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Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from university. 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. A breakdown caused by a drug overdose in 1963 left Waldron unable to play or remember any music; he regained his skills gradually, while redeveloping his speed of thought. He left the U.S. permanently in the mid-1960s, settled in Europe, and continued touring internationally until his death. In his 50-year career, Waldron recorded more than 100 albums under his own name and more than 70 for other band leaders. He also wrote for modern ballet, and composed the scores of several feature films. As a pianist, Waldron's roots lay chiefly in the hard bop and post-bop genres of the New York club scene of the 1950s, but with time he gravitated more towards free jazz. He is known for his dissonant chord voicings and distinctive later playing style, which featured repetition of notes and motifs. ==Early life== Mal Waldron was born in New York City on August 16, 1925,〔 to West Indian immigrants.〔Lock, Graham (1994) ''Chasing the Vibration: Meetings with Creative Musicians''. pp. 36–37. Stride Publications.〕 His father was a mechanical engineer who worked on the Long Island Rail Road.〔 The family moved to Jamaica, Long Island when Mal was four years old.〔WKCR broadcast (August 23, 2001) Transcribed at Panken, Ted (August 15, 2011) ("Two Interviews with Mal Waldron on the 86th Anniversary of His Birth" ). Transcript of WKCR radio interview. Accessed July 9, 2013.〕 Waldron's parents discouraged his initial interest in jazz, but he was able to maintain it by listening to swing on the radio.〔 Waldron had classical piano lessons from the age of around seven until he was about 16.〔Stokes, W. Royal (2002) ''Living the Jazz Life: Conversations with Forty Musicians About Their Careers in Jazz''. Oxford University Press.〕 He then became inspired to play jazz on tenor saxophone when he heard Coleman Hawkins' 1939 recording of "Body and Soul", but bought an alto saxophone, unable to afford a tenor.〔 He played alto for local bands that performed for "dances, bar mitzvahs, Spanish weddings", frequently taking over the pianist's role when other musicians took their solos.〔 In 1943, after school and having enrolled at university, Waldron was called up by the army, and was based at West Point, in New York.〔〔("Mal Waldron" ). (December 13, 2002) news.scotsman.com Accessed July 2, 2013.〕 This allowed him to listen to the greats of jazz in clubs on 52nd Street and elsewhere in the city.〔 After two years in the army,〔Davis, Francis (October 13, 1990) ("Mal Waldron Is Coming to the Bride" ). ''The Inquirer''.〕 he returned as a student to Queens College in New York, where he studied under composer Karol Rathaus〔 and made the final decision to switch from saxophone to piano.〔Feather, Leonard and Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. p. 670. Oxford University Press.〕 This decision was influenced in part by hearing Charlie Parker's virtuoso speed on saxophone,〔 and by not having the extroverted personality Waldron thought necessary for that instrument.〔 Not yet a professional musician, he received money through the G.I. Bill and continued to live with his parents.〔 After obtaining a B.A. in music in 1949, Waldron worked for a short time in rhythm and blues bands, including with Big Nick Nicholas.〔Novod, Eric ("Waldron, Mal (Malcolm Earl)" ). jazz.com Accessed July 2, 2013.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mal Waldron」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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