Twittering Machines

The Mal Waldron Trio
Impressions

Recorded and released in 1959 just after Mal arrived back in the US from a tour of Europe accompanying Lady Day, Impressions includes his three-part Overseas Suite. “Champs Elysses” is the opener – “It was the widest avenue I had ever seen. I tried to get the feeling that I had while walking down it. Among other things I was reminded of Gershwin’s American in Paris.” While I’m sure Mal had a spring in his step, he doesn’t ever strike me as being capable Gershwin’s flamboyant bounce.

As a colorist, Waldron seems more akin to Rembrandt than Matisse, at least to me. I guess that’s what people mean when they describe his music as “brooding”. The remaining “Suite” songs, “Ciao!” and “C’est Formidable” are spread out on the record (my only complaint/question), interspersed with a track penned by Mal’s wife Elaine “All About Us” (“The Us in ‘All ABout Us’ is Mal, Elaine and their children. The song expresses the feeling they have together” at least that’s what Ira Gitler tells us in his liner notes), and three cover tunes, “You Stepped Out of a Dream” (Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn), “All the Way” (Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen), and “With a Song in My Heart” (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers).

More from Ira Gilter’s liner notes:

Mal remembers “With A Song In My Heart”, played at a slow tempo, from his childhood. As a result, it sounds ‘old’ to him. Another version, recorded by Sonny Rollins for Prestige in 1951, helped sustain him when he was playing in a sad r&b group [so sad, they didn't even capitalize 'r&b'] on the road in the early Fifties. “Whenever I’d get back to the hotel I’d put Sonny’s record on and it would give me a lift and renew my hope that I wold be playing good music some day.”

Thankfully, some day came sooner than later for Mal and for us and let’s not forget to emphasize – listening to records can also give us hope. The rest of the trio consists of Addison Farmer on bass and Albert “Tootie” Heath on drums and they play as one. Another highly polished soulful gem from the Mal Waldron songbook.

Jackie McLean
Jackie McLean & Co.

1957 starring Jackie McLean – alto sax, Bill Hardman – trumpet, Mal Waldron – piano, Doug Watkins – bass, Arthur Taylor – drums and Introducing Ray Draper & Tuba. Recording by Van Gelder.

John Lenwood Jackie McLean was born into music – his father John Sr. played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw’s orchestra, his stepfather owned a record store and his neighbors included Monk, Bud Powell and Charlie Parker (and heroin). While probably better known for his solo records on Blue Note (1959-1967), his earlier playing on Prestige like this one can be a blast (I also discovered later last evening, this is also dance music).

As the title and cover claim, this record is also notable for the appearance of 16-year-old tube player Ray Draper. Ray blows his heart out on three tracks, “Minor Dream”, “Help” (I knew I heard that Beatles song before) and “Flickers”. That last tune is a Mal Waldron composition who’s referred to as “Head” ‘idea man’ in Ira Gitler’s liner notes. Overall, the playing is full of blues-tinged hard-drivin’ energy even on the slower Mal-ballads.

Jackie McLean was also a busy sideman in the ’50s playing with Miles, Art Blakey, Gene Ammons, Mal Waldron and Donald Byrd to name just a few. I suppose his most notorious stint was on Mingus’ Pithecanthropus Erectus when Mingus’ temper and fist punched McLean so Jackie pulled a knife in self defense but thought better of using it. He went and played with Art Blakey instead (I’ve read other versions of this story where the stabbing actually took place but I prefer this less violent re-telling). I’ve see Jackie McLean’s sound referred to as “having a slightly sharp pitch” and here I’d have to agree – at times McLean reaches so deep and high he comes out of tune.

The only other thing I have to say about this record is that during Ray Draper’s more challenging solos and where he’s matching McLean note for note you can nearly feel the physical demands of blowing jazz tuba (now that’s! a horn). I also can’t help but recall this line from Woody Allen’s stand up days, “And, my family is musical, you should know that, my father used to play the tuba as a young man, he tried to play the tuba, he tried to play “Flight of the Bumblebee”, and blew his liver out through the horn.”

Mal Waldron
Breaking New Ground

You know how famous Hollywood actors make commercials that only air in Japan? This record was recorded in Tokyo on June 28 & 29, 1983 and was a Japan-only release on Baybridge Records. Featuring Ed Blackwell on drums and Reggie Workman on bass Breaking New Ground breaks into some pop standards to find new ground including “Suicide Is Painless” (yes the M*A*S*H theme), “After The Love Has Gone” (yes the Earth, Wind and Fire hit), “Beat It” (yes), “You Are The Sunshine of My Life” (that one), and “Everything Must Change” (et al).

If you’re thinking ‘hmm, that’s odd’  I’d have to agree but odder still is the inclusion of Mal’s arrangement of Eric Satie’s “Gymnopedie #2″ (Mal Waldron Plays Eric Satie was also released in Japan-only in 1983 by Baybridge). There are also 2 Mal-penned tunes “Dans La Cuisine D’Alba” and “Thy Freedom Come” (pop-free palette cleansers).

If you’re also thinking ‘those Japanese releases usually sound good, if a bit thin’ I’d have to agree again and the close mic’d approach makes for a gynecological view into the performance. It all sounds potentially tasteless, no? While I prefer the ground Mal breaks on records like The Quest, Mal 1/2 and Up Popped The Devil, I’ve known about and been looking for Waldron Plays Satie for some time so I couldn’t pass this single Gymnopodie by. And it sounds just like you’d imagine it would, like Mal Waldron playing Eric Satie; darker and much less sprightly than Aldo Ciccolini, Satie deconstructed into a two-chord jazz meditation making room for Reggie Workman’s slippery solo amid Mal’s sadness.

And while Mal plays pop is rather shocking, similar to what I’d imagine walking into some smoky Kobe karaoke bar at 5am already hungover, head pounding hungry throat sore from too many cigars only to hear Bob Dylan belting out the Barney theme-song, if you ever wondered what it would have been like to hire Mal Waldron, Ed Blackwell and Reggie Workman to play at your wedding, requests and all, grab this LP.

Mal Waldron
Up Popped The Devil

Recorded December 28, 1973 Up Popped The Devil has popped to the top of my list of  “holy shit this is an amazing record” records.  Mal Waldron piano, Reggie Workman bass , Billy Higgins drums and Carla Poole flute on “Space Walk” everyone is so on on this record time stands still or better still moves within their time as your mind tingles with delight over every players every move.

This music is immediately engrossing and while solo moments are intensely focused, I begin to miss the interplay which adds an exquisite tension throughout – what’s next? On some level this is minimal music-making – Mal Waldron introduces the theme, they depart, riff, return and repeat. But that journey can bring to mind places, spaces and memories as vast as your imagination and bring a momentary smile to your face or a sudden and unexpected tug at your heart. Which is to say this is very personal stuff – quiet, dark and intense. Searingly intimate deeply moving music-making.

Mal Waldron
Mal/2

Sometimes, in some moods, there’s no one like Mal Waldron to smooth, sooth and get you into a groove outside your own shit. Is it his intense introspection? Charming chording? Delicate clusters of happy-unhappy (to grab a quote from Ira Gitler’s liner notes)? Well I’ll be damned if I know but what I do know is there’s some times Mal is just the man.

Mal/2, recorded in 1957, adds Jackie McLean alto sax, John Coltrane tenor sax, Indrees Sulieman trumpet, Sahib Sihab alto sax, Julian Euell or Ed Thigpen bass and Bill Harman or Art Taylor drums. While less out than the ever beautifully stunning The Quest, it is none the less highly recommended.

Mal Waldron
One and Two

And for those looking for even more Mal, check out the specially priced two-record set also from Prestige. The quartet for One (1956) features Indrees Sulieman, Gigi Gryce alto sax, Julian Euell bass and Arthur Edgehill drums.

I just noticed March is our 2nd Twittering anniversary. Damn! If I count all the records I’ve bought since then…on second thought never mind. In celebration I’m listening to Mal Waldron’s The Quest the very first TM entry. What a great record. At 5 on the nose I will open a beer and toast.

Cheers!

Mal Waldron
Black Glory

Recorded live at the Domicile June 1971 in Munich. Mal, Jimmy Woode on bass and Pierre Favre drums. The angry Mal shows up for this early Enja recording. Minimal, sparse and walkingly slow solos on side one’s single track “Sieg Haile”. Side two accelerates to a brooding shuffle for the title track “La Glorie du Noir” (which sounds so much better in French). “The Call” which starts as a wonderfully sad ballad and ends up in Mal-land and “Rock My Soul” a tangoish trot complete the set.

A frenetic Linus Van Pelt sans blanket.

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Mal Waldron
The Quest

A beautiful quiet album, The Quest from 1961 features Mal Waldron, Eric Dolphy on alto sax (and clarinet on Warm Canto), Booker Erwin on tenor sax , Ron Carter on cello, Joe Benjamin on bass and Charlie Persip on drums. From the first note to the last, these Waldron penned sonatas are rich, dense, melodic moody set pieces. At times I hear a touch of Satie and dissonance from Mal’s keys adding a sense of mystery and expanse to The Quest. Available on OJC for a song.