Mal Waldron - The Seagulls of Kristiansund (Soul Note, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Mal Waldron (p); Charlie Rouse (ts, fl); Woody Shaw (t, flhn); Reggie Workman (b); Ed Blackwell (d)

Recorded September 16, 1986

The Seagulls of Kristiansund is one of two LPs on Soul Note that capture a live performance of Mal Waldron's quintet with Charlie Rouse, Woody Shaw, Reggie Workman, and Ed Blackwell. The second LP is titled The Git Go. There is also a DVD of the performance, titled Live at the Village Vanguard (Unicorn Video, 2003), which presents one of the songs from the two records and three others. According to Waldron, the band's weeklong engagement at the Vanguard produced enough music for six albums. It would be great to hear all of those performances in a box set some day. 

The music on display is uniformly excellent. Waldron never hurries a performance, and each soloist gets ample space to develop a complete solo. All of the participants were veterans of the jazz scene, and none of them seem concerned about showing off their talents. Rather, they listen to each other and play what fits each tune. The first two cuts are up tempo and played with brio. Shaw's solo on "Judy" is a particular delight.

I chose Seagulls as a favorite mainly for the title tune, which has been a favorite since I first heard it. It's a long, slowly developing piece that includes the sound of waves (Shaw blowing through the trumpet?) and bird calls (Rouse's detached mouthpiece?). Blackwell's small gong makes a distinctive ringing sound heard now and then over the course of the piece. Workman's arco and plucked bass contributions are deep and resonant. This is a special performance from players who all excel at faster tempos but who also know how to make the most out of 26 minutes at a glacial pace. 

The photo is clipped from the cover of the companion The Git Go LP. I also recommend checking out the excellent DVD mentioned above. It puts you right inside the Vanguard itself and shows up-close details for every member of the band. It's worth seeing just for the footage of Blackwell at the drums.