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HONEY 090LP
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Ahmed Abdul-Malik was best known to jazz listeners as a bassist with Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, Coleman Hawkins, and many others. He made a few records as a leader, with this one being his most exotic. The Brooklyn native was of Sudanese descent; in addition to playing bass, he also plays oud, the forerunner to the lute. Originally released in 1960, this album is rich and heady, a multi-layered set of tonal grooves that are wrapped tight beneath the melody lines. The musicians on Malik's eight originals vary from track to track. On the mournful "La Ibky (Don't Cry)," Malik's oud shares the spotlight with a tenor sax (either Benny Golson or Johnny Griffin) plus trumpeter Lee Morgan. "Rooh (The Soul)" features the 72-string kanoon (which is sort of a brittle sounding and much smaller harp) played by Ahmed Yetman, along with Malik's arco bass and the droning violin of Naim Karacand. His ability to fuse Western jazz with the driving rhythms created by his oud that seems almost sequenced, are startling.
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LIFE 032LP
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Reissue, originally released in 1962. Sounds of Africa is the fourth album by double bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik featuring performances recorded in 1962 (with one track from 1961) and originally released on the New Jazz label. This early '60s Afro-jazz jam with Middle-Eastern and Latin flavors is one of the first in its genre. The album also features Bilal Abdurahman, Andrew Cyrille, and Chief Bey. Seminal!
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LIFE 031LP
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Reissue, originally released in 1961. "This jazz musician of Sudanese descent shows up here and there on recording sessions from the '60s, including a stint as a member of Thelonious Monk's combo. He also played oud and took part in a variety of attempts to blend his roots music with jazz, out of which this is one of the most successful. Indeed, one might overlook the entire fusion nature of this record and look at is as a prime example of how much brilliant jazz is created often by relatively unknown players, despite traditional historical attempts to credit most of the best jazz to a certain pantheon of so-called 'giant' players. The best-known player here is drummer Andrew Cyrille, recorded here early in his career, playing in a more traditional style then he would eventually become known for and playing very well to be sure. The leader's original tunes are catchy and refreshing, revealing new delights with each listen. The version of the standard 'Don't Blame Me' is a wonderful showcase for another undersung player, cellist Calo Scott. Of course, the usual credit should go to recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, whose efforts recording small combo jazz have never been matched." --Eugene Chadbourne, All Music
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SOW 028LP
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Reissue, originally released in 1963. Besides playing with the likes of Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, and Randy Weston, bassist and oud player Abdul Malik is mostly remembered as one of the first to explore how elements of Middle Eastern and North African music can integrate with jazz idioms. Originally released on Prestige Records, this is his fifth studio effort featuring Bilal Abdurrahman (alto saxophone, clarinet, Korean reed flute, percussion) and William Henry Allen (bass, percussion). A peculiar combination of different instruments and sounds for a step into the Eastern side of jazz. Limited clear vinyl edition.
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LIFE 009LP
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Jazz Sahara is the debut album by double bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik featuring performances recorded in late 1958 and originally released on the Riverside label.
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OUT 5002LP
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"Decades before the advent of 'world music', bassist-composer Ahmed Abdul-Malik introduced Arabic music into jazz, creating a distinct, unique sound that was far beyond its time. Best known in jazz circles for his solid work with Randy Weston and Thelonious Monk, Abdul-Malik, who is of Sudanese descent, was also the first to use the oud, a pear-shaped, traditional Middle Eastern stringed instrument similar to a lute, as a jazz instrument. Recorded in 1958, with tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin (his bandmate in the Monk quartet), and originally out on the Riverside label, Abdul-Malik's debut solo album Jazz Sahara was a burning fusion of Middle East and West." On 180 gram vinyl.
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