Pimuins Guide to Mal Waldron Records

[Rooster_Ties]

Speaking of obscure players on Mal Waldron albums — I think trombonist Hermann Breuer from Moods is really one of THE finest horn-players on any post-1967 Mal record you can think of.  That tone!! Aggressive, exciting, and so very ‘in your face’.

About the only other example I know, of similarly dark-sounding trombone playing that’s that intense, is Garnett Brown on Booker Ervin’s Heavy!!! (1966).

I don’t suppose anyone knows of any other similar examples of Hermann Breuer’s playing that isn’t buried in a really big ensemble. He seems to only be on well less than a dozen albums when last I did a deep internet search 10 years ago, but at that time I never did see anything where he was but one of 3 horns in a front-line.

Edited January 31, 2021 by Rooster_Ties

[Niko]

good question about Breuer, the only other small-groupish thing I own is an early Barbara Dennerlein album where he is indeed one of three horns, this one (fwiw Allan Praskin is also in that frontline), it's a nice album but I don't remember the trombone...  He is on a few of his daughter's albums, she's an alto player, this one is co-led with no other horns besides her ... on paper, I also thought that this here looked ok...

[Onxidlib]

Hermann Breuer hasn't recorded a lot with small groups. A nice exception is an obscure LP from Germany with a.o. other Michael Sessions (of Horace Tapscott fame). The Joe Nay LP / CD Niko mentions is a solid effort but I haven't listened to it since many years. Unfortunately Breuer stopped playing the trombone in 2010. He returned to his first instrument piano on which he has a classical education. On the website of the Munich Jazz Festival Breuer quotes Jimmy Woode who remarked to him (in 1973) "You are crazy" after he mentioned to Woode that he did not want to play the piano anymore. But I always preferred him on the trombone. His contribution on Moods is a.f.a.I.k. his best playing on any recording I've ever heard with him.

Edited January 31, 2021 by Onxidlib

[HutchFan]

Pim,

Just wanted to say that I'm loving your WaldronBlog!  It's terrific. ... And -- even though it's not a prerequisite for my enjoyment of your site -- your assessments of the albums are very similar to my own. So good on you for that too! 😉

Keep up the excellent work.

 

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, Onxidlib said:

Hermann Breuer hasn't recorded a lot with small groups. A nice exception is an obscure LP from Germany with a.o. other Michael Sessions (of Horace Tapscott fame). The Joe Nay LP / CD Niko mentions is a solid effort but I haven't listened to it since many years. Unfortunately Breuer stopped playing the trombone in 2010. He returned to his first instrument piano on which he has a classical education. On the website of the Munich Jazz Festival Breuer quotes Jimmy Woode who remarked to him (in 1973) "You are crazy" after he mentioned to Woode that he did not want to play the piano anymore. But I always preferred him on the trombone. His contribution on Moods is a.f.a.I.k. his best playing on any recording I've ever heard with him.

Could you provide the link pls ....

[Pim]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Pim,

Just wanted to say that I'm loving your WaldronBlog!  It's terrific. ... And -- even though it's not a prerequisite for my enjoyment of your site -- your assessments of the albums are very similar to my own. So good on you for that too! 😉

Keep up the excellent work.

 

Thanks a lot HutchFan, that is very nice to hear! Since my entrance here at the board I’ve noticed a similarity in taste. Your beloved Hutch is among my favorites too

[Onxidlib]

4 hours ago, soulpope said:

Could you provide the link pls ....

Here's the link.

[clifford_thornton]

That LP with Sessions looks interesting -- starts off with a Ra cover, so hey.

[soulpope]

8 hours ago, Onxidlib said:

Here's the link.

Thnx ....

[Onxidlib]

6 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

That LP with Sessions looks interesting -- starts off with a Ra cover, so hey.

If you're interested in the LP you could still get it from the label's owner for 12,- euros. Maybe it would be safe to contact the bassist before ordering: https://rainerglas.de/kontakt/ The German post prices for delivering to the US have increased considerably since 2019 for private customers.

[Clunky]

Thanks so much for this incredible effort. I've long like Mal's playing both early but particularly late ( late sixities onward). I thought I had a decent amount of his output on CD or LP but reading your beautiful blog I realise how far i have to go... Thanks again. 

Adrian 

[Pim]

42 minutes ago, Clunky said:

Thanks so much for this incredible effort. I've long like Mal's playing both early but particularly late ( late sixities onward). I thought I had a decent amount of his output on CD or LP but reading your beautiful blog I realise how far i have to go... Thanks again. 

Adrian 

Thanks for your kind words Adrian! That really keeps me going  Mals Discography is huge and it took me quite a while to complete it. And of course pre 1964 I still miss quite a few records.

[mjazzg]

14 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

That LP with Sessions looks interesting -- starts off with a Ra cover, so hey.

Yeah, I thought so too

8 hours ago, Onxidlib said:

If you're interested in the LP you could still get it from the label's owner for 12,- euros. Maybe it would be safe to contact the bassist before ordering: https://rainerglas.de/kontakt/ The German post prices for delivering to the US have increased considerably since 2019 for private customers.

I've just contacted him to see about shipping to the UK, at the moment his website checkout has a flat shipping fee of 2 euros which can't be right

[Pim]

Morning all! A new weekly update here. We are pretty much stuck in the early 80's as this was another very productive period in his career. Mal put out easily 5 or even more records a year in this decade. Not everyone is of equal interest but there are definitely some very good records to be found there. Even some masterpieces...

This week started of the last official Mal Waldron release containing new music. The solo concert at Vancouver was brought out trough Bandcamp by Condition West. It's interesting to hear but not essential. There's also the excellent duo recording with South African bassist Johnny Dyani called 'Some Jive Ass Boer'. Mal and Dyani frequently worked together and are an excellent match. Speaking of duos... also this week there's the first recorded duet with Steve Lacy which is mind-blowing. It was brought out originally on different releases but I decided to review the complete works: Live At Dreher 1981. The essential 4cd set brought out by Hat Hut. There's also the very good and quite recently released Progressive compilation: News: Run About Mal & Mal '81. It's a great opportunity to hear Mal play standards with a solid trio consisting of George Mraz and Al Foster. It really is a more straight-ahead outing suited for when you just don't feel for 'difficult' music. 

I partly reviewed the Interpretations by Monk 4cd set. Only the Waldron set of course. With names like Don Cherry, Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Richard Davis and Ed Blackwell I must admit that I expected a little more. It's pretty good nonetheless. This weekend's records were among his best known. What is Is remains a true favorite of my with some of the most fiery and intense blowing by Clifford Jordan that I have ever heard. One Entrance, Many Exits is one of Mal's highly rated albums on the internet but it still does not impress me very much. With such a line up including Joe Henderson, David Friesen and Billy Higgins I expected a little more. It's good but could have been great.

Anyway, hope you enjoy reading again and do not hesitate to respond or discuss. Here on the board or on the blog  

https://snake-out.blogspot.com

https://snake-out.blogspot.com/2020/12/all-reviews-in-chronological-order.html

https://snake-out.blogspot.com/2020/12/all-reviews-by-rating.html

[soulpope]

24 minutes ago, Pim said:

Morning all! A new weekly update here. We are pretty much stuck in the early 80's as this was another very productive period in his career. Mal put out easily 5 or even more records a year in this decade. Not everyone is of equal interest but there are definitely some very good records to be found there. Even some masterpieces...

This week started of the last official Mal Waldron release containing new music. The solo concert at Vancouver was brought out trough Bandcamp by Condition West. It's interesting to hear but not essential. There's also the excellent duo recording with South African bassist Johnny Dyani called 'Some Jive Ass Boer'. Mal and Dyani frequently worked together and are an excellent match. Speaking of duos... also this week there's the first recorded duet with Steve Lacy which is mind-blowing. It was brought out originally on different releases but I decided to review the complete works: Live At Dreher 1981. The essential 4cd set brought out by Hat Hut. There's also the very good and quite recently released Progressive compilation: News: Run About Mal & Mal '81. It's a great opportunity to hear Mal play standards with a solid trio consisting of George Mraz and Al Foster. It really is a more straight-ahead outing suited for when you just don't feel for 'difficult' music. 

I partly reviewed the Interpretations by Monk 4cd set. Only the Waldron set of course. With names like Don Cherry, Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Richard Davis and Ed Blackwell I must admit that I expected a little more. It's pretty good nonetheless. This weekend's records were among his best known. What is Is remains a true favorite of my with some of the most fiery and intense blowing by Clifford Jordan that I have ever heard. One Entrance, Many Exits is one of Mal's highly rated albums on the internet but it still does not impress me very much. With such a line up including Joe Henderson, David Friesen and Billy Higgins I expected a little more. It's good but could have been great.

Anyway, hope you enjoy reading again and do not hesitate to respond or discuss. Here on the board or on the blog  

https://snake-out.blogspot.com

https://snake-out.blogspot.com/2020/12/all-reviews-in-chronological-order.html

https://snake-out.blogspot.com/2020/12/all-reviews-by-rating.html

Obviously "Live At Dreher 1981" ist revered part of the Jazz Duo recordings pantheon .... for me "Some Jive Ass Boer" is sort of a missed opportunity, as Dyaini performs rather restrained (at least compared what we know he was capable of during other occasions) .... regarding the "Interpretations by Monk" 4cd set, even if keeping in mind some compromises the project as a whole grew to my heart over the time .... 

Otherwise keep your good work going + take care ....

[Rabshakeh]

I was wondering whether Live At Dreher was going to be handled singly or by way of the original releases. I have always seen it as a single whole.

[Niko]

Another nice package of reviews, thanks! One thing I'd been wondering about for a while is the relation between Enja and Tutu... Formally, Mal didn't record for Enja in all those years, but he did record quite a bit for a label that belonged to the same family, somehow... But it's not so easy to figure this all out with the two Enjas from the mid80s, and then also other people like Werner Aldinger and Peter Wießmüller being involved in (different parts of?) Enja Weber / Tutu. It doesn't seem that Tutu is a straight sublabel/product line of Enja Weber, but it certainly is something like it.

[Pim]

Yeah there is definitely a link between the two. Wiessmueller is one of them. But the TUTU cd's do not mention ENJA as a parent label anywhere. But I read about their connection somewhere in the liner notes of on of Mal's first TUTU releases. Maybe someone else knows?

[soulpope]

24 minutes ago, Pim said:

Yeah there is definitely a link between the two. Wiessmueller is one of them. But the TUTU cd's do not mention ENJA as a parent label anywhere. But I read about their connection somewhere in the liner notes of on of Mal's first TUTU releases. Maybe someone else knows?

Believe the label was founded by Horst Weber in the late 80`s with the Label`s name referential to the Miles Davis album ....

[Onxidlib]

50 minutes ago, soulpope said:

Believe the label was founded by Horst Weber in the late 80`s with the Label`s name referential to the Miles Davis album ....

The label was founded by Horst Weber and Peter Wießmüller in 1988. TUTU never was a subsidiary of ENJA. The reference of the lable's name is indeed from Davis' album TUTU. The reissue of some TUTU LPs on ENJA was due to Weber's co-ownership of ENJA. When I was a teenager I lived two houses next to TUTU's headquarter but wasn't aware of it. I've only wondered about the "strange" guys (i.e. musicians) going in and out of the building.  But I shall ask Matthias Winckelmann if he knows more about. He had send me a solo CD by Tommy Flanagan (the newest ENJA release) and I want to thank him and give some feedback to the music. So I expect to get some more background about TUTU soon.

[soulpope]

5 minutes ago, Onxidlib said:

The label was founded by Horst Weber and Peter Wießmüller in 1988. TUTU never was a subsidiary of ENJA. The reference of the lable's name is indeed from Davis' album TUTU. The reissue of some TUTU LPs on ENJA was due to Weber's co-ownership of ENJA. When I was a teenager I lived two houses next to TUTU's headquarter but wasn't aware of it. I've only wondered about the "strange" guys (i.e. musicians) going in and out of the building.  But I shall ask Matthias Winckelmann if he knows more about. He had send me a solo CD by Tommy Flanagan (the newest ENJA release) and I want to thank him and give some feedback to the music. So I expect to get some more background about TUTU soon.

What a neighbourhood  ....

[Niko]

Thanks, Onxidlib, I'd been counting on you a bit... let me ask a few specific questions then either for someone here or for Winckelmann

- I read a few times what you both wrote above, the name Tutu is a reference to the Miles Davis album... but how is the reference meant? I mean, both the label and the album have to do with jazz and they're from the late 80s... but otherwise the music seems fairly unconnected if I look at the catalogue ... there must be something I'm missing

- Would it be fair to say that, at least initially, Horst Weber was involved in two labels but at some point others took over so that by, say, the late 90s Tutu was effectively Peter Wiessmueller's label while Enja Weber was Werner Aldinger's? When we see Mal Waldron record for both Tutu and Enja around 2002, is that more of a rebranding within the Enja-Weber empire, or is it more a switch Wiessmueller's independent label to Aldinger's?

[Onxidlib]

38 minutes ago, Niko said:

Thanks, Onxidlib, I'd been counting on you a bit... let me ask a few specific questions then either for someone here or for Winckelmann

- I read a few times what you both wrote above, the name Tutu is a reference to the Miles Davis album... but how is the reference meant? I mean, both the label and the album have to do with jazz and they're from the late 80s... but otherwise the music seems fairly unconnected if I look at the catalogue ... there must be something I'm missing

- Would it be fair to say that, at least initially, Horst Weber was involved in two labels but at some point others took over so that by, say, the late 90s Tutu was effectively Peter Wiessmueller's label while Enja Weber was Werner Aldinger's? When we see Mal Waldron record for both Tutu and Enja around 2002, is that more of a rebranding within the Enja-Weber empire, or is it more a switch Wiessmueller's independent label to Aldinger's?

Instead of answering the first question myself let mel quote a part the label's statement of intent (culled from the webarchive): "Tutu is an ambitious minor jazz label that was founded by Horst Weber, Enja Records and Peter Wiessmueller in 1988. The idea of the label’s name came from the famous album of the same name by Miles Davis and therefore also connected with the South-African freedom fighter, Bishop Desmond Tutu; i.e., consistent with the many years of jazz tradition, Tutu Records also stands for political and cultural freedom in general, and for artistic freedom in particular."

Regarding the second question I know that Horst Weber was the co-founder of TUTU and likewise of ENJA. He did not found any of the two labels alone by himself. Later he retired and Werner Aldinger took over the Weber-ENJA as the label's manager and reissue-producer and in his own right for Yellow Bird Records which is Aldinger's label solely. (The label's split was in 1986 if memory serves me right) The Weber part of ENJA is owned by his daughter. Her name escapes me at the moment. As there is a long partnership of TUTU and ENJA I assume that the cooperation continues to this day. This I do not know but it will be a question I shall ask Matthias. Wießmüller must be now in his eighties. And as far as I know thre are no new productions on TUTU. The last one I know of was in 2014.

Two more, slightly related things. Matthias told me that the connection to Japan and subsequently to musicians as Yosuke Yamashita came through Weber's professional trips to Japan. Weber was an entrepreneur in textile and fashion. And in this role he visited Japan regularly. Obviously he was a Jazz fan as well - so he invited some Japanese musicians to record for ENJA. The other JAPAN connection was Mal Waldron who lived in Munich for about ten years during the 1970s. According to Matthias ENJA got inquiries about new recordings of Waldon similar to ECM. So one could say that both label's (and JAPO as well) were (at least partially) founded 'cause some Japanese companies / producers expressed a desire for more recordings by and with Mal Waldron (thankfully one might add).

[Onxidlib]

2 hours ago, soulpope said:

What a neighbourhood  ....

Not only that I was a neighbour (albeit ignorant) of TUTU. But as was confirmed by Matthias there was a festival at the shores of the Starnberger lake. It happened only once but had invited musicians as f.e. Frank Wright! The location was only some two hundered meter from the tiny palace where the (in-) famous empress Elisabeth (Sissi...) was born and lived until her marriage with the young Emperer from Austria. I became aware of this festival (which allegedly was also filmed) through a friend. He found some reference in an old magazine. When I asked Matthias from ENJA about it he only dimly recalled the event but could not offer more details or had any documents. When I pressed him a bit about any stories from this event he only shrugged his shoulders and said something analogous to "those were the times here in Munich ...great times". The festival's location is about 28 kilometers from the center of Munich. Still the ruins of some old buildings (especially a former watchtower or so) are visible  - but that the old buildings were crashed because of Wright's furious sax playing are surely only some crude defamations of those who can't stand some hefty Free Jazz ;-)

Edited February 7, 2021 by Onxidlib

[soulpope]

1 minute ago, Onxidlib said:

Not only that I was a neighbour (albeit ignorant) of TUTU. But as I know from Matthias there was a festival at the shores of the Starnberger lake. It happened only once but had invited musicians as f.e. Frank Wright! The location was only some two hundered meter from the tiny palace where the (in-) famous empress Elisabeth (Sissi...) was born and lived until her marriage with the young Emperer from Austria. I became aware of this festival (which allegedly was also filmed) through a friend. He found some reference in an old magazine. When I asked Matthias from ENJA about he only dimly recalled the event but could not offer more details or had any documents. When I pressed him a bit about any stories from this event he only shrugged his shoulders and said something analogous to "those were the times here in Munich ...great times". The festivals location is about 28 kilometers from the center of Munich. Still the ruins of some old buildings (especially a former watchtower) are visible  - but that the old buildings were crashed because of Wright's furious sax playing are surely only some crude defamations of those who can't stand some hefty Free Jazz ;-)

Scheene Gschichtn  ....