This post is by Scott
Recorded on March 15 and April 01, 1986
Most likely, Jack Walrath will always be most well-known for his stint with Charles Mingus in the 1970s. And that's a shame -- because Walrath has continued to make excellent music, both as a leader and sideman, right up to the present day.
Turning our focus to the 1980s, Walrath made two creative and enjoyable LPs for the indie label Stash during the first half of the decade: Revenge of the Fat People (1982) and A Plea for Sanity (1983). Subsequently, he recorded two more outstanding albums for the fabled Blue Note label, which had only recently been revived after a period of dormancy: Master of Suspense (1987) and Neohippus (1989).
As strong as these albums were (and continue to be), I think Walrath's finest album of the decade -- and one of the strongest of his entire career -- is Wholly Trinity, recorded for Muse in 1986. As the album's punning title indicates, the ensemble is pared down to a trio, but the music feels entirely spontaneous and complete; there's no sense whatsoever of missing parts.
Sadly, this superb, somewhat unconventional album may be difficult for some listeners to hear. As far as I can tell, it has never been available for streaming. Two of the album's six cuts were included on I Am the Walrath, a 32 Jazz CD compilation of Walrath's Muse recordings. But anyone who would like to hear the entire album will need to track down a used copy of the original Muse LP or compact disc. Given the high quality of this exciting music, I think it's well worth the effort.
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