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Mal Waldron

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Mal Waldron was an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger, born in New York in 1925 to West Indian immigrants. From the age of seven to sixteen he had classical piano lessons, then played saxophone in local bands and, after his army service and a course of study at Queens College, chose the piano for good. Charlie Parker had given him the idea that his own place was not behind the saxophone. From 1950 he played professionally in New York.

Music and breakthrough

In the 1950s he was the pianist of the label Prestige and played on dozens of records, including in groups led by Charles Mingus, Jackie McLean, John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy. For Coltrane he wrote Soul Eyes, his best-known song. From April 1957 until her death in July 1959 he was Billie Holiday's regular accompanist. His own albums from those years are Mal-1, Mal/2, Mal/3 Sounds and The Blues Minus You. In 1963 an overdose cost him his musical ability. He slowly relearned to play, left the United States in the mid-1960s and settled in Europe.

Influence

His roots lay in hard bop and post-bop, but he moved towards free jazz. Striking are his tart chords and the repetition of notes and motifs. He recorded more than a hundred albums under his own name and wrote for ballet and film. He died in 2002.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Soul Eyes and notice the calm, almost wistful melody and the tart chords that Waldron places beneath it.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists