MAL WALDRON TRIO - SET ME FREE inc ATTILA THE HUN

THE CATALOGUE NUMBER OF THIS UNPLAYED LP IS: AFF 116.

Set Me Free (Malcolm Waldron); You Were Always There (Malcolm Waldron); Yeah (Malcolm Waldron).

SIDE 2:

Jamaica Libre (Malcolm Waldron); Desillusion (Malcolm Waldron); Attila The Hun (Malcolm Waldron).

Mal Waldron (piano); Barre Phillips (bass); Philly Joe Jones (drums).

RECORDED IN PARIS, FRANCE, OCTOBER 1969.

Malcolm Earl Warren is yet another musician who is underappreciated. He has a highly individual way of playing and composing, yet he has kept musical company of the highest standard, inspired and led record dates that rate the "classic" tag - not the stuff that neglected talents are made of, yet that is, unfortunately, the case.

Born in New York City on August 8th 1926, Waldron had two main early influences into his personal style - a synthesis of classical piano study and the impact of a teenage encounter with Coleman hawkins' Body And Soul - an impact so great that Mal bought an alto and, with the help of a hard reed, learned the solo note for note from a written transcription.

Oddly, Mal thought of the piano as a much more formalised instrument, despite having heard a great deal of jazz piano. Yet it was almost as if fate took a hand, for the college group Mal played in would prefer him to sit in for the regular pianist on certain numbers, and he would find himself at the piano often for half the performance. Then, Waldron heard Charlie Parker, and like so many before him, sold his instrument.

Keyboard influences were more easily absorbed. Duke Ellington was the first to make a big impression, and Art Tatum, who Mal often heard in New York. Bud Powell was the next, to be followed by Thelonious Monk. In fact, Mal has seen himself as one of three pianists to grow out of the style of Monk - the others being Randy Weston and Herbie Nichols. The three spent many long hours at Minton's Club in New York listening to every note Monk played.

As the 1950s began, so did Mal's recording career. He made his first recording in 1950 with Ike Quebec, for the Hi-Lo label, and began four years of intensive club work.

In 1954 Waldron began a four-year association with Charles Mingus, leaving a double impression with Waldron's first baptism in free music, where Mingus used pedal point and scales instead of chords.

Mal also encountered Mingus' penchant for his musicians to establish their own identities. This did not always work well, particularly on those of strong egos, but Waldron saw it differently, recognising that he was adopting some of the characteristics of other piano players - a trait that Mingus soon corrected!

It was at this time that Mal perhaps became best known on record through an association with Prestige Records, inspired by Jackie McLean. By 1957, Mal could be found on the majority of the famous blowing sessions upon which Prestige based a large part of its catalogue of the time.

He could also be found on recordings featuring John Coltrane, where one of his best-known compositions, Soul Eyes, was recorded. There was a fruitful association with Eric Dolphy (three albums of fine recordings from the Five Spot club with Dolpy and Booker Little).

Mal left Mingus in 1957 to become Billie Holiday's accompanist, staying with her until her death in 1959.

After Lady Day's passing, Mal began a job with Max Roach, and through that, accompanist to Roach's wife, Abbey Lincoln.

In 1963 he suffered a severe reverse with a nervous breakdown which left him, among other things, devoid of his piano skills. Although his records helped him re-learn his craft, he was unable to recapture his old style, a point which he used to advantage to build new elements into his work.

At this point, restlessness was becoming evident. Mal remembered what he saw as the musical advantages of Europe and in 1965 he was asked to write the score for a film called Two Bedrooms In Manhattan. He was given the choice of writing in either New York or Paris and lost no time in packing for France.

The next ten years were to be spent in Europe, with periodic trips back to the USA. He became one of the in-demand musicians in Europe, perhaps due to his flexible attitude.

This recording from 1969 had not been issued previously and features a powerful trio including the near-legendary Philly Joe Jones. Together they reflect the progression that is always a part of Mal's music, and the depth of his melodic and rhythmic content is evident, as is the extent of his diversity.

Mal Waldron's career in jazz has been far from ordinary. From those early day sin the Prestige house rhythm section, the expressionist ventures with Mingus and Roach, the subtleties of Billie Holiday and the new horizons with Dolphy, Steve Lacy and Booker Little. The recovery from health problems that woould have stymied most careers, to the establishment of a firm musical base as one of the most respected jazz musicians in Europe, also a top seller in Japan.

Hopefully, this record will bring his achievements to the attention of a larger jazz audience.

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