Over twenty years after its first release, One-Upmanship appears for the first time on compact disc, and it is a most welcome reappearance. The appearance of any recording by Mal Waldron should be a cause for celebration, but this one is particularly special for a number of reasons. Not only is Waldron joined by his longtime duo partner, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy, but by three other performers with a keen simpatico: trumpeter Manfred Schoof, bassist Jimmy Woode, and drummer Makaya Ntshoko. The playing of each of these men, including Waldron, on One-Upmanship should alone be enough to give them unsung hero status.
As if that weren't enough, on this CD reissue three solo piano tracks have been added: "Duquility,""Thoughtful," and Waldron's most famous tune, "Soul Eyes." Waldron has recorded solo infrequently, and yet always brilliantly, so these are a treat. Since his late Fifties stint as Billie Holiday's pianist, and his recordings in those days with John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy, Waldron's piano style has matured and evolved into a compact, highly dramatic form that should rank him with the best jazz pianists of the last forty years. These three performances illustrate that abundantly. He can drive as hard as McCoy Tyner or even Cecil Taylor, yet can spin melodic figures with all the gossamer of Bill Evans. He has been called unmelodic, a charge I think unjustified. He does tend to work small melodic cells until they transmute into new ones: a hypnotic tension-building effect that gives his playing a particular dynamic power.
Aside from the solo numbers, this set includes the multifaceted title track, the delicate "Seagulls of Kristiansund," and the rousing "Hooray for Herbie." Lacy plays with emotional restraint wrapped in breathtaking virtuosity, as in his extended upper-upper-register fadeout on "Seagulls." Schoof sets him off with ferociously fluent solos at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. And Mal Waldron - well! There is a point where words fail.
Absolutely first-rate jazz. Highly, highly recommended. - Robert Spencer
Pianist Mal Waldron and soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy first recorded together in the late-'50s. Both spent most of the careers working and living in Europe, and this album was recorded in Germany. Both musicians mix a precise sense of angularity with deeply emotive poetics. The three quintet pieces, featuring a rhythm section and trumpet player Manfred Schoof, include the staggeringly beautiful "The Seagulls of Kristiansund." Lacy's playing is an apt voice for this piece's melancholy seascape. All the album's compositions were written by Waldron; ONE-UPMANSHIP also includes three solo piano pieces. Waldron recorded extensively during this time and ONE-UPMANSHIP is one of his premiere titles of this era. - AllMusic
Tracks
1. One-Unman Ship
2. Duquility
3. The Seagulls of Kristiansund
4. Thoughful
5. Hooray for Herbie
6. Soul Eyes
MAL WALDRON piano
MANFRED SCHOOF cornet
STEVE LACY soprano saxophone
JIMMY WOODE bass
MAKAYA NTSHOKO drums
All music composed by Mal Waldron
Recorded February 12, 1977 at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg and May 8, 1978 at Conny's Studio, Wolperath, Germany
Enja Records 2092