Mal Waldron Mal/2 Prestige 7111

Personnel: Mal Waldron (piano); Sahib Shihab, Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Bill Hardman, Idrees Sulieman (trumpet); Julian Euell (bass); Art Taylor, Ed Thigpen (drums).

Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey on April 19 and May 17, 1957. Originally released on Prestige (7111) except tracks #4 and #5 released on New Jazz (8316).

Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1991, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley).

Personnel: Mal Waldron (piano); Jackie McLean, Sahib Shihab (alto saxophone); John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Idrees Sulieman, Bill Hardman (trumpet); Ed Thigpen, Art Taylor (drums).

Audio Remasterer: Phil DeLancie.

Liner Note Author: Ira Gitler.

Recording information: New Jersey (04/19/1957-05/17/1957).

Unknown Contributor Roles: Ed Thigpen; Julian Euell; Idrees Sulieman; Jackie McLean; John Coltrane; Sahib Shihab; Art Taylor; Bill Hardman.

This 1957 recording was the second of Mal Waldron's four Mal-titled albums (MAL/1, MAL/2, MAL/3, MAL/4). Divided between standards and originals, Mal leads a sextet throughout, with featured soloists John Coltrane and Jackie McLean.

The set as a whole adheres closer to the prevailing post-bop style of the day. Waldron's elegantly minimalist approach is most audible in his solos, and occasionally in his writing. The closing "One By One" is distinctly Waldron, with its angularly fractured march-like cadence and moody bearing. For the most part though, his writing had yet to embrace the innovative characteristics that would emerge on his 1961 album THE QUEST.