Mal Waldron - Impressions (1959)

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Mal Waldron - Impressions (1959)

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Genre: Jazz

Maxwell Chandler on winamop.com:
…I would recommend as a first foray into the works of Mal Waldron his album ”Impressions” (1958 Prestige). This was an album Mal did upon returning from a European tour with Billy Holiday and right before emigrating to Europe.

The album is a trio date and while in no way watered down, is more accessible than some of his later works. The fidelity of the album is very good with no remastering and only the original liner notes reproduced. Throughout the album the trio plays with great sympathy. On hearing this, one does not play the game of wishing “so and so” was behind the drums instead.

The album is made up of originals and some standards made their own by the trio. Center to the album is what Mal called his “Overseas Suite”(“Champs Elysees”/”Ciao”/”C’est Formidable”) which is a three sectioned suite for the trio built upon his impressions of Paris. My one bone of contention on this album is the suite is broken up by other non-suite tracks.

However, the non suite tracks are just as good. One of my favorite moments on the album is actually one of the non-suite tracks “All About Us”. The song was actually written by Mal’s wife Elaine. It is very reminiscent of the music written by Italian film director Federico Fellini’s scorer of choice Nino Rota, minus some of the saccharine touches he sometimes injects. The brushed drums and bass dance a happy waltz to the melody presented by a piano.

From the start of his solo career, Mal never settled for constructing songs as a vehicle for his solos. A song routed in the hard-bop style does not often stay there. The last part of the Overseas suite “C’est Formidable” best illustrates this. The song starts off with slow dark chords which float alone until gaining speed with percussive kisses which signal the rest of the trios entrance into the piece. Also witness in this piece how, like few other pianist at this time, Mal was able to effortlessly change the cadence of his piano with in one piece.

Initially conceived during a rehearsal for a UK television special with Billy, “All the Way” starts with a slinking piano figure, which as the piece progresses is replaced by a more vocal voicing. It is one of the few songs from the great American song book in which the absence of one of the many vocalists who have covered it is not noticeable. The same piano figure which had started the song re -enters to end it, reminding us that all we need is indeed, already right here.

Allmusic.com:
This CD reissue brings back one of pianist Mal Waldron’s lesser-known sessions from the 1950’s. Teamed up in a trio with bassist Addison Farmer and drummer Al “Tootie” Heath, Waldron performs three originals from what he called his “Overseas Suite” along with a fine song by his wife (”All About Us”) and three standards. Waldron’s brooding Monk-influenced style is heard in its early prime on this excellent release.

Personnel:
Mal Waldron, piano;
Addison Farmer, bass;
Albert “Tootie” Heath, drums

Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, March 20, 1959.

Tracks:
1. Les Champs Elysées 6:22 (Mal Waldron)
2. All About Us 4:04 (Elaine Waldron)
3. Ciao! 9:55 (M. Waldron)
4. All the Way 5:47 (Cahn-Van Heusen)
5. With a Song in My Heart 6:38 (Rodgers-Hart)
6. You Stepped Out of a Dream 5:05 (Brown-Kahn)
7. Cest Formidable 3:40 (M. Waldron)
(Reissue order: “Overseas Suite”: 1. Les Champs Elysées — 7. Cest Formidable — 3. Ciao!)

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