Mal Waldron was a jazz pianist and composer. His appearances on record date from 1952 to 2002 and include more than 100 albums under his own name and more than 80 as a sideman. His writing for film soundtracks is also listed on this page.
Discography As leader/co-leader Year recordedTitleLabelYear releasedPersonnel/Notes1956Mal-1 Prestige1957With Idrees Sulieman (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax), Julian Euell (bass), Arthur Edgehill (drums)1957Mal/2 Prestige1957With Bill Hardman and Idrees Sulieman (trumpet; separately), Jackie McLean and Sahib Shihab (alto sax; separately), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Julian Euell (bass), Art Taylor and Ed Thigpen (drums; separately)1957The Dealers Status1964With Bill Hardman (trumpet), John Coltrane and Paul Quinichette (tenor sax), Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute), Jackie McLean (alto sax), Julian Euell and Doug Watkins (bass; separately), Art Taylor (drums)1958Mal/3: Sounds New Jazz1958With Art Farmer (trumpet), Eric Dixon (flute), Calo Scott (cello), Julian Euell (bass), Elvin Jones (drums), Elaine Waldron (vocals; two tracks)1958Just Wailin'New Jazz1958With Herbie Mann, Charlie Rouse and Kenny Burrell1958Mal/4: TrioNew Jazz1958With Addison Farmer (bass), Kenny Dennis (drums)1959Left Alone Bethlehem1959With Jackie McLean (alto sax; one track only), Julian Euell (bass), Al Dreares (drums); Waldron talks about Billie Holiday on one track1959Impressions New Jazz1959With Addison Farmer (bass), Albert Heath (drums)1959The Blues Minus YouMusic Minus One1975With Wendell Marshall (bass), Charles Perry (drums)1960Moonglow and StardustMusic Minus One1960With Wendell Marshall (bass), Charles Perry (drums)1960The Music Of Duke EllingtonMusic Minus One?With Wendell Marshall and Addison Farmer (bass; separately), Charles Perry and Ed Shaughnessy (drums; separately)1960The Music Of Jimmy McHughMusic Minus One?With George Duvivier (bass), Ed Shaughnessy (drums)1960Mal WaldronMusic Minus One?With unknown (bass), unknown (drums)1960For Singers 'n SwingersMusic Minus One1960With George Duvivier (bass), Ed Shaughnessy (drums)1961The Quest New Jazz1962With Eric Dolphy (alto sax, bass clarinet), Booker Ervin (tenor sax), Ron Carter (cello), Joe Benjamin (bass) Charlie Persip (drums) 1961Fun with BrushesMusic Minus One?With Addison Farmer (bass), Charles Perry (drums)1961Blue DrumsMusic Minus One?With Wendell Marshall (bass), Charles Perry (drums)1963?Les Nuits de la NegritudePowertree1963With George Tucker (bass), Al Dreares (drums)1966All Alone GTA1966Solo piano1966?Mal Waldron TrioKarim1966With Giovanni Tommaso (bass), Pepito Pignatelli (drums)1967Sweet Love, Bitter Impulse!1967With Dave Burnes (trumpet), George Coleman (tenor saxophone, alto saxophone), Charles Davis (baritone saxophone), Richard Davis and George Duvivier (bass; separately), Al Dreares (drums); soundtrack album1969Ursula Musica1969With Patrice Caratini (bass), Franco Manzecchi (drums)1969Set Me Free Affinity1984With Barre Phillips, (bass) Philly Joe Jones (drums)1969Free at Last ECM1970With Isla Eckinger (bass), Clarence Beckton (drums)1970Tokyo Bound RCA Victor1970With Yasuo Arakawa (bass), Takeshi Inomata (drums)1970Tokyo Reverie RCA Victor 1970Solo piano1970Blood and Guts Futura1970With Patrice Caratini (bass), Guy Hayat (drums)1970Spanish Bitch ECM (Japan)1970With Isla Eckinger (bass), Fred Braceful (drums, percussion)1970The Opening Futura1970Solo piano1971The Call JAPO1971With Jimmy Jackson (organ), Eberhard Weber (electric bass), Fred Braceful (drums, percussion)1970Mal: Live 4 to 1 Philips 1971Solo piano on 5 tracks; duo with Masabumi Kikuchi (piano) on 2 tracks; trio with Isao Suzuki (bass), Yoshiyuki Nakamura (drums) on 2 tracks; quartet with Kohsuke Mine (alto saxophone), Suzuki, Nakamura on 2 tracks; in concert1971First Encounter RCA Victor 1971Co-led with Gary Peacock (bass); with Hiroshi Murakami (drums)1971Number Nineteen Freedom1971With Dick Van Der Capellen (bass), Martin Van Duynhoven (drums)1971Black GloryEnja1971With Jimmy Woode (bass), Pierre Favre (drums)1971Mal Waldron Plays the Blues Enja1971With Jimmy Woode (bass), Pierre Favre (drums)1971Signals Freedom1971Solo piano1971Journey Without EndRCA Victor 1972Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax); with Kent Carter (bass) and Noel McGhie (drums)1972Blues for Lady Day Black Lion1973Solo piano1972A Little Bit of Miles Freedom1974With Henk Haverhoek (bass), Pierre Courbois (drums)1972?Jazz a Confronto 19 Horo1972Solo piano1972A Touch of the Blues Enja1975With Jimmy Woode (bass), Allen Blairman (drums)1972Mal Waldron on Steinway Teichiku1973Solo piano1972Mal Waldron with the Steve Lacy Quintet America (France)1972With Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Steve Potts (alto sax), Irene Aebi (cello), Kent Carter (bass), Noel McGhie (drums, percussion) 1972The Whirling Dervish America (France)1972With Peter Warren (bass), Noel McGhie (drums)1972MeditationsRCA Victor 1972Solo piano1973Up Popped the Devil Enja1974With Carla Poole (flute; one track only), Reggie Workman (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)1974Hard Talk Enja1974With Manfred Schoof (cornet), Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Isla Eckinger (bass), Allen Blairman (drums); in concert1976Like Old Times Victor 1976Co-led with Jackie McLean (alto sax); with Isao Suzuki (bass), Billy Higgins (drums) 1977One-Upmanship Enja1977Quinted (Manfred Schoof (trumpet), Jimmy Woode (bass) and Makaya Ntshoko (drums)) plus Steve Lacy (soprano sax)1978Moods Enja1978With Terumasa Hino (trumpet), Hermann Breuer (trombone), Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Cameron Brown (bass), Makaya Ntshoko (drums) on 3 tracks; solo piano on 7 tracks1979Mingus Lives Enja1979Solo piano1981Mal 81 Progressive1981With George Mraz (bass), Al Foster (drums)1981 Progressive1982With George Mraz (bass), Al Foster (drums)1981Snake Out Hathut1982Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax)1981Herbe de l'oubli Hathut1983Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax)1981Let's Call This Hathut1986Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax) [2LP]1981Live at Dreher, Paris 1981 Hathut1981Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax); compiles Snake Out, Herbe de l'oubli and Let's Call This, with additional tracks1981What It Is Enja1981With Clifford Jordan (tenor sax), Cecil McBee (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums)1982One Entrance, Many Exits Palo Alto1983With Joe Henderson (tenor sax), David Friesen (bass), Billy Higgins (drums) 1982In Retrospect Baybridge1982With Akira Miyazawa (tenor sax, flute), Isao Suzuki (bass), Hironobu Fujisawa (drums)1983Breaking New Ground Baybridge1983With Reggie Workman (bass), Ed Blackwell (drums)1983Mal Waldron Plays Eric Satie Baybridge1984With Reggie Workman (bass), Ed Blackwell (drums)1983You and the Night and the Music Paddle Wheel1984With Reggie Workman (bass), Ed Blackwell (drums)1984Encounters Muse1985Co-led with David Friesen (bass)1985Mal Waldron and AloneCBS/Sony1985Solo piano1985Songs of Love and Regret Freelance Records1986Co-led with Marion Brown (alto sax)1985Dedication Soul Note1988Co-led with David Friesen (bass)1985Piano Duo Live at Pit Inn CBS/Sony1988Co-led duo with Yōsuke Yamashita (piano)1986SpaceVent du Sud 1986With Michel Marre (trumpet, flugelhorn), Doudou Gouirand (alto sax, soprano sax), Joel Allouche (tabla; one track) 1986Sempre Amore Soul Note1987With Steve Lacy (soprano sax; co-leader)1986Update Soul Note1987Solo piano1986Left Alone '86 Paddle Wheel1987Co-led with Jackie McLean (alto sax); with Herbie Lewis (bass), Eddie Moore (drums) 1986The Git Go – Live at the Village VanguardSoul Note1987With Woody Shaw (trumpet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax, flute), Reggie Workman (bass), Ed Blackwell (drums)1986The Seagulls of Kristiansund Soul Note1987Personnel as The Git Go - Live at the Village Vanguard1987Both Sides NowCentury1987Solo piano1987Our Colline's a Treasure Soul Note1987With Leonard Jones (bass), Sangoma Everett (drums)1987Remembering the MomentSoul Note1994With Julian Priester (trombone), Jim Pepper (tenor sax), David Friesen (bass), Eddie Moore (drums)1987The Super Quartet Live at Sweet Basil Paddle Wheel1987With Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Reggie Workman (bass), Eddie Moore (drums)1987Mal, Dance and Soul Tutu1988With Ed Schuller (bass), John Betsch (drums), Jim Pepper (tenor sax; four tracks) 1988Evidence Dark Light1991Solo piano1988Art of the DuoTutu1989With Jim Pepper (tenor sax, soprano sax)1988No More Tears (For Lady Day) Timeless1989With Paulo Cardoso (bass), John Betsch (drums)1989–90Into the LightMateriali Sonori1990With Christian Burchard (vibes), Michael Schone (bass), Dieter Serfas (percussion); also known as Duo, Solo, Quartet1989Crowd Scene Soul Note1989With Sonny Fortune (alto sax), Ricky Ford (tenor sax), Reggie Workman (b), Eddie Moore (d)1989Where Are You? Soul Note1989?The same personnel as on Crowd Scene1989Quadrologue at Utopia Tutu1990With Jim Pepper (tenor sax, soprano sax), Ed Schuller (bass), John Betsch (drums) 1989More Git' Go at Utopia Tutu1994With Jim Pepper (tenor sax, soprano sax), Ed Schuller (bass), John Betsch (drums)1990Spring in Prague Alfa Jazz1990With Paulo Cardoso (bass), John Betsch (drums)1990Hot House Arista/Novus1991Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax)1992I Remember Thelonious Nel Jazz1996Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax)1993Let's Call This... EsteemSlam1993Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax); in concert1993My Dear Family Evidence1994With Eddie Henderson (trumpet, flugelhorn), Grover Washington Jr. (soprano sax; 3 tracks), Reggie Workman (bass), Pheeroan Ak Laff (drums)1994Waldron-Haslam Slam1994Co-led with George Haslam (baritone sax)1994After Hours Owl1994Co-led with Jeanne Lee (vocals)1994Mingus, Monk, and MalFreelance1995Co-led with Judy Niemack (vocals)1994CommuniquéSoul Note1997Co-led with Steve Lacy (soprano sax)1994Mal, Verve, Black & Blue Tutu1996With Nicolas Simion (tenor sax), Ed Schuller (bass), Victor Jones (drums)1995Explorations... to the Mth DegreeSlam1996Co-led with Max Roach (drums); in concert [2CD]1995Two New Slam1995Co-led with George Haslam (baritone sax)1995Maturity 2: He's My Father Tokuma2003With Mala Waldron (piano, vocals)1995Maturity 3: 'Dual Tokuma1996With Takeo Moriyama (drums)1995Maturity 4: White Road, Black Rain Tokuma2003With Toru Tenda (flute), Jeanne Lee (vocals)1995Travellin' in Soul TimeBvhaast1997With Jeanne Lee (vocals), Toru Tenda (flute); in concert1995Art of the Duo: The Big Rochade Tutu1998With Nicolas Simion (soprano sax, tenor sax, bass clarinet)1995The Mighty Warriors: Live in AntwerpElemental2024With Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Reggie Workman (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums)1995–99Mal WaldronTokuma2003Solo piano1996Maturity 5: The Elusiveness of Mt. Fuji Tokuma1997Solo piano1997Soul Eyes BMG1997Featuring Jeanne Lee and Abbey Lincoln (vocals)1998Maturity 1: Klassics Tokuma1999With Yoshihiko Katori (vibes), Kengo Nakamura (bass) on some tracks2000Riding a Zephyr Soul Note2002With Judi Silvano (vocals)2001SilenceJustin Time2008Co-led duo with David Murray (tenor sax, bass clarinet)2002One More Time Sketch2002With Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Jean-Jacques Avenel (bass)2002Left Alone Revisited Enja2002Co-led duo with Archie Shepp (tenor sax, vocals)
Albums as sideman