| Free at Last | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by the Mal Waldron Trio | ||||
| Released | 1970 | |||
| Recorded | November 24, 1969 | |||
| Studio | Studio Bauer Ludwigsburg, W. Germany | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 41:29 | |||
| Label | ECM ECM 1001 ST | |||
| Producer | Manfred Scheffner | |||
| Mal Waldron chronology | ||||
| ||||
Free at Last is an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron recorded in 1969 and released on the ECM label. [1] The album was the first release on the influential European jazz label.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [3] |
| Tom Hull | B+ (  ) [4] |
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states, "The music overall is not that memorable or unique but it does have its unpredictable moments and finds Waldron really stretching himself." [2]
JazzTimes , in a retrospective analysis of ECM's first 50 years, commented, "It's doubtful that anyone who heard Free at Last in its day took particular notice of its fledgling label, but an unheeded message is still a message: We're on a different wavelength." [5]
All tracks are written by Mal Waldron except as indicated
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rat Now" | 10:18 |
| 2. | "Balladina" | 5:05 |
| 3. | "1-3-234" | 4:05 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rock My Soul" | 11:23 | |
| 2. | "Willow Weep for Me" | Ann Ronell | 7:34 |
| 3. | "Boo" | 3:24 |
Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Waldron led his own bands and played for those led by Charles Mingus, Jackie McLean, John Coltrane, and Eric Dolphy, among others. During Waldron's period as house pianist for Prestige Records in the late 1950s, he appeared on dozens of albums and composed for many of them, including writing his most famous song, "Soul Eyes", for Coltrane. Waldron was often an accompanist for vocalists, and was Billie Holiday's regular accompanist from April 1957 until her death in July 1959.
Psalm is an album by the Paul Motian Band recorded in December 1981 and released on ECM June the following year—Motian's fifth album for the label and first with the quintet, featuring guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Ed Schuller, and saxophonists Joe Lovano and Billy Drewes.
Reflections is the second album by Steve Lacy which was released on the Prestige label in 1959. It features performances of Thelonious Monk's compositions by Lacy, Mal Waldron, Buell Neidlinger and Elvin Jones.
Nude Ants is a live album by American pianist Keith Jarrett recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City in May 1979 and released on ECM a year later. The quartet—Jarrett's "European Quartet"—features saxophonist Jan Garbarek and rhythm section Palle Danielsson and Jon Christensen. The title of the album is a play on the phrase "New Dance", which is the title of the penultimate song.
New Directions is an album by Jack DeJohnette, recorded in June 1978 and released on ECM later that year. The quartet features trumpeter Lester Bowie, guitarist John Abercrombie, and bassist Eddie Gomez.
Go Together is an album of duets by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley and bassist Steve Swallow, recorded and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1993. It is the pair's second duet recording following Duets (1988).
Impressions is an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron, recorded in 1959 and released on the New Jazz label.
Blues for Lady Day is an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron featuring performances recorded in Baarn, Holland in 1972 and released on the Freedom label. The album was rereleased on CD on Black Lion Records in 1994 combined with tracks from A Little Bit of Miles.
Hard Talk is a live album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron recorded in 1974 and released by the Enja label.
One-Upmanship is an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron with soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy, recorded in 1977, and released by the Enja label. The CD reissue added three solo piano pieces to the original album.
Update is an album by jazz pianist Mal Waldron released on the Italian Soul Note label in 1987. It features solo performances recorded in Milan, Italy.
The Git Go - Live at the Village Vanguard is a live album by jazz pianist Mal Waldron recorded at the Village Vanguard and released on the Italian Soul Note label in 1987.
Remembering the Moment is a live album by David Friesen, Eddie Moore, Jim Pepper, Julian Priester and Mal Waldron recorded in Portland, Oregon in 1987 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.
Crowd Scene is an album by jazz pianist Mal Waldron recorded in 1989 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.
Where Are You? is an album by jazz pianist Mal Waldron recorded in 1989 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.
After Hours is an album by jazz singer Jeanne Lee and pianist Mal Waldron, recorded in 1994 and released on the Owl label. The album was released in the US on Sunnyside Records in 2003.
Straight Ahead is an album by American jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln featuring performances recorded in 1961 for the Candid label.
El Corazón is an album by jazz trumpeter Don Cherry and drummer Ed Blackwell recorded in February 1982 and released on ECM later that year.
Speak, Brother, Speak! is a live album by American jazz drummer Max Roach featuring performances recorded in San Francisco in 1962 and released by the Fantasy label.
Groove Blues is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1958 and released on the Prestige label. The album was recorded at the same session that produced The Big Sound.