Product details
- Label Craft Recordings
- Artist Mal Waldron
- Series Original Jazz Classics
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 2023
- Genre Jazz
- Sealed Yes
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Mal/2 by Mal Waldron.
Recorded in New York City across two 1957 sessions, "Mal/2" captures pianist Mal Waldron at a pivotal moment, leading a rotating cast of some of the most compelling voices in modern jazz. The April 19 date brought together one lineup, while the May 17 session assembled another, and the alternating personnel gives the album a shifting, kaleidoscopic character that rewards close listening from side A to side B.
At the heart of it all sits Waldron himself, whose piano threads through every track with the spare, brooding logic that would come to define his playing. Around him move two distinct frontlines. On "J.M.'s Dream Doll," "Don't Explain," and "Potpourri," Waldron is joined by Jackie McLean on alto saxophone, Bill Hardman on trumpet, and Art Taylor on drums. The remaining pieces, "From This Moment On," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "One By One," feature Sahib Shihab doubling on alto and baritone saxophone, Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, and Ed Thigpen on drums.
Then there is John Coltrane, whose tenor saxophone lends the record an unmistakable gravity. Bassist Julian Euell anchors the proceedings throughout, providing the steady foundation over which these horns weave and converse. The result is a session that balances standards such as "From This Moment On" and "The Way You Look Tonight" against Waldron originals and the aching ballad "Don't Explain," a program that moves from swinging brightness to shadowed introspection.
This edition was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, whose engineering remains synonymous with the sound of this era, with supervision by Bob Weinstock. The 2023 pressing from Craft Recordings features all-analog mastering from the original tapes by Kevin Gray, who also cut the lacquer, ensuring that the warmth and detail of those 1957 tapes reach the groove with clarity and depth. The runouts are etched.
The packaging honors the music with equal care. Richard Jennings contributed the cover painting, and Ken Deardoff handled the cover design, while the written material draws on liner notes from Don Gold, presented on the obi, and sleeve notes by Ira Gitler, a critic whose words helped shape how a generation understood this music.
For collectors of the classic Prestige catalog and admirers of Waldron's singular pianism, "Mal/2" stands as an essential document. It gathers McLean, Coltrane, Shihab, and their rhythm partners under Waldron's thoughtful direction, and this all-analog reissue makes a strong case for hearing it exactly as it was meant to be heard. A record that speaks to both the newcomer and the seasoned listener, it belongs on any serious jazz shelf.
Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. From This Moment On
A2. J.M.'s Dream Doll
A3. The Way You Look Tonight
B1. One By One
B2. Don't Explain
B3. Potpourri
Credits:
Jackie McLean - Alto Saxophone (A2, B2, B3)
Sahib Shihab - Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone (A1, A3, B1)
Julian Euell - Bass
Ken Deardoff - Design [Cover Design], Cover [Cover Design]
Art Taylor - Drums (A2, B2, B3)
Ed Thigpen - Drums (A1, A3, B1)
Kevin Gray - Lacquer Cut By
Don Gold - Liner Notes [Obi]
Kevin Gray - Mastered By [All-analog Mastering From The Original Tapes By]
Richard Jennings (2) - Painting [Cover Painting], Cover [Cover Painting]
Mal Waldron - Piano
Rudy Van Gelder - Recorded By [Recording By]
Ira Gitler - Sleeve Notes
Bob Weinstock - Supervised By [Supervision By]
John Coltrane - Tenor Saxophone
Bill Hardman - Trumpet (A2, B2, B3)
Idrees Sulieman - Trumpet (A1, A3, B1)
Notes:
Recorded April 19 (A2, B2, B3) and May 17 (A1, A3, B1), 1957 in NYC.
℗ 2023 © 1957 Craft Recordings.
Runouts are etched.
Artist: Mal Waldron
Supporting Artists: Jackie McLean, John Coltrane, Idrees Sulieman, Sahib Shihab, Bill Hardman
Format: 1LP
Genre: Jazz
Label: Craft Recordings
Catalog Number: CR00616
Series: Original Jazz Classics
Release Year: 2023
Country: United States
Condition: Sealed (New)
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