Customer Reviews

Quest

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mal Waldron does a great job showcasing his soloists on this outing, and, oh, what a band he has assembled: Booker Ervin , Eric Dolphy, and Ron Carter on cello. Ervin, whose stark yet soulful phrasings recalls Ornette Coleman at times, at others, Sonny Rollins, appears in top form here, as does Ron Carter. Yet Eric Dolphy steals the show (as he does on Andrew Hill's Point of Departure, Oliver Nelson's Blues & the Abstract truth, etc. etc.); his solos are rarely less than thrilling, and his clarinet solo on "Warm Canto" is positively gorgeous. Waldron's polite abstractions benefit tremendously from such stellar company. A great disc.

being on a recent booker ervin kick, i was thrilled to find this disc featuring the late great eric dolphy too. the themes here are minimal, the earlier reviewer who called them "showcases for soloists" was right on. ervin's got his sixties sound down, if you like his playing on his "book" series you'll dig it here-- melodic, powerful, and just "out" enough to show he knows how to play changes, but he isn't constricted to them. dolphy's a monster here, playing a lot of alto. (still my favorite of his many reeds)his playing is very free and vocal, but not harsh like i feel a lot of ornette's work can be. ron carter's cello is a nice texture, though i prefer his arco playing, especially on "duquility" (his pizzicato solos are interesting, but they lack the "wail" he can achieve with the bow) leader waldron is a modest player, never overextending himself, always the consumate accompanyist. unfortunately, it is in the sound of his piano that the album suffers-- not in his playing-- but in recording quality. the piano is down way too far in the mix, and eq'ed muddily so that his left hand is barely audible during his hushed solos. the horns are panned a bit too hard left and right, which can make for a strange headphone listen (you'll find yourself leaning one way or another)the record lacks some bass response too, and has an overall low output. kind of a shame consideing the beauty of this set-- one can't help but think if this were a blue note release it would have been "rudy van geldered" a long time ago. overall this is a worthwhile release, for fans of any of the group.

From the opening notes of Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet solo after the chorus of horns, you cannot continue any activity. You just sit and listen. Eric Dolphy + Booker Ervin + Mal Waldron + Joe Benjamin + Ron Carter + Charles Persip. What they do is just out of this world. Duquility written by Mal Waldron is a sort of homage to Duke Ellington. Fire Waltz is one of the best tracks you'll never forget. The Quest is a true masterpiece.

I have a soft spot for this album, because it really was my introduction to jazz.

I first listened to it when it was packaged on vinyl as a 'two-fer' from Prestige Records called 'Fire Waltz'. 'Fire Waltz' was credited to Eric Dolphy, and included 'The Quest' and Ken McIntyre's 'Looking Ahead'. So the packaging was a little misleading, because both of the discs featured Dolphy as a sideman, not as a leader.

While I bought the album in order to listen to Eric Dolphy, and I loved the soloing he did on both records, I was even more struck by the compositions credited to Waldron, and appreciative of the fact that one of my first jazz purchases was a bonafide classic from the period when the "New Thing" was in vogue.

Mal Waldron's pianistic skills have been compared to Thelonious Monk, but really, Mal was his own guy... his piano playing is deliberate, and repetitive in a good way. It can be percussive, it can be driving, but the best quality Mal had was WARMTH.

"The Quest" puts Mal in some very good company, with Dolphy, Booker Ervin, and Ron Carter.

Mal is gone, now, but he left a wide legacy. Remember him. He was one of a kind, and the only pianist I know of who had to teach himself to play again, after a breakdown. He listened to his old records to regain his style.

Also recommended: "My Dear Family", "One" and "Two" with John Coltrane, duet albums with Marion Brown and with Steve Lacy, and a live date with Jim Pepper, "Quadrologue at the Utopia".

I only discovered this album recently, because I had heard an earlier Mal Waldron album (Mal/4) that I specially liked. I bought "The Quest" in the hope that it would be as good, and I was knocked out by it. The players are the best, most musical of the avant-garde players of the early 60s--Eric Dolphy and Booker Little. This could have been performed in the late '90s, except that it still carries a melodic and rhythmic feel that resonates with the classic jazz of the late 50's. "Fire Waltz" should be more widely recognized as a classic; "Status Seeking," "We Diddit" and "Duquility" are also exceptional. This is an incredible album.

This is the sort of album I consider to be a strong, great little album that is not a monster classic. Recorded in the summer of '61, this album is Mal - piano, Dolphy - alto saxophone and clarinet (not his more frequent bass clarinet), Booker Ervin - tenor, Ron Carter - cello, Joe Benjamin - bass and Charlie Persip - drums.

For me, it's really Ron's cello that cuts this album down a few pegs. Arco he's okay... nothing spectacular, but not a deal-breaker. The pizzicato is a total mood killer. Ron's a great musician but the stuff he's picking and thumping out of the cello is so clunky and out of place that it mangles the flow. Basically I just sit there and suffer through the cello because the rest of the album earns it. If all you ever heard of Ron was this, you'd have no idea that he can actually swing.

Now to the good stuff... Mal's name is on the album and the compositions, but it feels like a Dolphy album. I don't have the issue from this product page. I have this album as part of the Eric Dolphy Complete Prestige Recordings boxed set (remastered 1995). This is another album that will make you lament Eric's early departure from this life. Warm Canto in particular makes me wonder what would have been. We all know Eric could do his exalted, off-kilter swing thing to perfection, but Canto (on clarinet) shows some great, slow ballad playing that feels like a tease... like he was growing into this direction. It makes me think he could have been an all-time ballad player had he gotten older... lived more... loved more... lost more.

Booker is a stark contrast to Eric's playing, and they pair very well, particularly when playing at the same time. Booker's tough tenor with Eric skittering behind it. I'd love to hear William Parker adopt a couple of these tunes and let the Little Huey Orchestra take them where they may.

Mal's playing is always cool, but this isn't one of his major albums in terms of long stretches of uninterrupted Mal soloing, so you may want to know that in advance. Also, a previous review mentions Booker Little on this album. He's not on this album. I think that reviewer just got their Fire Waltzes confused and was thinking of the Five Spot Dolphy-Little stuff.

Essential for the Dolphy fan. Just be prepared to wade through the clumsy cello playing.

I am amazed that this album, "The Quest", by Mal Waldron is not one of the most well known masterpieces of the genre (such as, "Kind of Blue"). From it's "Twilight Zone" like opening track through Eric Dolphy's edgy solos, it's riveting. This CD really should really be included in any essential Jazz collection and as one of the basic titles in the Dolphy discography...

Booker Little, Eric Dolphy, and Mal Waldron all sound fantastic on this album. The compositions are somewhat minimal, and like someone else has said, they really showcase the soloist. The playing, for the most part, is top notch and a pleasure to listen to. However, an earlier reviewer described Ron Carter on cello as a "revelation". I really have to disagree completely. I find his playing to be the one major downfall of this album. On the opening track his entrance sounds promising enough as he interacts with the bass to form just an awesome line, but other strong moments with Ron seem to be few and far between. His soloing sounds uninspired and no where near the level set by the group around him. His technique sounds very limited and his intonation is far from right on. Maybe I am missing something, but every time I listen to The Quest I find myself wishing he wasn't there. I feel bad talking about Ron Carter this way because I am generally a fan of his bass playing, but oh well. In the end I think this is a great album and certainly worth hearing but is somewhat set back by the addition of Ron Carter on cello. Also maybe I am wrong, but is that Ed Blackwell on drums? It sounds like him to me, but I know he wasn't listed in the liner notes. Maybe it had something to do with record labels... I don't know.

This is an unusual jazz album that I consider to be a masterpiece. The playing by everyone here is first rate, but it's the variety of instrument cominations and tempos with great melodies that really makes this a one of a kind experience. Mal Waldron on piano, Eric Dolphy on alto sax & clarinet, Booker Ervin on tenor sax(Wow, what a soloist!), Ron Carter (of the famous Miles Davis Quintet '65-'68) on cello(!), Joe Benjamin on bass & Charles Persip on drums. No two songs are cut from the same mold: there are some great alto/tenor sax duels with considerable fire, gentle ballads featuring Ron Carter's excellent plucked or tightly bowed cello, one track featuring Eric Dolphy on clarinet and so forth...every track brings something new & interesting to the mix. The tempos differ considerably as well: a fine mixture of gentle ballads and some considerably explosive bop. All in all a great listen and easily recommended by this reviewer :-)

Enjoy & God bless!

Mal Waldron spared no expense on his musician soldiers on this soaring New Jazz outing. Mal Waldron on piano, Eric Dolphy on alto & clarinet, Booker Ervin on tenor sax, Ron Carter on the perfectly chosen cello, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Charles Persip on drums and they all shine bright! First off this album has zero sleepers. All seven tracks are arranged out to perfection. But if I had to chose my bonafide favorites, "Status Seeking" and Warm Canto" are it. This album reminds me so much of George Russell's Ezz-thetics (could be the presence of Dolphy). Although it is more contemplative and searching, yet it has the same fire in each note and thrill-ride adventure that Russell's album contains.

I am deeply addicted to 60's avant garde (as some of you might be) whether it be from the stellar Blue Note treasures or odd Contemporary or Riverside releases, this album finally is the fulfilling gem that I have been looking for! It took me way too long to find it, and you should not hesitate if you are reading these reviews to snatch it up, it is worth whatever you have to pay. Your jazz collection will thank you.

Also might I suggest a few albums: Andrew Hill's "Dance with Death" and Roland Kirk's "Domino" if you like this release.