It's surprising to see not only how naturally he can go from one mood to another, but also how effectively he can communicate them through seemingly simple expressions. Sadness is real sadness, delight is real delight. It's like when everybody is using the same worn out words to talk about something, and then someone who has never heard of it articulates it best. Although he doesn't seem to be doing anything particular, the concept gains a bright, attracting freshness that sets it apart both from the stale use of standard-poetic-thesaurus and from the irritating show of the ones who try too hard to be different.
Free At Last is a easy listening record, in the most positive meaning of such an expression: it's easy to listen to it, because it's beautiful. Nevertheless it isn't fit to be background music for other activities, and this without taking in consideration the numerous changes of rhythm and the solos of bass and of drums. The fact is it catches your attention, and even if you try to concentrate on something else it ends up dragging you in again almost without letting you notice. These pieces seem to be surrounded by an aura of sincerity that gets through the heavy armor of cerebral assessment and hits right to the heart. - qwff
Tracks
01. Rat Now (Mal Waldron)
02. Balladina (Mal Waldron)
03. 1-3-234 (Mal Waldron)
04. Rock My Soul (Mal Waldron)
05. Willow Weep for Me (Ann Ronell)
06. Boo (Mal Waldron)
MAL WALDRON piano
ISLA ECKINGER bass
CLARENCE BECTON drums
Recorded on November 24, 1969 at the Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg
ECM Records ECM 1001. Germany