COMPOSERS: Mal Waldron,Steve Lac
LABELS: Daybreak
ALBUM TITLE: Steve Lacy, Mal Waldron
WORKS: At the Bimhuis 1982 (first release)
PERFORMER: Steve Lacy (saxophone), Mal Waldron (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: DBCHR 75249
Although the work of this
partnership was often committed
to disc it’s impossible to have
too much of such a good thing,
so this previously unissued live
date at the legendary Amsterdam
venue is most welcome. The
duo’s programme opens with
what is, apparently, the earliest
known recording of Lacy’s ‘Blues
for Aïda’, its stripped-down
saxophone line see-sawing gently
against Waldron’s sensitive
accompaniment. The pianist’s
extended ‘Snake Out’ does exactly
that, and there are three Monk
compositions that are typical of
the duo’s individual and joint set
lists. The extraordinary empathy
between these two musicians was
always in evidence, with Lacy’s
meandering, somewhat bovine
(in a good way) style finding the
perfect foil in Waldron’s at times
poignant, sometimes garrulous
statements and responses
Overall, it’s hard to deny that
Lacy and Waldron’s playing
is musically beyond criticism,
while the sound quality on this
recording only loses a star because
of some tape hiss which, while very
occasional, particularly stands out
during the first few bars.