Peter Friedman

Mal Waldron has been a sideman (as well as a leader) on a large number of Hard Bop recordings in the 50's and 60's. I am aware that many here have a very positive opinion of Waldron. I suspect much of that view comes from his writing and playing that relates to his non-Hard Bop recordings, most of them later than the 50's and early 60s. I have never understood his appeal as a Hard Bop sideman or even leader with musicians such as Jackie McLean, Gene Ammons, Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, Kenny Burrell, Curtis Fuller and even the non- Hard Bop tenor man Paul Quinichette. To my taste, there were numerous piano players active during that period whose solos were far more interesting, and fit better with those musicians than Mal Waldron. I am thinking of Kenny Drew, Duke Jordan, Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Richard Wyands, Wynton Kelly, Hampton Hawes, Ray Bryant, Elmo Hope, and Red Garland. I know there are a variety of factors that determine if a musician is hired for a record date. It is nonetheless disappointing (to me) that Waldron was on so many sessions, especially on Prestige, rather that any of the musicians I listed above.

Along with Jackie McLean's fine contributions, trumpet player Bill Hardman is terrific. Too bad Hardman only appears on 3 of the 5 tracks.

Beethoven - Cello Sonatas No.3, Op.69 and No.5, Op.102/2

Gernsheim - String Quartet No.3, Op.51 and Dvorak - Piano Quintet Op.5

Dvorak - Symphony No.8, Op.88 and Clifford Curzon - Mozart - Piano Concerto No.27, K.595

Piano Sonatas - No.25, Op.79 & No.29, Op.106 "Hammerklavier"

Reading this Jackie McLean on Prestige thread has pushed me to pull some of those CDs off the shelf for current listening.

Brahms - Piano Quintet Op.34 - Christoph Eschenbach and Haydn - Symphony No.56

Beethoven - String Quartet Op.133 "Great Fugue" & Brahms - String Sextet No.2, Op.36