very best from Mal’s entire discography. It’s an intense suite that goes pretty much everywhere: from slow and more emotional passages to highly intense on the beat playing. The music is pretty free yet very structured. Both van der Capellen as van Duynhoven seek their freedom mainly between certain lines which makes the music not too far out but still very exciting. Mal is playing beautiful deep and bluesy repetitive phrases till you’re in an almost hypnotized state of mind. The bassists’ solo really stands out here. He sounds inspired by bassists like Jimmy Garrison and Reggie Workman. Beautiful full and dark rich tones, very much in the atmosphere Mal tries to create here.

On side B there is ‘Trip’ which really do sound like a trip. It’s a song with complex off beat rhythms with a huge role for Martin van Duynhoven who matches up perfectly. Also nice to hear how van der Capellen plays with motives from the main theme in his solo. Watakushi No Sekai starts with a very majestic theme, almost march like. The Eastern feel remains during the whole song but is the strongest during the theme. The following solo by Mal is fantastic with that deep and dark feel, playing harder and intenser as the song progresses. Unbelievable how a pianist who plays only just a few notes still manages to surprise time and time again and keep his solo a fascinating listen all trough. Mal is predictable yet also unpredictable which creates a very nice feeling of tension in his music. And again especially van Duynhoven’s drumming work is insanely good. After the mysterious theme again the record comes to an end. And one wishes there was more to listen to by this group.

‘Number Nineteen’ is pretty hard to find these days. It was only released once by Trio/Freedom records, of course: Japan only. When it pops up at the Discogs or Ebay it is not necessarily over expensive. I bought mine for 30 euros including shipping from Japan. The sound, as with most Japanese releases, is great. Nowadays, British label ‘Black Lion’ has also released this on Spotify and Amazon music. So it’s available in high quality digital files also. Number Nineteen is one of the highlights from Mal Waldron’s career. It’s music that should be played loud only. Highly recommended stuff! Their you go: the first five star album for me in his discography. More will follow :)

(1971) Mal Waldron & Gary Peacock - First Encounter ****1/2

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Gary Peacock (bass), Hiroshi Murakami (drums)
Record date: March 8, 1971

Mal’s second trip to Japan did result in something very, very beautiful: this record with the great Gary Peacock! This ‘First Encounter’ would also be the last encounter unfortunately (at least on record). Very unfortunate as the chemistry is clearly there and it’s fascinating to hear Peacock, mostly known for his works with Keith Jarrett, with Mal Waldron. Mal is such a different pianist but it definitely works out very well. Drummer Hiroshi Murakami should also be mentioned. He was kind of a regular drummer for Peacock in these years and boy he could play! An excellent addition to the other two giants.

The opener ‘She Walks in Beauty’ is one of my favorite Waldron songs. It’s beautiful and sweet melody that gets wilder and harder as the song goes on and the huge climax in the middle. The fantastic interaction between Peacock and Waldron. The way Murakami follows and pushes, following and leading all in one. The second song ‘The Heart of the Matter’ is not much worse. It’s an enormous intense song where all three of the players play their guts out. Peacock is all over the place, yet keeping strong pulse and rhythm. A man who could play both with Ayler as with Jarrett is capable of playing with everyone. Mal hits the lower registers like a mad man. It’s funk, rock, free jazz and bop all in one. On the B side, the band continues that way. It’s full of primitive energy, interaction and emotion. This really is the Mal I love to hear. The only reason this to me is a 4.5 star and not a 5 star album is the last composition. It’s good but just does not have that vibe the rest of the record has. It’s a bit of an outcast on the album. Yet it is still good.

As with all the Victor works by Mal, this was never released on cd. In fact, it’s already pretty special that it was released on vinyl outside of Japan (in France on Explosive and in the US on Catalyst). The original Victor is a nice gatefold with some session photography. It’s also the more rare and expensive option. I’ve got the Catalyst version myself: thin vinyl, even more thin packaging. But I most say, it sounds great: spotless and flawless with no skips or whatsoever. British bootleg label ‘Alternative Fox’ has reissued this in 2020 but I really do not recommend that. After all, that’s a vinyl rip burnt on new vinyl. Also they have not paid any duties to the artists. I personally do not believe that when you die, you’re art is available for everybody to do with it whatever they want. But even when you think that is your right: Murakami is still alive and he deserves to be paid for his work here. Then there’s the argument that crappy releases like these prevent bigger labels to ever make a nice reissue as the market is already stuffed with these bootleg products. The only reason to buy such a product is when there is no alternative: but fortunately there is. Buy with much confidence. This is essential Mal!

 

(1971) Mal: Live 4 to 1 ***

 

With: Koshuke Mine (alto saxophone on track A1 and A2), Mal Waldron (piano), Masabumi Kikuchi (piano on C1 and C2), Isao Suzuki (bass A1 to B2), Yoshiyuki Nakamura (drums A1 to B2)

Record date: March 2 and 3, 1971

This album captures Mal live in 4 different settings: the A side contains a quartet, the B side a trio, side C is a piano duet and side D is Mal solo on piano. Hence the title 4 to 1. The music was also released as ‘Left Alone- Live 1’ on Fontana (side A and B) and ‘All Alone - Live 2’, also on Fontana (side C and D). 

Let’s start with the quartet on side A. Saxophonist Koshuke Mine clearly plays at the top of his abilities but those abilities do not reach very far. On ‘Left Alone’ he’s okay, playing a fine and balanced solo. His tone lacks character a bit. On ‘Straight No Chaser’ the lack of technique also shows up. He plays with pretty much the same ideas all over again and fails to impress or sound original. He reminds me a bit of myself when I was playing alto saxophone, focussing heavily on blues scales. Bassist Isao Suzuki sounds more promising. He swings and gives Mal some great support. Yet there is not much space for him nor the drummer to stretch out. Mal plays an okay but not very inspiring solo.

Side B is more interesting. The trio starts with a very strong perfomance of the Mal original ‘Right On’ which was first to be heard on Mal’s solo record ‘The Opening’ from the previous year. After playing fascinating theme the band goes into hard swinging postbop territory. Both Suzuki and Nakamura play their butt of and show they know how to play. Suzuki’s solo in inspiring, daring to leave traditional bop scales and showing he knows what was going on in jazz land in those years. And the same is to be said for the drummer. Surprisingly good! ‘Thoughts’ is from that year’s record ‘The Call’. In the acoustic version it’s just as a fascinating composition as on ‘The Call’ where it’s played on an electric piano. The version here has of course a more jazzy than fusion feel. Again the chemistry between the band members is clearly present and their interaction is lovely, slowly building up to a climax, then slowly fading away.

Side C is a piano duo with Japanese piano player Masabumi Kikuchi. Mal is in the left channel, Kikuchi in the right. The piano duo is a fascinating form and really demands from both players that they listen closely to each other. When the chemistry is there, it could turn into a fascination soundscape. The opener ‘Little Abi’ is a beautiful and subtle ballad where both pianist do exactly what’s needed: they listen to each other, not missing a single piece of what the other is doing. This is beautiful, classic and stunning Mal. One of those ballads that would be on a ‘Most Beautiful Songs By’ compilation. Unfortunately there’s no such compilation but I would love to make one! The following ‘Blood and Guts’ is less sweet and subtle of course. Interesting to hear that Kikuchi and Waldron have split the pieces they play. Hearing the theme it sometimes sounds like 1 pianist. After it Kikuchi starts with his solo which is pretty good, copying ideas by Waldron but staying close enough to his own. His mumbling makes one think Keith Jarrett is also present in the building….

Closing up are the solo sessions on side D. Mal always plays nice, but when he goes solo he plays his own originals best. He sticks to standards here (part from ‘All Alone’) and they just sound ok, no more no less. He sounds a bit uninspired, as he does mostly when he plays standards solo. The closing ‘All Alone’ is beautifully chosen to close the concert. This remains one of his most beautiful compositions. It’s mostly written down music, but it’s beautiful in any version he played.

All in all, this record is bit of mixed bag. Some of the sessions are ok, some are good but none are truly essential. When you want to buy this you’ve got plenty of choice. I would not recommend the separate Fontana’s as they really not sound very well. I don’t know about the separate Philips releases of Left Alone and All Alone. I do know that both the Phillips Mal Live 4 To 1 from 1971 and 1979 sound very good and are available for around 40 euros which is not bad for a double LP gatefold. Liners are of course in Japanese. I would not recommend the expensive and rare cd version as it misses two songs: Straight no Chaser and Willow Weep for Me. They should definitely have chosen for a double CD version and include all the tracks. I hate half a sessions.

(1971) Kimiko Kasai & Mal Waldron - One for Lady ***

 

With: Kimiko Kasai (vocals), Mal Waldron (piano), Yoshio Suzuki (bass), Hiroshi Murakami (drums)
Record date: February 13, 1971

Everybody knows Mal of at least one thing: as Lady Day’s last pianist, staying with her until her death in 1959. When she died, Mal was devastated. He always saw her as a sort of a big sister. After her death he paid tribute to her in many ways, with multiple compositions written for her and even complete albums. Mal has also collaborated with lots of singers since those days: Abbey Lincoln, Jeanne Lee, Kim Parker, Sumiko Yoseyama, Kimiko Kasai etc. etc. etc. His dark, bluesy and minimalistic sound fits perfectly with a female vocalist. This Lady Day tribute was his first since his breakdown in 1963. He is backed by a fine Japanese band and accompanies Japanese singer Kimiko Kasai on 8 songs that are all affiliated with Billie Holiday.

I really do not like vocal jazz. I’ll explain further here below. On the record: Kasai could definitely sing. She has a sweet and tender voice and doesn’t show off too much. She also speaks English fluently and that helps a lot in listening comfort. The eight standards were chosen with care and are honoring Billie Holiday in a way she deserves. The songs are all pretty slow ballads, so the atmosphere is warm and calm. There’s not a lot to say about the band as they all play well but do not really solo. Mal plays fine details in the background and has one chance to really play at bit on ‘Yesterdays’. All in all he plays a pretty modest role on this record. Yet he is recognizable immediately.

About me disliking vocal jazz: the only two singers in my collection, part from all the collaborations  with Mal, are Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Billie has a special place in my heart, there’s nothing like her. I love all the stuff she has made, from the Columbia ’30’s records till her final records with her broken voice in 1959. Her voice is just pure feeling and emotion. Ella is just a very good and swinging singer with an astonishing technique and ditto personality. And yes Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and Abbey Lincoln they all could sing, but I just don’t like listening to it…. That means the vocal albums with Mal are never rated very high by me. Personal taste definitely plays a role In that. So if you do like vocals, keep that in mind and judge for yourself.

This is a fine jazz album which would definitely be appreciated by vocal jazz lovers. Kimiko does have talent! She’s the best singer I know from Japan at least. The album is widely available on vinyl for low prices but never was reissued on CD as with most of the Victor recordings by Mal. Someone really should do something with that catalogue.

(1971) The Call ****1/2

 

With: Mal Waldron (electric piano), Jimmy Jackson (organ), Eberhard Weber (electric bass), Fred Braceful (drums)
Record date: February 1,1971

The Call is one of the outstanding records in Mal’s discography. Because it’s a freakin’ great record, but also because it’s Mal’s only record on electric piano. Just like Mal was very aware of what was happening in the freejazz scene, he was also very aware of what was going on in the fusion scene. He collaborated multiple times with German krautrock band ‘Embryo’ and made his first studio album with them around this time. Also, quite a lot his music shows funk and rock elements. Mal was open to so many influences: from traditional bop to free jazz, from rock music to classical music.

On ‘The Call’ Mal is joined by a very diverse blend of musicians. Both Jackson and Braceful were American musicians who were mostly residing in Germany. Both of them were very active in the psychadelic and krautrock scene of the ’70’s over there. These guys are masters in this kind of music and that is made very clear on this record. The German born Weber is a bit different, mostly known for his experiments with relaxed almost ambient music. But he is rockin his pants of on this record. Very refreshing hearing him in a group like this.

The title song is one of the very big highlights from Mal’s career. It would also appear on Embryo’s ‘Steig Aus’ and later in acoustic form on Mal’s fantastic live record ‘Black Glory’. It has a very, very catchy funky groove and a modal pattern that is such a great bass for all the players to improvise on. Mal starts with a great solo, electric but immediately recognizable as Mal Waldron with it’s repeating patterns al trough. Jackson stays mostly in the background but is next to solo and he plays a hell of a solo. Clearly more rock oriented he plays his ass of with solid backing by Mal and the rest of the band. In the meanwhile Weber is playing this thick groove in the background which keeps the music going. There’s also a great solo by Fred Braceful at the end.

Side B is good but does not reach the same level as the title song. Again there’s a catchy tune and some great playing by all of the guys yet it misses the chemistry of the first song. The composition goes more into psychedelic territory and the playing is less structured. Jackson’s solo on organ again is very good. Lovely to hear that just like Mal, he could say enough without using too many notes. The whole song is going more into free territory, more experimental than the title song.

This was a great and highly successful experiment. When I really have to choose, I’d still prefer the acoustic Mal. With that acoustic sound, his music got more emotional depth. But still: I listened to this record hundreds of times and it never bores me. The Call is pretty rare, almost like a cult album to obtain. But it is not impossible. It was only issued once on cd in 2006. The median price on Discogs is around the 60 euros which is a lot of money for a cd. It’s probably easier to buy on vinyl but be prepared to pay a lot of money. With 1325 people wanting this album on Discogs, one could say: this album needs to be REISSUED fast. I prefer a budget cd version and a deluxe vinyl version. I think it would sell. I’ve got the one with the picture cover myself. It sounds absolutely great.

(1970) The Opening ****1/2

 

With: Mal Waldron (solo piano)
Record date: November 19th, 1970

In November 1970, Mal returned to the American Center for Students and Arts and gave another concert for a small crowd. The concert was recorded again by the French Futura label.

This is the very first Mal solo record where he just only hits the right notes. Its dark, moody, angry, gentle and very intimate. Where ‘Tokyo Reverie’ did not really go anywhere, and All Alone was just a beautiful starting point, The Opening has this almost indescribable dark atmosphere. Music to listen to, when you’re alone in a dark room with nothing else on your mind. And also the first solo effort where the influence of French composers like Satie or Debussy is really recognizable for the first time.

The opening ‘Right On’ is a waltz like theme. Mal had a fascination for that waltz rhythm and you could hear it in a lot of his originals. It was used as an opening theme for the French movie: ‘Georges Qui’? The movie is about the French (woman) writer and socials George Sand. The following ‘Of Panthers and Pigs’ is one of the highlights of the album. Of course, Free at Last was already referring to the civil rights movement earlier, but this album has more references to that movement and period. Of course the song is about the battle between the Black Panthers and the police forces in those days. The song expresses lots of emotions but sadness and anger are the most prominent. You could feel Mal’s emotions run trough the keys into the piano. The racist atmosphere was one of the reasons for Mal to leave the US for Europe. Both ‘Cry Out’ and ‘Die Fludel’ are fascinating compositions playing with timing, tempo and showing classical influences all trough. Listening to it on headphones makes you vanish into the music and forgetting you are actually on earth. The closing song is another interesting one: ‘Sieg Haile’. It was of course no reference to WWII, but a statement of honor for Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. Another notice of black consciousness in Mal’s music. The composition would be recorded two more times after on the both fantastic albums: ‘Black Glory’ and ‘Moods’. It’s a fascinating composition with clear influences from march music and a beautiful floating and dreamy follow up theme.

‘The Opening’ is widely available on vinyl and also on cd. I’ve got the 2016 reissue on CD. Again a digipack with no liners whatsoever. Up till now, liner notes are in Italian, Japanese or non existent. Not very to easy to find yourself some background information of Mal in these years. Audio quality is slightly less than the ‘Blood and Guts’ album: there is a small hiss in the background. Still the music sounds detailed and well recorded. I don’t know how the vinyl sounds….

(1970) Spanish Bitch ****

 

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Isla Eckinger (bass), Fred Braceful (drums)
Recorded: September 18, 1970

One of the rarest LP’s in Waldron’s catalogue, Spanish Bitch is still a bit like the Holy Grail for Waldron fans. It was originally recorded for ECM but never released on that label. It was a Japan only release on the Globe label. On the cover it still says ECM. No idea why Eicher decided not to release this record as it is great and also pretty unique in Waldron’s discography.

For ‘Spanish Bitch’, Mal teams up again with the great and underrated Swiss bass player Isla Eckinger: a very tight and solid player who is able to play both ‘inside’ as ‘outside’. And when he goes outside he never goes too far. An excellent matching with Mal. Also joining is drummer Fred Braceful: an American drummer residing in Germany who was playing drums in multiple psychedelic and krautrock bands at the time. When Mal made his one and only fusion album in 1971 (The Call), he was joined again by Braceful. They probably knew each other from the scene: Mal already played with German krautrock band Embryo in the late 1960’s and was to make his first official record with them this very year. Braceful is a typical rock kinda player and he gives the album a different kind of pulse and sound with his slightly off beat playing.

The title song ‘Spanish Bitch’ is probably the most free jazz oriented playing Mal had recorded up till then. The song is introduced by a gentle theme, but when Eckinger and Braceful join, the playing gets more intense. Mal is experimenting with dissonance and playing on and off beat and he’s interacting with both Braceful and Eckinger a lot. Eckinger is experimenting with alternative sounds from his bass. The songs on this album are all more build on theme’s than the traditional jazz pattern of: main theme/impro/impro/impro/main theme. What also makes the album kind a special: Mal’s first recording of a pop song, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ by the Beatles. His version is nice and heavily blues based. Never knew that song had such a strong blues feel. One can immediately hear that Braceful feels at ease with the more rock oriented sounds on this song (and this album). Black Chant is starting with a dreamy like theme with nice bass backing by Isla Eckinger who gets plenty of space on this song. After that, playing gets more intense and intense. Mal probably play around 5 notes but still manages to keep his soloing part very interesting and hard grooving. Coming back at the theme again, Mal probably almost destroys his piano hitting the keys so hard. The final song ‘All That Funk’ shows again that Mal was heavily influenced by the funk and rock music of those days. Funky music fits in easily with Mal’s hard hitting touch and swing. And while there’s an experimental atmosphere this music still swings hard.

One has to pay a lot of money nowadays for this record. If you’re a true Mal Waldron fan, this record is essential and you should grab it as soon it’s around the 100 euros. When you just listen to him by accident, you’d probably want to spent you’re money in a different way. This is a great Waldron record, but not his best.

(1970) Blood and Guts ****1/2

 

With: Mal Waldron (piano), Patrice Caratini (bass), Guy Hayat (drums)
Recorded on: May 12th, 1970

Mal’s first trip to Japan was relatively short and compared to other journey’s not very productive yet. Back in Europe he started touring again, playing mostly in trio and solo form. He was a much seen musician those days in France and Germany. Especially in these years, Mal did not really have touring band. His band was mostly composed by local musicians that joined him on live gigs. And Mal never failed too get the best out of them.

‘Blood and Guts’ is Mal’s very first live record as a leader. It was taped at the American Center for Students and Arts: a meeting place for both French and American writers, artists and musicians. Mal played again with Caratini (who is on ‘Ursula’ also) and French drummer Guy Hayat (who had played with Bud Powell multiple times) to record probably the most definitive version of his classic ‘Blood and Guts’. A highly energetic original, with it’s funny loop by Mal’s left hand, this composition remains such a strong effort by Mal. The following ‘Down at Gils’ has this lovely repeating loop after which it goes into a swinging song. Monk is never far away but here he was probably on Mal’s shoulder. Caratini seems to be more at ease than he was on the ‘Ursula’ session and provides some great backing, as is Hayat who plays excellent. And as with most of his gigs, there is plenty of space for them to solo on. Mal was far from egocentric and always gave his companions lots of space to improvise.

The only standard on the album is ‘My Funny Valentine’. Mal doesn’t do a lot of jazz standards but if he does in a trio form, he never fails to impress and be creative with it. At first the melody is hard to recognize but it comes closer and closer as the song progresses. The tempo changes multiple times but the feeling stays close to how the original was meant to be.

Like with many of Waldron’s live recordings, the live atmosphere contributes to the record in a very positive way. The audience keeps it pretty civilized but yet you could taste the live atmosphere and smell Mal’s 22th cigarette he just lit during Caratini’s bass solo.

This a highly recommended live gig by a great trio. The 2012 Futura reissue in digipack form is excellent: the sound quality is absolutely stunning, especially for a live recording. Unfortunately like with most albums from that Futura series, there are no liner notes whatsoever. A missed opportunity if you ask me because there’s a lot one could tell about this stage in Waldron’s career. It’s also still possible to get this on second hand vinyl. The album is not extremely rare.