Mal Waldron
Piano
December 2, 2002 (Age 77) died
August 16, 1925 Birthday
New York, New York, U.S. Birthplace
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About
Mal Waldron was a jazz pianist and composer who made significant contributions to the hard bop and free jazz movements. He recorded over 100 albums as a leader, appeared on dozens more as a sideman, composed music for ballet and film, and is perhaps most famous for his role as Billie Holiday's accompanist. Waldron began his career in the 1950s working with R&B bands before collaborating with Charles Mingus on several albums. He also served as the house pianist for Prestige Records and worked with iconic artists like John Coltrane, Jackie McLean, and Gene Ammons, in addition to leading his own groups. In 1963, Waldron suffered a catastrophic nervous breakdown that forced him to relearn how to play the piano. This experience led to a transformation in his playing, becoming more open to free jazz and adopting a leaner style. He eventually moved to Europe in 1965, settling in Munich before relocating to Brussels in the 1990s. For the next three decades, Waldron performed and worked tirelessly, touring across Europe, Asia, and the US. He released numerous albums, including several collaborations with saxophonist Steve Lacy. Despite battling cancer, Waldron continued to perform until his death in 2002 at the age of 77.
Trivia
Mal Waldron spoke 4 languages, English, French, German and Japanese. Billie Holiday was the godmother for Mal Waldron's first daughter. In 1995 Mal Waldron composed and performed a piece in Japan for the 50th anniversary of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing.
Early Life
Malcolm Earl Waldron was born in New York City in 1925 to West Indian immigrants. He was interested in jazz from a young age, but his parents tried to steer him away from it by enrolling him in classical piano lessons at age 7. Despite studying classical piano through high school, Waldron's love for jazz persisted. At age 14, after hearing Coleman Hawkins perform "Body & Soul", he bought an alto saxophone and taught himself to play it. He played saxophone with local bands until he was drafted into the army shortly after graduating from high school. Once his military service was complete, Waldron enrolled in the music program at Queens College and decided to shift his focus to the piano. He graduated with a B.A. in Music in 1949 and soon began performing with artists like Ike Quebec and Big Nick Nicholas.
Mal Waldron Solos
1957
Piano solo - Straight Street - 1957
4/4 swing in E♭ minor at 200 BPM
Piano solo - Chronic Blues - 1957
4/4 swing in E♭ minor at 137 BPM