Jazz

Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - At The Bimhuis 1982 (1982)

2017-03-25T12:08:18Z

Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - At The Bimhuis 1982 (1982)


1. Blues for Aida
2. Snake Out
3. Reflections
4. 'Round Midnight
5. Epistrophy

Steve Lacy - soprano sax
Mal Waldron – piano

Soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy (1934-2004) and pianist Mal Waldron (1925-2002) worked together in bands from 1958, but coalesced as a duo in 1981, continuing sporadically for two decades. Both expatriates in Europe, At the Bimhius 1982 captures them at the Amsterdam club in December of that year in just-now-released recordings.

Although Lacy was associated with some of the leading members of the avant-garde and Waldron played with many hard-bop and modern giants, neither musician can be easily pigeonholed stylistically, as both had highly personal, idiosyncratic approaches. And they were never more personal than when playing in intimate situations like duo or solo (Lacy was one of the first saxophonists to make an a cappella solo album). So this CD, with its detailed, high quality 'live' sound and the Bimhuis' excellent piano, is a welcome addition to the recorded oeuvre of this splendid jazz duo.

What both players had in common was a fond appreciation for the music of Thelonious Monk. Lacy had experience playing with Monk in the 1960s and was one of the first to record albums of Monk's music. Waldron drew on Monk's approach to space, spare attack, forceful, and deliberate touch. The last three of five tracks here are Monk compositions.

After a brief piano intro, Lacy sidles into the melody of "Reflections, Waldron feeding him Monkish chords, meandering out of it into his own variations that flow so organically that they conjure Monk's spirit warmly. Lacy, a master of the soprano saxophone's many aural shades, elicits a rich singing tone ranging from burly to birdlike on "'Round Midnight, backed by heraldic piano chords and Waldron's solo brooding on familiar Monk piano tags.

"Epistrophy is taken at a slower, more ruminative tempo than usual—slow triplets backing Lacy's elaborations of the melody—until Waldron, with suggestions of Monk's stride, creates his own cinematic melody improvisation. Lacy's "Blues for Aida mines the rich mid-register of his soprano in a stately pavane; Waldron's "Snake Out stakes out the duo's avant credentials. ---Georg Kanzler, allaboutjazz.com

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Steve Lacy - Epistrophy (1969)

2017-03-20T15:46:11Z

Steve Lacy - Epistrophy (1969)


A1 	Thelonious 	7:12
A2 	Ruby My Dear 	4:23
A3 	Light Blue 	5:57
A4 	Epistrophy 	2:14
B1 	Epistrophy 	6:46
B2 	Mysterioso 	3:58
B3 	Friday The Thirteenth 	5:47

Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone
Michel Graillier - piano
Jean-François Jenny Clark - bass
Aldo Romano – drums

Epistrophy is the first record Lacy made after taking up residence in Paris. His band for the outing features the legendary Italian drummer Aldo Romano, the pianist Michel Graillier, and bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark. There are five unusually complex Monk tunes here -- "Thelonious," "Ruby My Dear," "Light Blue," "Mysterioso," and "Friday the Thirteenth" -- and two versions of "Epistrophy." This is easily Lacy's "straightest" album from the period, and he stays melodically and harmonically close to Monk's original compositions in the heads before taking off somewhere else in the solos. But Lacy keeps to the notion of repetition, syncopation, and melodic invention that Monk did, and the band is nearly symbiotic in its communication around and with him. The music here is a delight and a revelation all at the same time. The sound is warm and full and the transfer is solid. ---Thom Jurek, AllMusic Review

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Steve Lacy - Reflections: Steve Lacy Plays Thelonious Monk (1959)

2017-03-06T16:18:32Z

Steve Lacy - Reflections: Steve Lacy Plays Thelonious Monk (1959)


01. Four in One 6:09
02. Reflections 4:10
03. Hornin' In 5:17
04. Bye-Ya 4:43
05. Let's Call This 7:17
06. Ask Me Now 4:56
07. Skippy 4:21

Steve Lacy - Soprano Sax
Mal Waldron - Piano
Buell Neidlinger - Bass
Elvin Jones – Drums

All of soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy's early recordings are quite fascinating, for during 1957-1964, aspects of his style at times hinted at Dixieland, swing, Monk, and Cecil Taylor, sometimes at the same time. For this CD reissue (a straight reproduction of the original New Jazz LP), Lacy teams up with pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Buell Neidlinger, and drummer Elvin Jones for seven Thelonious Monk compositions. The typical standbys (such as "'Round Midnight," "Straight No Chaser," and "Blue Monk") are avoided in favor of more complex works such as "Four in One," "Bye-Ya," and "Skippy"; the sweet ballad "Ask Me Now" is a highpoint. Lacy always had an affinity for Monk's music and, even nearly 40 years later, this set is a delight. --- Scott Yanow, AllMusic Review

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