I’m a few months late to acknowledge pianist/composer Mal Waldron’s centennial. His style, though initially rooted in bop and blues, was singular, and he was never a “star” per se, yet had a footprint in so much important music, including classic records by Abbey Lincoln, Charles Mingus, Jeanne Lee, Kenny Burrell, Gene Ammons, Max Roach, and John Coltrane that I couldn’t make room for here. The visceral energy and deep listening (both to his fellow musicians and to more cosmic energies) evident in his playing remain thrilling, and his compositional style is at least as distinctive. As such, I have chosen to populate this list only with recordings that feature him as both pianist and composer. In chronological order and without further ado:

1 ) “Mood Malody” from New Traditions by Jackie McLean (1955)

There are a few saxophonists with whom I particularly associate Mal based on breadth of musical relationship, and Jackie McLean is one of them. This swinging performance is the first of their recordings together over a span of more than three decades and is, to my awareness, the first significant example of a recording of one of Mal’s compositions, and it’s on Jackie’s first record as a leader (sometimes issued as being a co-led session with trumpeter Donald Byrd, who also sounds great here).

2 ) “Bud Study” from Mal-1 (1956)

Mal’s Bud Powell influence is worn on his sleeve on this tune, which is a fascinating document of both his bebop roots and the burgeoning of his own voice. Also featured are two less-appreciated beboppers, trumpeter Idrees Sulieman and saxophonist Gigi Gryce.

3 ) “Tension” from Mal/3: Sounds (1958)

Though the first tune here has the word “mood” in the title, this is an early example of just how moody Mal’s music became. Eric Dixon’s flute and Art Farmer’s trumpet both get space to shine, as does the piano, but the vibe of the writing is what really takes center stage, propelled by a young Elvin Jones on drums.

4 ) “Fire Waltz” from At the Five Spot Vol. 1 by Eric Dolphy (1961)

Here is another saxophonist (albeit more than that) with whom Mal’s relationship was foundational, even though in this case the flurry of collaborations is condensed within the span of less than a year. One of Mal’s best-known tunes gets what I dare say is its definitive performance in the hands of Dolphy, trumpeter Booker Little, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Ed Blackwell.

5 ) “Blue Summer” from All Alone (1966)

Some would say that you can’t fully understand Mal’s conception without digging into his solo piano performance, and I would not argue that. Fortunately we are blessed with many examples, and this record is one of my favorites. The record consists almost entirely of waltzes and the way this one slowly percolates is deep and soulful along with being a bit loopy.  

6 ) “Left Alone” from album by Kimiko Kasai (1971)

Mal’s vocal accompaniment skills are well-known, particularly the Billie Holiday association. He also recorded a lot with lesser known (at least in the U.S.A.) vocalists, and this is a gorgeous rendition of another of his best-known tunes, a gorgeous ballad he co-wrote with Lady Day but that she never got to record herself.

7 ) “Up Popped the Devil” from Up Popped the Devil (1973)

Given the overlapping circles in which they ran, it’s surprising that Mal recorded with neither bassist Reggie Workman nor drummer Billy Higgins before this. This track represents a particularly epic performance, with each soloist getting ample space and the trio toggling between a fiery groove and rhythmic freedom.  

8 ) “Thy Freedom Come” from Breaking New Ground (1983)

My first Mal Waldron album was this one, featuring Workman and Blackwell, and I will admit that what drew me in at the record store on George St. in New Brunswick, NJ, was seeing how many familiar non-jazz tunes were represented (Earth, Wind, and Fire, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Erik Satie, etc.). That was all pretty cool, but when this free-wheeling tune, revolving around highly interactive group improvisation, came around, that’s when the jaw-drop happened.   

9 ) “What It Is” from Let’s Call This . . . Esteem by Steve Lacy and Mal Waldron (1993)

One more important relationship with a saxophonist, perhaps the most important if measured by breadth and longevity. Mal and soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy had such an extraordinary synergy, whether playing Mal’s music, Steve’s, or (often) Thelonious Monk’s. This  

10 ) “Soul Eyes” from Riding A Zephyr by Judi Silvano (2000)

Here is one more duet, one more vocal accompaniment, and one more frequently-performed Waldron tune (the most frequent of them all, in fact). Silvano’s delivery is literally and figuratively pitch-perfect and it is palpable how deeply they are listening to one another.