Artist: Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron
Title: Let’s Call This... Esteem
Cat Number: SLAMCD501
Year released: 1993
Format: CD & all digital platforms
Barcode: 5028386050117
The legendary Lacy/Waldron duo recorded live during their first British tour, playing the music of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk as well as two self-composed songs each. This album contains the whole of their concert at the Oxford Playhouse Jazz Festival on 16 May 1993.
With an introduction by Lol Coxhill, the concert was arranged by George Haslam and digitally recorded live by Tim Turan.
Steve Lacy: soprano saxophone
Mal Waldron: piano
“The performances are uniformly excellent.” – Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD
“This generous, well-recorded set captures Waldron and Lacy in a very strong performance, one in which they stretch admirably… both the novice and experienced listener will thrill to the nuanced excitement.” – **** ½ AllMusic
“This is a delightful live album…Lacy and Maldron made many albums together and this familiarity works in their favour, allowing them to dive deeply and fearlessly into the music, exploring the nuances of the Monk material and slowly unfurling the mystery of the Ellington and Strayhorn ballads. The music is very well recorded, affording the listener an opportunity to hear in detail each man’s approach to their instrument and resulting improvisations.” – Music and More