« I met Mal Waldron at an Archie Shepp concert South of France in january 1981.The organizers had asked me to pick him up at the Saint-Charles train station in Marseille. We eventually made it to the venue, just in time. Mal Waldron and bass player Santi Debriano were already there, barely noticing the late arrival of their leader, and pursuing their game of chess, while a full audience was making their impatience heard.
Back in Marseille, we extended the evening with Mal Waldron who, during that night, treated us to a rendition of Monk on the excellent grand piano of an Armenian restaurant. As a trainee journalist back then, I would never have imagined the forthcoming rich times I would get to spend with Mal Waldron who I only knew through his numerous recordings.
The rest of my story with Mal Waldron would be marked by the presence of committed producers such as Jean-Paul Rodrigue (Free Lance), Jean-Jacques Pussiau (Owl) and Philippe Ghielmetti (Sketch). Gérard Terronès would never be too far : without him Mal Waldron would never have appeared on French stages so often, sometimes in rather underground places such as the Trou Noir, the Lycée Autogéré or his own “festival des musiques mutantes”. »

pistou4ever.ultra-book.com/

To accompany your visit, you can listen this track by Mal Waldron, ‘Warm Canto’ on New Jazz
 

 
 
Quartet of Archie Shepp on stage.
Martigues, january 1981

 
Mal Waldron at Kool Jazz Festival which the artistic director was George Wein.
New York City, june 1982

 
Mal Waldron and bass player Santi de Briano playin chess in front of Kenny Clarke et jazz club Hot Brass.
Aix-en-Provence, june 1983

 
Saxophonist Steve Lacy and Mal Waldron, soundcheck before a concert in La Cour des Papes.
Avignon, july 1984

 
Saxophonist Marion Brown and Mal Waldron before to go on stage at Lycée Autogéré (left wing).
Paris, february 1985

 
Mal Waldron and saxophonist Chico Freeman in duet at Théâtre Dejazet during festival of Musiques Mutantes.
Paris, october 1986

 
Marion Brown and Mal Waldron, photo session at home of their french producer Jean-Paul Rodrigue, of Free Lance Records.
Paris, november 1988

 
The singer Jeanne Lee and Mal Waldron at studio Acousti.
Paris, may 1994

 
Jean-Jacques Pussiau, producer of Owl Records, with Jeanne Lee and Mal Waldron at studio Acousti.
Paris, may 1994

 
Jeanne Lee and Mal Waldron, photo shoot at Christian Chamourat’s studio.
Paris, june 1994

 
The singer Judith Niemack and Mal Waldron, photo session for their french producer Jean-Paul Rodrigue, of Free Lance Records at Bec d’Andaine before the concert at Bec de Jazz.
Genêts, july 1994

 
«Around Monk» at Banlieues Bleues festival: Mal Waldron piano, Steve Lacy soprano, Enrico Rava trumpet, Reggie Workman bass, Roswell Rudd trombon et Andrew Cyrille drums.
Drancy, february 2000

 
Steve Lacy and Mal Waldron at jazz club Le Duc des Lombards.
Paris, january 2002

 
Recording sessions for Sketch label of Philippe Ghielmetti et studio de la Buissonne with sound enginer Gérard de Haro.
Pernes-les-Fontaines, january 2002

 
Demonstration of french game, pétanque, with Mal Waldron. Philippe Ghielmetti and Jean-Jacques Avenel laughin.
Saint-Didier, january 2002

 
Susanne Abbuehl and Mal Waldron in backstage of Banlieues Bleues festival. Behind them,chief editor of Jazz Magazine, Philippe Carles.
Drancy, april 2002

 
Photo session for the label Sketch at home of Mal Waldron.
Bruxelles, may 2002