Mal Waldron for JVC/ECM Japan from 1971.
Mal Waldron (p) Isla Eckinger (b) Fred Brasful (d)
Ludwigsburg, West Germany, September 18, 1970
This has been on my "most wanted" list for some time so I was bowled over to receive the actual LP through the post last week purchased from Japan (at considerable cost it should be said) and sent as a thankyou gift from one of the followers of this blog.
So stand up and take a bow Munnnnnph !!! Thanks a million - what a guy!
Recorded and produced by Manfred Eicher this is only the second recording for ECM (the first being Waldron's Free At Last).Recorded prior to Eicher setting up his own label both albums were picked up and issued only for the Japanese market by JVC's Globe subsidiary . Despite it's historic importance "Spanish Bitch" has never seen a reissue in either cd or vinyl format thus making it extremely hard to track down.
So here it is - 3 long Waldron compositions plus a comprehensive shredding of "Eleanor Rigby" through Mal's mangle. Waldron's wall of sound soloing is in full effect throughout the lp complete with his banging keys in the lower registers and usual dissonant chords-"Black Chant" and "All That Funk" are just immense!
Fred Braceful's intricate drumming drives the music forward sounding like a proto-breakbeat blueprint with it's meticulously placed accents and beats while Isla Eckinger anchors the whole thing down before it spirals off the planet!
All Killer No Filler ....and don't forget to say thanks to Munnnnnph.
71 comments:
Holy Moly... Yes! Thanks to you both!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this rarity! Rob
EXTREMELY hard to find.
Thanks to the giver, and thanks to you for inspiring this kind of action.
Incredible - been looking for this for years.Thanks to you and your generous benefactor. If you accept paypal donations I would willingly donate $s as my way of saying thanks.
thank you kind sir
What a brilliant share! Most appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks all 'round.
It's Fantastic!
Many Many Thanks
Thanks Munnnnph, deeply indebted
many thanks to both Munnnnnph & Bacoso for this pearl
shit yes! thanks a million for this one!
Thanks for this Holy Grail! Now if we can only find Waldron's "Ursula" album, we'll be all set.
Any fan of Waldron is a friend of mine. Thanks.
Thank you, Munnnnnph!
Fabulous! Been a collector of ECM since the 70s, didn't know this one existed. Many thanks for allowing the world to hear this.
Tony
So wonderful to hear this gem, thanks a million. BTW, any chance to share the back side of this LP? Really curious about the artwork since it was curiously labelled as an ECM album but can't be found in any ECM book or online database.
Best,
Thank you for your generosity, Munnnnnph and Bacoso. This will have pride of place in tomorrow's listening.
wow!! thanks munnnnnph - thanks bacoso! truly an event posting!
What a share!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what a surprise .. holy grail for me thanks so much !!!
Thanks to BOTH you guys - couple of comments above seem to forget that Bacoso has lead the way in blogland with his shares for years and the music he has posted must have cost him a small fortune.It's really great to see Munnnnnph recognise this in such a unique way.
I second the paypal comment its a great idea.
Thank you, thank you
What Rab said...
This is a massive gift, and deep thanks to Munnnnnph.
At the same time, thanks to you Bacoso for creating this essential forum — and all your shares over the years!
A huge thanks to all involved!!!
My sentiments as above.....as blogs like your own, testify to the spreading of music like this, to the music populace, who are real keen on learning from past masters like Mal,your work is to be commended,along with your very helpful friends !!
Well done all round !
Niall
Great great share and beautiul gift from Munnnnnph. And of course thanks to you Bacoso. Over the years you've set the gold standard with your generosity and killer taste. Long live OIR.
Wooow!! A Holy Grail from ECM
Thanks both
thanks a million
I haven't stopped by in a while, so what a great to find! I love the experimental early ECM and have been digging some other Waldron albums from around this time. It may be repetitive by now, but big thanks to Bacoso and Munnnnnph!
Wonderful! Thanks to both of you!!!
and was in Waldrom's most creative period, thank you
A mind boggling, heartwarming gift. Thank you both.
Thanks looking forward to this!!
Fantastic its really nice Thank you
Oldies Band
Nice one Munnnnnph & Bacoso,many thanks.
Fun !!!
Thank U So much!
haven't heard this, but judging from the comments can't wait for the dwnld to finish! thanks!!
niiiiiiice! Thanks for sharing this fellas.
Big time hole filler and rarity. Thanks
Waldron was prolific, for sure:
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/waldron.html
arigato mucho :)
Very nice. Thank you Munnnnnph.
What wonderful grooves...
That list of recordings from hideo is impressive. WOW...
Great stuff, thanks a lot. I love strolling through the blogosphere where I find great things like that. I´m coming back :)
Thank you very much for this splendid share.
Tante grazie
Jazzfan37
Bacoso,
Thank you for this exceedingly generous post. It's appreciated.
So I'm listening to "All That Funk" for the second time, and it sounds like Amon Tobin. This is the definitive breakbeat, jungle, acoustic drum n' bass real time track. And Mal Waldron was Billie Holiday's last regular accompanist. It comes full circle and I need to go to bed, my head is spinning.
Thanks Munnnnnph!
Many thanks!
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thank you all so much!
Umm, did I mention how much I love this recording? Thanks so much Bacoso and Munnnnnph!
Forgot to say thanks,so thanks!
very glad to have this .....thanks very much
"Que du bon, rien à jeter"
massive! thanks to you both
Is it not Fred Arthur Braceful (May 2, 1938, Detroit - March 17, 1995, Munich) the jazz drummer, not Brasful. The Call is another meeting with him Recorded February 1971
ECM 3601. Beautiful find hope to listen to it soon. Thanks to Both.
Thanks for this wonderful post. Real proto Waldron. Amazing how consistent and extensive is discography is. Most other artists would long have been accused of 'repeating themselves' or something, but Waldron's music is always SO intense and compelling that I can't get enough of him. Grazie mille, Bacoso!
Many thanks to you and your benefactor for posting this Bacoso. I've been looking for it for literally decades.
Ah, got it now. Thanks for this, as always your site is the hippest shit ever to be put on the web!
You are very generous and awesome.
Thanks.
Thanks for this rare treat!
thanks for the funk
Cheers for your generosity in bringing this to us.
Mal had much better days and so it must be said did Manfred Eicher. Sound is shrill and if any indication of the master tapes then it's little wonder this disc fell from the ECM catalog. The weak link here for me is Braceful's drumming, fairly dire. Mal himself is at a creative peak in the early 70s and it is much better seen on his sets for Enja, Black Glory and Up Popped The Devil, or for that matter his true ECM wonder, Free At Last.
Agreed that the sound is shrill and upon relistening to my further cleaned up vinyl I realise the tape hiss on the album is terrible.However the disc didn't fall from the ECM catalogue as it was never part of it - the album was released by Globe Japan with the ECM moniker on the cover as it was produced by Eicher. Interesting to hear your opinion on Braceful's drumming - it's always good to hear a contradictory point of view.I have the Enja's you mention on vinyl and a third pary rip of Free At Last and in comparison yes Spanish Bitch is something of a curates egg.
Many thanks for this although I have the lp its nice to have a digital copy.Agree with you about the hiss it's evident throughout the album .Curates egg - yes in comparison to the other lps!
Heres my new improved rip complete with photos of the gatefold sleeve:
http://www.mediafire.com/?vh8qamt63sdfy8h
Good that finally there is the complete post of Spanish Bitch. I was the b***d who posted half a rip (only a-side as I remember) on a blog that I started a few years ago, heavily inspired by blogs from you bacoso and also reza and other people who have long stopped blogging altogether it seems. I purchased the album and a lot of Mal's other records during a one year stay in Japan. I also have Ursula somewhere in the shelf, if there is interest I could contribute that to your blog.
i came here to turn myself in.. i downloaded this music long long ago. i love this album and i didn't leave a comment, just a hit and run deal. well i came to thank you Bacoso and found an improved version. so thank you. you have a great blog.......
Hey Cat Mousy, I know your post is rather old, but if you could contribute the equally hard to find "Ursula", we'd all appreciate it!
Thanks!
sounds really good.. would've love to listen to this!
A big thank you to Munnnnnph and Bacoso, much appreciated.
Dopeness! Thank you.
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