A magical pairing of musicians – both of whom had come together in different formats, and who here showcase a great late meeting of their genius! The vibe is maybe similar to the Super Quartet that Lacy and
Waldron were leading in the early 90s, but with a slightly different lineup –
Mal on piano, Steve on soprano sax, Reggie Workman on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – a very deft, fluid quartet who are able to shift easily between the different modes of the set! The performance begins with a bit of a nod to Thelonious Monk – always a key influence on Lacy's sound, even at the start – but
Waldron's also bringing plenty of his ideas in too, and things really open up once the music gets going – with especially strong flavors that come from the territory that both musicians developed overseas in the decades before this performance. Tracks are all very long – and titles include "Variation Of III", "Longing", "Monk's Dream", "What It Is", "Epistrophy", and the long medley "Snake Out/
Variations On A Theme By Cecil Taylor".
(Limited, numbered pressing!)